Where they started
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,476
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From: Frequently frozen MN
Where they started
Hi,
A short article on the earliest days of Toyota. Found it in either Popular Science or Popular Mechanics from the late 40's ( both are on the web at Google Books).
I'm not making any particular point here -- just found it interesting. Please ignore the slightly non PC title of the article.
hj
A short article on the earliest days of Toyota. Found it in either Popular Science or Popular Mechanics from the late 40's ( both are on the web at Google Books).
I'm not making any particular point here -- just found it interesting. Please ignore the slightly non PC title of the article.
hj
9 ECHO 1
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 12,467
Likes: 58
From: Missouri
The story of Toyota ("Toyoda" as the Japanese call it) is actually very interesting. If you want to learn a good story, look up the story from the start.
If you'd rather listen... CarStuff from HowStuffWorks.com has a good podcast called "The History of Toyota"
If you'd rather listen... CarStuff from HowStuffWorks.com has a good podcast called "The History of Toyota"
Super Moderator
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 34,475
Likes: 2,800
Yea, something is wrong with those numbers.
The yen was tied to the US dollar in 1949 at a rate of 360 to 1. The yen was unstable prior to that, it says here:
Japanese yen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
At 360 to 1, the 250,000 yen comes out to about $695. That seems low, but is possible I suppose. Especially if this is close to correct:
Classic Car models and prices for cars from the Forties
The writer/editor of that story must have made an error, as I doubt the yen was higher than 360 post war, even though it had been a lot higher years before the war. Given the total destruction and removal of existing government at the end of the war, hard to imagine the value building back that quickly--the 250,000/$5000 quoted requires 50 to 1.
I can't find pre '49 exchange rates, but did find a reference to the 360/1 rate causing Japanese products to become more expensive overseas, leading me to conclude that the exchange rate was greater than 360/1 prior to '49.
Then, as now, don't believe everything you read.
If you have insomnia:
Japanese economic takeoff after 1945
The yen was tied to the US dollar in 1949 at a rate of 360 to 1. The yen was unstable prior to that, it says here:
Japanese yen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
At 360 to 1, the 250,000 yen comes out to about $695. That seems low, but is possible I suppose. Especially if this is close to correct:
Classic Car models and prices for cars from the Forties
The writer/editor of that story must have made an error, as I doubt the yen was higher than 360 post war, even though it had been a lot higher years before the war. Given the total destruction and removal of existing government at the end of the war, hard to imagine the value building back that quickly--the 250,000/$5000 quoted requires 50 to 1.
I can't find pre '49 exchange rates, but did find a reference to the 360/1 rate causing Japanese products to become more expensive overseas, leading me to conclude that the exchange rate was greater than 360/1 prior to '49.
Then, as now, don't believe everything you read.
If you have insomnia:
Japanese economic takeoff after 1945
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