Driven by the need to make more with less, while ensuring the best possible quality and reliability, Kiichiro invented and fine-tuned his "just-in-time" philosophy, which allowed the company to reduce in-process inventory and efficiently produce only precise quantities of pre-ordered items with a minimum of waste. This approach was to become a key factor in the company’s development, in line with a philosophy of consistent respect for people and the environment. In due course, the Toyota Production System, with its emphasis on continuous improvement, the value of employee commitment and superior quality, would be recognized as a true benchmark in the eyes of the global automotive industry.

Rising from the ashes of industrial upheaval in post-war Japan, Toyota has become the largest vehicle manufacturer in its home country, gaining more than 40% of the national market. By 1980 Toyota in Japan had rolled out its 30 millionth car, and by the turn of the century the figure had risen to 100 million.

Outside of Japan, Toyota first started making inroads into foreign markets in the late 1950's. The first Toyota Crown models arrived in the USA in 1957, and by 1965, with cars like the Toyota Corolla, the company had steadily built both a reputation for customer service and satisfaction and sales figures to rival those of domestic automakers. In 2004, annual Toyota car sales in the U.S. surpassed the 2 million mark, with 1.4 million vehicles and almost 1.3 million engines manufactured in the U.S.