Want to know more about Toyota’s background, or how the first Toyota cars compare to today’s?
The Beginning of Toyota and the AA Sedan
Toyota is one of the largest automobile companies in the world and has an incredible history, so it makes sense to dedicate at least part of our blog to the heritage of Toyota.
Naturally, the first post has to start off about the very first Toyota – the 1936 AA Sedan (pictured below) and about Kiichiro Toyoda (although we’ll elaborate on him in a future blog post):
The above is a photograph of a fine example and it is clear to see how Toyota instantly won people over with the beautiful styling. However, the cars are so very rare that even the Japanese museum wasn’t able to get hold of one – what you see in this image is in-fact a replica.
Below is an image of a real AA Sedan, which was owned in Russia and had been modified to suit the owner’s tastes. It has been bought by the Louwman Museum in The Netherlands.This car sadly hasn’t been looked after over the years and is just a shadow of its former glory.
Below is a video showing one being very gently driven round – does anyone speak Japanese that can let us know if it’s a survivor?! (the horn certainly sounds old!) Either way, it’s still good to see one on the move. Check it out:
| 1867 | Birth of Sakichi Toyoda. |
|---|---|
| 1924 | Sakichi Toyoda invents Toyoda Model G Automatic Loom. |
| 1929 | Automatic-loom patent is sold to a British company. |
| 1930 | Kiichiro Toyoda begins research on small gasoline-powered engine. |
| 1933 | Automobile Department is established at Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. |
| 1935 | The Toyoda precepts are compiled. |
| 1936 | The AA Sedan is completed. |
| 1937 | Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. is established. |
Kiichiro Toyoda (June 11th 1894 – March 27th 1952) was a Japanese entrepeneur. He was the son of Sakichi Toyoda, who founded Toyoda Loom Works. Kiichiro made the decision to take Toyoda Loom Works in automobile manufacturing and the company became the Toyota Motor Corporation.
The AA was the finalised production model after the A1 prototypes were completed in May 1935.
Kiichiro Toyoda reportedly drove one of the A1 prototypes to his father’s grave (his father had given him the money he needed to start a car factory)
The AA shared the same mechanical aspects as the A1:
- The A1 used the 3389 cc Type A 6-cylinder engine producing 62 horsepower (46 kW) with a 3-speed column-shift manual gearbox.
- The chassis and electrics were copied from Ford.
- Solid axles were used at both ends. Pressed metal discs were used for all 4 wheel rims (very modern for the time). Braking was by drums.
- The mechanicals were the same as used in the production AA, AB and G1 vehicles.
