Press Release
Milestone is a Toyota Camry Altise
World production of the Toyota Camry recently passed 10 million, when a four-cylinder Camry Altise rolled off the production line at Toyota’s Altona plant in Victoria.
The 10 millionth Camry was presented to Commonwealth Games ambassador and Women’s NBA basketball star Lauren Jackson. It is the first of up to 1500 vehicles that will be delivered to the Games over the coming months.
Toyota Australia President and Chief Executive Officer Ted Okada said the 10 millionth Camry was a significant milestone for the company.
“We feel very honoured to claim the 10 millionth Camry built worldwide as our own. For us, it highlights the growing role that Australia is playing in the world’s most successful car company,” Mr Okada said.
Altona is one of ten plants in the world to build Camry and second only to the United States in terms of production capacity outside Japan.
It was the first plant outside Japan to build Camry and is the number one overseas plant in terms of quality, according to internal Toyota audits.
Australia is also the second biggest sales market for Camry.
“Events like these highlight Toyota’s successful approach to globalisation. By choosing to grow organically rather than by acquisition, the company has been able to build a truly global car that appeals to differing local tastes around the world,” Mr Okada said.
“The Australian Camry offers the benefits of cutting-edge global technology and sophistication, specially tuned to local tastes,” he said.
The Camry is the most popular car in the United States, with 426,990 sales in 2004. The vehicle is currently sold in more than 100 countries.
Camry has been the best-selling car in America three years in a row and seven times in the past eight years (1997-2000, 2002-2004).
In Australia, the four-cylinder Camry assumed leadership of the medium car segment in 1994 and has not relinquished it.
“In Australia, the four-cylinder Camry dominates its segment, with close to 50 per cent market share,” Mr Okada said.
The Camry is also popular in the highly discerning markets of the Middle East, with exports from the Altona plant on track to break an automotive export record with 69,000 exports this year.
Mr Okada said Camry’s success was the foundation of Toyota Australia’s growing influence in the global corporation.
“The success we’ve had with producing and exporting Camry has won Australia a great amount of respect from Japan,” he said.
“As a result, Australia is now one of Toyota’s global hubs for design and engineering expertise. Our engineers and designers have an increasing input into future global models for the company.
“Only recently, Nick Hogios from Toyota Style Australia was seconded to Japan to work on future global products, including the replacement for Avalon in this market.
“And our chairman, John Conomos, is now a Managing Officer of the global company.
“With two new products on the horizon and a growing influence in the
