This is The Morning Shift, our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that's actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parse it out to you one story at a time. Isn't your time more important?
How Toyota's BMW Deal Fulfills Akio Toyoda's Deepest Desire
Let's face it: when Akio Toyoda became CEO at Toyota, nobody really knew what to make of it. Was he just representing the family's interests? Would he be a puppet for management? Or was he a Hail Mary pass to pull Toyota out of its slump?
You Say Toyoda, We Say Toyota: How The Automaker Got Its Name
Sakichi Toyoda was born in Japan 145 years ago today on February 14th, 1867. By all accounts a hard-working entrepreneur, Toyoda's greatest success was building a small business manufacturing textile looms. That business ended up growing into a company that, for two years beginning in 2008, became the world's largest…
Watch Toyota's CEO Hoon The GT 86
This is Akio Toyoda, CEO and President of Toyota, one of the three largest automakers in the world, dirt-tracking a Toyota GT 86/Scion FR-S. The only thing better? Toyoda then takes it snow-drifting. Epic.
Toyota, Your Logo Is Broken
In the space of a few short months, Toyota saw its public image go from hero to zero. Fast Company's Ken Carbone takes a thoughtful, humorous look at why the big T's logo is due for a change. —Ed.
— Akio Toyoda
Toyota Motor President Akio Toyoda admits "Hyundai is coming up" with the Sonata and questions his company's old model of building beige cars
Fake Akio Toyoda Threatens To Blow Up Our Cars On Letterman
Bah! We can't stay mad at Fake Akio Toyoda
Fake Akio Toyoda Calls Americans "Frightened Kittens" On Letterman
Last night on Letterman, Dave had on a very special guest, Fake Akio Toyoda! The faux-Akio was ostensibly on camera to take responsibility for the company's current issues, but instead went on a stellar anti-American driver rant. Dave bites back?
What’s In A Bow?
Akio Toyoda was criticized in Japan after failing to bow deeply enough during his first Toyota recall apology. Experts think the second bow was just deep enough to express regret without accepting legal responsibility for the crisis. [NYPost]
Toyota CEO Apologizes, Drives Away In Black Audi
Last week, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda apologized on Japanese Television for his company's little fiery death safety oversight. Immediately afterward, he was seen departing in a black Audi sedan which, judging by reports, had a fully-functioning accelerator pedal.
