Central Motors

Central Motor Co., Ltd.^[a] was a Japanese manufacturer of cars within the Toyota Group. It was founded on 4 September 1950 by Ryuichi Tomiya. The company operated five plants, all located in Japan. It was one of the biggest export vehicle manufacturers of the concern.^{[citation needed]} In July 2012 it was merged with two other Toyota subsidiaries operating in Tohoku to form Toyota Motor East Japan.

History

Central Motors was the operational successor of Toyota's Kamata Plant (トヨタ自動車蒲田工場, Toyota Jidōsha Kamata kōjō) (Kamata, Tokyo). In 1950, employees of the Kamata Plant were made redundant after it was closed down by Toyota. They founded Central Motors that year and began producing light commercial vehicles for Toyota in 1956. In 1959, Toyota acquired the company and moved the production from Kamata to Sagamihara which would later also become the headquarters base.^[1] The company opened various facilities for auto parts production. A new assembly plant and headquarters were built in Ohira, Miyagi. The new facility started production in January 2011 and the Sagamihara plant was closed later that year.^[2]

On 1 July 2012, three Toyota subcontractors (Central Motors, Toyota Motors Tohoku and Kanto Auto Works) were combined into a single company, with all their manufacturing facilities and assets renamed as Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc.^{[3] [4]} After the merger of the three former companies, the corporate headquarters was established at the former Central Motors site in Miyagi.^[5] There were just over 1,500 employees at the Central Motors location.

Operations

At closing, Central Motors operated the following facilities:

• Ohira, Miyagi (headquarters)
• Ohira, Miyagi (car assembly plant)
• Wakayanagi, Miyagi (auto parts plant)

Central Motors mainly manufactured vehicles meant for export to Europe or North America. Special vehicles such as police, fire department vehicles as well as campers were produced by the company. Production also included CKD kits of the Toyota Tundra.

Model gallery

• 
  Toyopet Toyoace SKB
  1956–1959
• 
  Toyopet Masterline
  1957–1961
• 
  Toyopet Publica Convertible
  1963–1968
• 
  Toyopet Corona Pickup
  (1964 bis 1968)
• 
  Toyopet Corona Van
  1965–1970
• 
  Toyopet Corona Van
  1973–1978
• 
  Toyopet Crown Station Wagon
  1974–1979
• 
  Toyota Carina
  1975–1977
• 
  Toyota Carina
  1977–1981
• 
  Toyota Corona Sedan
  1978–1981
• 
  Toyota Corona Van
  (1978–1982)
• 
  Toyota Crown Station Wagon
  1979–1983
• 
  Toyota Carina
  1981–1987
• 
  Toyota Corona Van
  1982–1987
• 
  Toyota MR2
  1984–1989
• 
  Toyota MR2
  1989–1999
• 
  Toyota Sera
  1990–1995
• 
  Toyota Caldina
  1993–1997
• 
  Toyota Caldina Van
  1993–2002
• 
  Toyota Hiace
  1993–1996
• 
  Toyota Hiace
  1996–2000
• 
  Toyota Raum
  1997–2003
• 
  Toyota MR-S
  1999–2007
• 
  WiLL Vi
  2000–2001
• 
  WiLL VS
  2001–2004
• 
  Toyota Allex
  2001–2007
• 
  Toyota Corolla RunX
  2001–2007
• 
  WiLL Cypha
  2002–2005
• 
  Toyota Raum
  since 2003
• 
  Toyota bB
  2004–2005
• 
  Toyota bB
  2005–2007
• 
  Toyota Corolla
  2006–2013
• 
  Toyota Corolla Axio
  2006–2012
• 
  Toyota Belta
  2007–2012
• 
  Toyota Corolla Axio
  since 2012

Additional models that have no pictures yet:

• Toyota Dyna (1957–1959)
• Toyopet Type FS Ambulance (1961–1968)
• Toyopet Corona Mark II PickUp (1968–1971)
• Toyopet Crown Station Wagon (1973–1974)
• Toyopet Corona Van (1970–1973)
• Toyota Carina Surf (1982–1987)
• Toyota Tundra (CKD kits only)

Notes

References

External links

• Official website