MAZDA

On Aug. 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima was devastated by the atomic bomb. Located 5km away from the center of the bombing, the damage to Toyo Kogyo’s building was limited. While also cooperating to reconstruct the local community by tending to the victims and space in company buildings for administrative bodies of the prefecture to operate, Toyo Kogyo began working hard toward the resumption of production for their own products. Starting with the sale of an innovative 1-ton capacity vehicle in 1950, Toyo Kogyo became a leading brand in terms of upsized three-wheeled trucks, improving their performance and pursuing great design. The company’s production system was also improved, increasing the monthly output of 500 units in the post war period to 3,000 units in 1953, when a large-scale relocation and expansion of the production plant was completed. Furthermore, Toyo Kogyo concluded technology alliances with leading overseas companies and actively introduced advanced casting and surface treatment technologies, as a strategic investment toward entering the four-wheeled truck and passenger vehicle markets in the near future. Incorporating the results from the investment, Mazda three-wheeled trucks gained competitive pull and secured the industry’s top market share.