Toyota's Australian Assembly History (1963-2017)

Toyota doesn't close factories very often but it will do so at times. It did close one recently in Brazil but it wasn't assembling cars when it came to an end and the parts it was making were moved to other plants. It was Toyota's first overseas plant. It's also going to close a parts plant in Marion, Arkansaw which assembles parts for Hino and Toyota.

In 2017, it closed its Australian vehicle manufacturing operation which started back in 1963. Various models were made there and this is a summary of how it went. 

Tiara: It was a medium sized 4-door car that was replaced by the Corona. It was a step up from models before but progress from this model would follow. It was like an entrée, a pioneer opening the way for others to follow. Number assembled 1,684.   

Corona: The Tiara replacement was more in line with Western tastes and sales jumped accordingly. It went from 1965 to 1987 which I presume covered five generations from third to eighth. Number assembled 336,197.

Crown: This large car came along a year later and was assembled in Australia for 16 years. I assume it was considered a success despite not troubling other locally made large cars. It was more premium so volume would be lower. Number assembled 46,690.  

Corolla: It was made in Australia from 1967 to 1999. An obvious success. Number assembled 601,104.  

Camry: It was a new nameplate for Toyota and surfaced in 1982. In 1987, this medium to large car began being assembled in Australia. By this time the Crown had already been discontinued in Australia and the Corona ended with the Camry's arrival. It continued through to 2017.

It didn't sell locally in the numbers the Holden Commodore or the Ford Falcon but it had a strong export programme kept it viable. Number assembled 2,168,104. 

Avalon: Slightly larger than the Camry, it wasn't a successful model and was soon replaced by the Aurion. Number assembled 44,741. 

Aurion: This was a more prestigious Camry and was more successful than its predecessor. It was assembled in Australia from 2006 to 2017. Number assembled 184,180. 

A strange situation emerged when the Australian government wanted to reduce the high duty on imported cars, The idea was to gain economies of scale for local manufacturers through model sharing between brands. It doesn't usually work too well and didn't last. Two models made by Toyota were shared with GM Holden.

Apollo: From 1989 to 1996, the Camry was sold by Holden as the Apollo. It replaced the Camira and was replaced by the Vectra. The numbers made over some years would indicate minimal success. Number assembled 40,287. 

Nova: In the same timeframe, The Corolla became the Holden Nova, replacing the first generation Astra. When it ended, it was replaced by the third generation Astra. Again, it didn't seem overly successful. Number assembled 28,128. 

Summary: Import duty ended but without large export markets, Ford and GM couldn't make local assembly pay so decided to pull the pin. Toyota in turn decided that it would no longer be viable to maintain Australian assembly on its own despite a stronger export focus than the other two had. Number assembled 3,451,115. 

Data supplied by Toyota. I did the amazing chart. 

PS. If anyone is able and prepared to assist with Australian sales by model in particular for the 1990's and earlier, please drop me a line at rdc1234@gmail.com. 

Portugal Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations for August were down 9% but YTD up 3%. Peugeot is into its fourth year at the top, having dethroned long time leader Renault. Budget brand Dacia is nicely placed in third spot. I'm all for the success of any brand like this that can make a business case for low cost motoring. Not everyone can afford or wants to commit excess funds for personal mobility.

Mercedes-Benz is very popular here as it pulls away from BMW and Audi is well down the list. Toyota is reasonably popular but not quite where it often is, somewhere around the top. BYD and MG are two that are making progress but will it continue?

Data source: ACAP.

UK Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down 1% in August but still up 5% YTD. VW took the lead in 2021 when Ford abdicated its place as the UK's leading marque. It's turning to more profitable light commercials is the reason but if other manufacturers can justify making less profitable vehicles, I wonder why they can't. Regardless, they won't be coming back to the top again. 

BMW does seem to have its eye on the top spot as it brushed aside Audi and made useful progress. Toyota's dropping three places surprised as in most other places it's doing much better. Vauxhall is also heading the wrong way as is Tesla which has shed six places in a year and a two thirds. 

Nissan is doing well but as a major manufacturer in the UK should be supported more. Both Land Rover and Jaguar have had a more than useful year so far but the latter will most likely be unable to sustain the momentum at its current level as it winds down its range of models.  

The top five models are the Ford Puma (32,263), Kia Sportage (30,100), Nissan Qashqai (27,684), VW Golf (23,482) and the Nissan Juke (22,702). 

Data source: SMMT.

Czechia Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations are down 9% in August but up 2% YTD. Škoda is the home town hero and it shows. One in three cars in an open market is an unusually high percentage. Toyota has just passed VW and has Hyundai in its sights. So the leadership won't be changing but below brands feeding over the crumbs will. 

The list includes camper vans too so some names may sound strange to those not familiar with them. I'd like to extract them but it would be a lot of work. Chinese brands are entering but not making a huge splash as yet. 

The top models are the Škoda Octavia (13,870), Kodiaq (6,904), Škoda Karoq (6,795). Škoda Scala (6,443), Hyundai i30 (6,166), Škoda  Škoda Kamiq (5,951), Škoda Fabia (5,819) and Škoda Superb (4,787). 

Data source: SDA. 

Estonia Car/LCV Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down 3% in August and 13% YTD. Toyota has lost what appeared to be its inevitable lead which it has enjoyed for most of this century. Škoda has taken that now but will it maintain it? Subaru is not a strong brand in Europe but it is proving to be popular here, up to sixth. Audi got up to third last year but it seems that isn't sustainable. 

Popular models here include the Škoda Octavia (874), Škoda Kodiaq (698), Toyota Corolla (678), Toyota RAV4 (641), Kia Sportage (451) and Subaru Outback (391).  

A big shout out to the agency that releases this data. Increasingly sales statistics are harder to come by which is a shame as there is clearly a demand from the public to see it. 

The 'Diff' column shows market share change. Data source: Transpordiamet.

Argentina Car/LCV Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were up 5% in August but -16% YTD. Toyota displaced VW as the top brand in 2021 and is now well ahead, despite conceding some of its lead in 2024. Fiat has lost ground but not as much as Renault and Chevrolet. Chrysler included Jeep and Ram, both going well this year but especially the latter. 

The top models YTD are the Fiat Cronos (20,798), Peugeot 208 (20,322), Toyota Hilux (18,715), Ford Ranger (15,638) , Toyota Yaris (13,829) and the VW Amarok (11,150).

Australia Car/LCV Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down 11% in August but up 5% YTD. While sales are crumbing across the Tasman Sea, they are holding up well here but maybe the slowdown is arriving albeit at a later time. The anticipated softening of the market may be commencing but it's too early to say. 

Toyota increased its share beyond 20%, still some way short of 2022 but a tidy gain on 2023's poor showing. Ford remains strong with the Ranger pick up and Everest SUV being the backbone of the brand's success here. Mitsubishi and Nissan have had a good time as is Isuzu with its two model line up. 

The Toyota RAV4 was the best selling vehicle in August and second for the eight months so far. YTD the leading models are the Ford Ranger (43,877), Toyota RAV4 (38,050), Toyota Hilux (37,758), Isuzu D-Max (20,737) and Mitsubishi Outlander (18,741). Three of the top four are pick ups. The Ranger has finally brought the Hilux to heel, something the Ranger did several years ago in New Zealand. 

Data source: Vfacts.

Türkiye Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Türkiye is the new name for the country in case you are wondering about the spelling.  

Registrations for August were up 5% and up 4% YTD so very settled. Renault has been the most successful brand in the 21st century but Fiat hit the top for the first time during this time covered, in 2022. However, Renault is back on top due to Fiat losing ground rather than anything it did. 

Chery is a new arrival and a surprisingly successful one in such a short time too, bumping VW into fourth. Togg (picture at top) is a local start up brand, producing a compact electric SUV with more models to follow. 

Data source: ODD.

Finland Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down 17% in August and 17% YTD so a consistency in downward sales figures. The data below compares market share with eight months of 2024 with a complete 2023. The winner here is Toyota, a brand that has put emphasis on rallying in a country that loves that type of motor sport. Toyota currently accounts for nearly one in five passenger cars sold here. 

The top three models for the year so far are Toyotas; the Corolla (2,907 units), Yaris Cross (2,207) and Yaris (1,909). Volvo has also had a good year, led by the new EX30 model (1,657). Škoda has slipped a place despite the Octavia selling well (1,618). 

The Nissan Qashqai (1,449) helped that brand to a 52% increase in market share. Tesla did a belly flop as did Peugeot and Opel. BYD has arrived so we will see how that progresses as it builds its dreams. MG timed its arrival poorly as Chinese electric vehicles now meet tariffs in Europe. Of course, all vehicles going to China are hit with import duty so nothing to see here. 

Data source: Tilastokeskus. 

Netherlands Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down 0.4% in August and minus 4% YTD. Some of the shifts in sales and ranking are extreme. Volvo leaps into second place from tenth while VW slumps down to seventh from first place. Incentives may be part of the reason as new environmentally friendly models arrive they prosper. But there is more to it. Many in the Netherlands seem to want the latest. 

One new brand is Voyah from China which sells premium electric cars. It has two models sold here so far, the Dream and Free. Will they succeed? Hard to say but the premium market is a hard one to crack. I guess dreams are free although the dream may be about to end. 

The best selling models for the year so far were the Tesla Y (9,939), Kia Niro (8,561), Volvo EX/XC40 (7,274), Volvo EX30 (7,187), Tesla 3 (5,998) and the Kia Picanto (5,339). The Lotus Emeya (see picture below) has arrived with ten sold so far. A four door Lotus?

Data source: Bovag.

Ireland Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Sales were -9% in August and YTD was -1%. The beginning of the year is huge here and later on little gets sold so not that much will change from here to the end of the year. 

Toyota has cemented its place at the top, pulling away from VW. Škoda is progressing well. Ford's reducing its passenger car involvement inevitably means losing market share. Nissan and Land Rover are doing OK. 

The Hyundai Tucson is the leading passenger car model (5,074) from the Škoda Octavia (4,168) and Kia Sportage (3,655), Toyota RAV4 ((3,332), Toyota Yaris Cross (3,125) and the Toyota Corolla (2,689). 

Data source: SIMI. Photos Škoda & Nissan Facebook.

Italy Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down 13% in August but up 4% YTD. Fiat has always been at the top and still is but at its lowest market share ever. VW has been the second most popular brand here since 2012, when it passed Ford. For now, Toyota has taken that place but it is very close run thing.

Where would Fiat be without the Panda model? YTD it has achieved 74,708 registrations. That is well ahead of the Dacia Sandero (42,624) and the Citroën C3 (29,333). Next are the Lancia Ypsilon (28,862), Jeep Avenger (26,171) and the Toyota Yaris Cross (24,872). 

The new Ypsilon is here as an electric car and replacement for its 13 year old predecessor of the same name. It is the sole model for the brand but two new models will be added over the next four years. 

Data source: UNRAE.

Sweden Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down 20% in August and minus 8% YTD. Volvo's market share of 18.5% is the best since 2020 which is an amazing number considering the fairly limited range of vehicles they offer. Local support at its best. A few years back, I thought that VW would eventually overtake Volvo as it closed the gap between them but that's an unlikely outcome as the gap substantially widens. 

Toyota has passed Kia and must surerly be eyeing up the second spot but with some way to go. Mercedes-Benz has come back after slipping for a few years. Sweden's a place where things move around fluidly so change is very much the norm.

The best selling models for the year so far were: Tesla Model Y (9,488), Volvo XC60 (8,905), Volvo 60 Series (5,295), Volvo EX/XC40 (5,147) and the Volvo EX30 (4,383).

Data source: Bilsweden.

France Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

The market was down 24% in August and -1% YTD so a trend in Europe of sales falling as the year progresses. Renault has been battling it out with Peugeot for the top spot, the former looking to make a repeat of podium finishes. Renault owned Dacia is third and Toyota has passed Citroën to claim fourth. 

A change of data source means fewer brands appear but enough to give a comprehensive coverage of the brands with some substance, in terms of volume. The best selling models are the Peugeot 208 (60,914), Renault Clio (58,607), Dacia Sandero (52,246), Citroën C3 (36,164), Peugeot 2008 (34,779), Renault Captur (32,266) and Peugeot 308 (25,786). 

Data source: CCFA.

Belgium Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

With registrations in August down 20%, it took the YTD figure down to minus 3%. BMW is in its fourth year as market leader and is in no mood to lose that position. Premium marques do well here so it should be of no surprise for one of their number to be at the top.

The leading four brands aren't moving around to any degree but below that, some volatility can be observed. Fifth to seventh all had useful gains with Volvo in particular doing well and it gained three places as a result. Peugeot has not had a good year as is true of Ford although the latter is not doing well in Europe generally.   

Data source: FEBIAC.

Germany Passenger Car Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

Registrations were down a mammoth 28% in August and are 0.3% YTD or or just below zero percent. The slump in August is due to extra sales last year as certain incentives for electric cars were ending. It no doubt has other factors added to the drop but that would seemingly be the main one.

VW is by far the main volume player here with over double the lead over second placed Mercedes-Benz. With 19.2% so far this year, that's the highest percentage since 2016 with four months to go this year. 

The three main premium marques all suffered some market share loss with Audi losing the most.  Porsche isn't overly successful in Germany but seems to be remedying that in 2024. VW's Škoda has passed Audi but the advantage is marginal. 

I estimated SEAT and Cupra based on Cupra models I do know and the rest an estimate based on 2023 in which I do have all Cupra sales by model. Sales for these two brands are not separated by KBA until sometime after the year has concluded. As B. Joel said, don't ask me why.  

The same issue for GM US. Only Cadillac sales are released for the year but Chevrolet comes later so I've estimated the latter. I have sales for Genesis and Mclaren for 2023 so again estimates below for 2024. Zhidou sold nearly 500 units in 2023 but I didn't bother with that as electric cars are not doing so well and didn't want to guess what's happening with that brand. All of that to get extras down to 6,300! 

The best selling models are the VW Golf with 70,070, VW T-Roc (54,107), VW Tiguan (42,372), Škoda Octavia (36,202), Opel Astra (33,395) and the VW Passat (33,108).

Data source: KBA. Pictures: Manufacturers.

KG Mobility Global Sales : 2024 (Jan-Aug)

KG Mobility or Ssangyong as it was formally known delivered 73,000 vehicles in the first eight months of 2024. That's 16% down on the corresponding period of 2023. August was down 25%. The company gained a new owner in 2022, the KG Group so what the direction is from here will be interesting.

There have been some issues with the new name as other entities have objected to its use, being an acronym the same as or close to ones already in use. Maybe Ssangyong will have to be reintroduced.

The model names used for various cars is confusing, the same name being partly used with other models over its history. The Rexton Sport pick up is again the top selling model, replacing the Torres SUV which was introduced in 2022 and held the leadership for just one year. 

The E100 SUV is the electric version of the Korando and is doing well in 2024. The Rexton SUV lost some ground and now accounts for just 8.2% of total sales. The new Actyon SUV has arrived (picture below) but yet to add much impetus to deliveries. 

Regionally, KGM only differentiates between domestic and export deliveries. In 2024, there is a swing toward exports but that seems more to do with a drop in local sales rather than a surge in exports. 

Data and pictures : KGM.