(Photo Credit: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press via NY Times)

"I can say 100 percent that Toyota received absolutely no support — no money, no grants — from the Japanese government for the development of the Prius..."

And why not, as Press noted the inherent unfairness of competition from Toyota in the hybrid game, saying

"...the Japanese government paid for 100% of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius."

FORD MOTOR COMPANY NAMES JIM FARLEY

TO LEAD MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 11 — Ford Motor Company President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally today announced the appointment of Jim Farley as Group Vice President of Marketing and Communications.

Farley joins Ford in mid-November, after nearly two decades at Toyota and Lexus.

"We are thrilled to welcome one of the most successful and talented leaders in the industry to the Ford Motor Company team," said Mulally. "Jim Farley is well known for innovative marketing strategies that connect great products to today's and tomorrow's customers. Ford's quality and vehicles are now on par with the best of the competition. We look forward to Jim's leadership to combine world-class marketing with our world-class products worldwide."

Farley will be the company's most senior marketing leader and will report directly to Mulally.

Working with the company's worldwide business unit leaders and global product development organization, Farley will lead Ford's drive to connect even more closely with customers through integrated marketing, advertising, digital communications, brand development, product planning, research, product communications and public relations. In line with that vision, Ford's global Communications and public relations team also now will report to Farley.

Farley, 45, most recently was Group Vice President and General Manager of Lexus, responsible for all sales, marketing and customer satisfaction activities for Toyota's luxury brand. He joined Toyota in 1990 in the strategic-planning department after receiving his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School. Since then, he has served in such senior leadership positions as Vice President and General Manager of Toyota's Scion brand, Group Vice President of Marketing for the Toyota Division, General Manager of Product Management for Toyota Europe and a variety of product planning, marketing and advertising roles.

Farley says he is passionate about joining Ford in this global leadership role and is eager to help lead the company's transformation plan toward automotive leadership and profitable growth.

"My connection with Ford goes way back to my first car, a 1966 Ford Mustang. I bought it when I was 15, restored it and drove it from California to Michigan. I am excited to make that trip once again," said Farley. "Ford is one of the world's most admired companies because of its ability to develop iconic products that connect with customers. I look forward to building on that strength by engaging customers and introducing even more of them to the great family of Ford."

# # #

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 260,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

"Press has always loved cars. He built his first go-cart at age seven, got his first car when he was 12. At age 13, he started washing cars at his family's dealership in Kansas. But he said he never bought a Toyota or Lexus. The only vehicle he owns is a Yamaha motorcycle. But he'll soon be driving Chrysler vehicles."

Press Sees Strength in Dealers, Investment in Future from Cerberus

Posted Sep 27, 2007, 10:34 AM by Mike Ellis

He's been on the job for less than a week, but brings a wealth of automotive experience to Chrysler. So what does Jim Press, the new Vice Chairman and President, think needs to change at Chrysler?

Ask the Chrysler workers and dealers - they already know what changes need to be made, he said in a candid interview with the TheFirehouse.

"One of the things I've learned over the years is the talent in the organization doesn't rest wherever the executive floor might be," he said on Wednesday. "What we need to do is create the atmosphere and the environment for people to realize and do what they need to do to take care of the customer."

"I don't have any playbook, I don't have any secret codes, and there's no silver bullet here. It's about empowering the organization, driving decision making closer to the level where they know what needs to be done, closer to the customer."

Press has already visited three Chrysler dealerships during his first four days on the job, and he plans to visit many more. Chrysler dealers have weathered good times and bad, they have more seniority than Chrysler management, and nobody knows more about how to sell cars.

The veteran dealers and the strong workforce are some of the reasons he joined Chrysler from Toyota, Press said.

"I have a saying and that is the strongest steel comes from the hottest fire, and there's been a lot of fire here and there's a lot of strength," he said.

When asked why he is so sure that Chrysler will gain market share in the future, he said that Chrysler vehicle lineup gives him confidence.

"The bones of our products are really strong. They're emotional, they're fun, they're exciting. They have an appeal that other products don't have. And they have good integrity."

Chrysler's competitors are growing fiercer, he said, but "they're starting to face a little bit of a headwind themselves, and I think that opens the door for us," he said. "We're nimble. We have new ownership. Our new ownership has empowered us to do things right. We don't have a lot of constraints that other companies do. We can be nimble, we can be fast, we can be flexible."

The foresight and the capital of parent Cerberus Capital Management gives Chrysler a great advantage, he said.

"We have been given the opportunity to earmark a ton of money for development of advanced products," he said. "Things that are really necessary to have a strong foundation for the future are being put in place. And one of them is product development of advanced technology."

Another reason for optimism is the opportunity to expand the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands outside the United States, he said.

"If you look at the global auto market, do you know that we're adding a 100,000 cars a day to the planet. And someone else is selling all those vehicles outside the United States, and we ought to get our share, especially if we can get our 10 or 11 percent share here outside," he said.

Press has always loved cars. He built his first go-cart at age seven, got his first car when he was 12. At age 13, he started washing cars at his family's dealership in Kansas. But he said he never bought a Toyota or Lexus. The only vehicle he owns is a Yamaha motorcycle. But he'll soon be driving Chrysler vehicles.

Chairman and CEO Robert L. Nardelli teams former Toyota chief With Vice Chairman and President Thomas W. LaSorda "World-class supply and demand leaders" Joins Nardelli and LaSorda in new Office of the Chairman and On Board of Directors of Chrysler LLC Press to run North American Sales, International Sales, Global Marketing, Product Strategy, and Service and Parts September 6, 2007AUBURN HILLS, MICH. - Chrysler LLC Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli today announced the appointment of James Press as Vice Chairman and President. Press, who was President and Chief Operating Officer of Toyota Motors in North America Inc. and a Director of the parent company, will now be responsible for North American Sales, International Sales, Global Marketing, Product Strategy, and Service and Parts for Chrysler LLC. "Tom LaSorda and I are thrilled that one of the most successful executives in the history of the auto industry has joined our leadership team at the New Chrysler," said Nardelli. "Our top team now consists of a world-class 'supply' leader in Tom and an equally world-class 'demand' leader in Jim."

"I've known Jim for many years and know that he will hit the ground sprinting," said LaSorda. "I look forward to partnering with him and Bob as part of the Office of the Chairman."

Press joins LaSorda as a Vice Chairman and President, reporting to Nardelli. LaSorda's responsibilities will continue to include Manufacturing, Procurement and Supply, Employee Relations and Global Business Development and Alliances.

"I am grateful for the support and opportunities I received during my three-plus decades at Toyota," said Press. "I relish this new opportunity with the Chrysler team to be a part of the resurgence of a true American icon here and around the world. Part of my new responsibilities will be strengthening and energizing the dealer body. This is something I was passionate about at Toyota and will be passionate about at Chrysler."

Press joins Chrysler after 37 years with Toyota, where he most recently served as the first non-Japanese President of Toyota Motor North America Inc., responsible for sales, engineering and the company's 15 manufacturing plants with 41,000 employees in North America. He was also the first non-Japanese executive selected to the Board of Directors of Toyota Motor Corporation.

During his tenure at Toyota, the company grew from an upstart new company selling 100,000 vehicles per year to the second largest auto company in the United States.

Press becomes a member of the Chrysler LLC Board of Directors and the Board of Managers of Cerberus Operations and Advisory Co. (COAC), LLC. Press joins LaSorda as Vice Chairman of COAC.

- # # # -

Chrysler LLC, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., produces Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge and Mopar® brand vehicles and products. Total sales worldwide in 2006 were 2.7 million vehicles. Sales outside of North America were the highest in a decade with an increase of 15 percent over 2005. On the heels of the company's record product launch year (Chrysler launched 10 all-new vehicles in 2006), the company plans to extend that streak with eight all-new products in 2007. Its product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Commander and Dodge Charger. The Chrysler Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm, gave $23.6 million in grants in 2006. Chrysler is a unit of Cerberus Capital Management.

"We still have a lot of basic research to do."

"By encouraging consumer support for a promising new technology, our government is supporting innovation and investing in our nation's future...we'd like to see those tax incentives continue."

Toyota seeks support for hybrid tax incentives [Detroit News]

Related:
BREAKING: GM to Produce Plug-in Hybrid Vue; LA Auto Show: Wagoner Drops Bomb; GM To Abandom Steam Power!! [internal]

"We're already developing vehicles that can operate in ethanol-rich Brazil and we're optimistic that we can offer similar vehicles to American consumers...here in the U.S., business is steady, and as America's population approaches 300 million the future is full of promise. The U.S. auto industry is coming off its third best year in history and sales so far this year are nearly on the same pace..."

Ah, we see — so Toyota's thinking about selling some alt-fuel cars here. How speculative of Jim. In addition...

...when he called the US auto industry "thriving" he meant Toyota is "thriving." Well, yeah — we know. Was it necessary to drop a press release saying that? Isn't that like dropping salt into an open wound? Luckily we know no outlet's going to cover the press release of an exec ruminating on possibilities while wrapping themselves in the American flag by claiming they are the US auto industry — especially considering the fact folks are just about ignoring every press release coming out of Dearborn and Detroit these days. So we're assuming this probably won't get any coverage either.

Toyota Optimistic About Future of U.S. Auto Industry, Pledges Cooperation on Energy, Safety & Environmental Issues [PRNewswire via Yahoo News]

Related:
Toyota Tells All: "GM Hasn't Talked To Us, We Haven't Talked To Them." [internal]

He of the Sweetness, Peetness and D-ness, the Autoextremist himself, weighs in on "Teflon Jim" Press' quest to convince the world that Toyota's not just another car company, and giggles to himself about the company's current predicament. Meanwhile, over at BusinessWeek, Press weighs in on his new position, and says with a straight face, "Hybrid is the way you gain the synergy of combining stored energy that you store when you don't need it and release when you do." Actually, the BusinessWeek piece is worth a read.

Toyota's Jim Press Discusses the Future [BusinessWeek]
Toyota's "Master Manipulators" get caught with their pants down [Autoextremist]

Related:
Jim Press-ing On After Toyota Sex Scandal [Internal]

Press: Toyota Will Emerge Better From Suit [Washington Post]

Related:
Toyota's Otaka Is Totally Feeling It [internal]

05/11/2006
As prepared for:

Jim Press
President, Toyota Motor North America
Inforum (formerly Women's Economic Club)
Detroit, MI
May 11, 2006

"A New Day for Women and the Auto Industry"

Good afternoon! It's great to be back in Detroit, and I'm happy to spend some time with you, members and friends of Inforum.

Believe me, I've done the math and I KNOW women rule the world!

Today, the spending power of women has never been greater...affecting 80 to 85% of ALL consumer buying decisions...or nearly $7 Trillion! That makes all of you my boss, so I'll try to do a good job for you this afternoon.

I want to start by having a little fun, and giving you a pop quiz. Now, don't worry, it's a fun test and you won't be graded. So, whoever gives me the first right answer will win a new Lexus. How's that sound?

Well...actually, it's a scale model of a Lexus, but it will be quite a conversation piece for your home or office.

Are you ready to go? OK...if you know the answer, raise your hand as quickly as possible and I'll call on you. The first one with the right answer takes home the car.

Here's the first question: How many computer chips does the typical passenger car have onboard today?

OK...that's a tough one. I just wanted to see if you were still awake after that dessert. Let's make it a multiple choice: does the average car contain 33...47...or 70 computer chips?

The average car has 70 onboard microprocessors.

What the heck do all those chips do? Well, they control audio systems, air conditioning, brakes, air bags and many other functions to make sure your car is safe, comfortable and efficient.

Even more impressive, software for the average car today has more than 35 million lines of code...100 times the amount needed for a fully packed interactive computer game!

That illustrates just how advanced and complicated cars are today and why they are smarter, safer and more comfortable than ever before.

And think how impressed your kids will be when you tell them you managed more computer code driving home than they did playing games all afternoon.

Yeah, right...Well, we can dream, can't we?

Here's question No. 2...Based on the latest research, who was the first person to design a car?

This is tricky, so I'll give you some choices. Was it Karl Benz? Ransom Olds? Leonardo da Vinci? or Fred Flintstone?

Actually, Fred isn't that far off. Leonardo da Vinci designed the first car more than 500 years ago - in 1478. That's right...Italian scientists recently uncovered drawings from Da Vinci they consider to be the first definitive vehicle design.

What did the da Vinci coupe look like? By all accounts, it was a boxy, open-top three-wheeler, made mostly of wood, about six feet long and five feet wide.

So, if you put Leonardo's car together with the computer chips in the first question, what do you get? That's right...The Da Vinci Code!

All right, here's the last question: "Who are safer drivers, men or women? Well, at least you have a 50-50 chance on this one...

The answer: That's right...women. According to an Allstate insurance survey, only 52% of women report driving 20 mph over the speed limit vs. 64% of men.

Well, that was a lot of fun, and hopefully it provided you with some new insights about the automotive business. It's also a great lead-in to what I want to talk about today: the future of the auto industry; the future of Detroit; and the future of women as both leaders and as a consumer force in our industry.

I know the headlines here and around the state of Michigan have been bleak and that a lot of people are scrambling to re-order their lives in the wake of financial troubles at Ford and General Motors and at Delphi and other suppliers.

There's pain, disappointment and probably some despair about the future. That's understandable, and I don't for a minute want to discount the hardship that some people are experiencing.

I'm sure all of our hearts go out to those faced with major life challenges. I do, however, want to tell you that I see great hope, and passion, and potential for the future and that I firmly believe Detroit will ALWAYS play a starring role in the world's greatest industry.

Let me tell you why.

Despite what you may be seeing and hearing, the automotive industry is alive and healthy. Globally, sales continue growing because people are gaining a higher standard of living and discovering the freedom that cars provide in major developing countries like China, India, Russia and Brazil. In some ways, they are like America was in the Roaring 20s.

Here in the United States, business is solid. The auto industry is coming off its third best year in history, and sales so far this year are nearly on the same pace.

General Motors and Ford are taking bold steps to recover, and there are signs good things starting to happen. Both were profitable in Asia, Europe and Latin America in the first quarter and some analysts believe GM's job buyouts will pay for themselves and generate significant cost savings in less than two years.

In addition, General Motors sales were up a whopping 75%, and Ford sales doubled during the first quarter in China, rapidly becoming the second largest auto market in the world after the United States.

I firmly believe GM and Ford will both come back stronger than ever and be very successful. And that's important because they are vital to our industry, vital to this area, and vital to our national economy.

It won't happen overnight, but it WILL happen, and consumers will be the biggest winners because greater competition will spur better and better cars.

I think it's also important to note that the majority of auto suppliers — many with operations here in Michigan — are healthy and growing.

In fact, a recent analysis by CSM Worldwide confirmed that 3 out of 4 auto suppliers are in good financial shape.

So, at Toyota we're cautiously optimistic and projecting annual industry sales of about 17 million this year, up just a hair over last year's. That would make 2006 not just another solid year, but also one of the top three or four in automotive history.

For the long term, we believe annual industry sales of 20 million vehicles — 3 million higher than now — are within reach in the next decade, and the whole industry will benefit from that rising market tide.

So...where's the boom coming from? First, people are living longer and driving longer. CNW Research found that 7 vehicles — more than half of the 13 cars the average American buys over a lifetime — are purchased AFTER the head of the household turns 50.

Sixty percent of the U.S. population will be 50 or older in the next five years, and Baby Boomers won't reach the peak of their spending power until 2009, so there are enormous opportunities for growth ahead.

Second, Generation X is maturing and adding cars to their household. They already buy more than a fifth of all new cars and are entering their child-rearing years when they'll need family vehicles.

Third...the 63 million people of Generation Y are reaching driving age in this decade. It's the second-largest generation of all time and will start flexing its spending power in 2010, buying one of every four new cars.

And fourth...strong immigration will continue because America is still viewed as the land of opportunity by people all over the world.

The result of these trends coming together is simply astounding. During the next 19 years, the U.S. population will increase by 70 million, or equal to the populations of California, New York and New Jersey COMBINED!

Along with phenomenal demographics, market drivers are on our side too. Our gross domestic product is growing, consumer spending is positive, jobs are increasing and productivity is rising. And new booms in information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology will boost our economy even further.

All of this together adds up to a golden opportunity in the years ahead for automakers, suppliers and all those who support the industry.

Like Ford and GM, I fully believe this region will stage a major comeback and that Detroit will shine like it did when you recently hosted baseball's All-Star Game and football's Super Bowl. This is a special place where the fortitude of the people has honed this region into a powerful symbol of American ingenuity and re-invention.

There's an energy here that is unique, bold and everlasting. That's why Toyota is so bullish on this region, and why we have big plans here. Our goal is to make the Detroit area Toyota's North American hub for research, development and engineering. It absolutely will be the focal point for our efforts to design cars and trucks by Americans...for Americans.

Toyota set up shop here with a Technical Center in Ann Arbor nearly three decades ago, and our operations have been steadily expanding ever since, including the addition of a design studio in 2004.

This year, we'll start work on a major expansion in York Township where we're building a 350,000-foot structure to house our entire U.S. engineering group. When it opens in 2008, we'll have more than 1,100 associates, and there's plenty of room to grow because we purchased 690 acres of land — 7 times more than our current facility in Ann Arbor.

In addition, some of our key suppliers and subsidiaries are moving here:
Hino Motors, our truck subsidiary, moved its U.S. headquarters to Farmington Hills in 2005;
Aisin Seiki, a key supplier, opened up a proving track last October in Fowlerville;
And Denso, our largest supplier, directs North American operations from its headquarters in Southfield, has three plants in Michigan, and is the largest employer in Battle Creek.

And Toyota's not alone. Nissan recently doubled its engineering staff in Farmington Hills and Hyundai-Kia is adding 600 jobs to its new technical center in Superior Township.

Others will follow because Michigan has a deep pool of talented workers; the state's colleges and universities are some of the best in the nation, and it's the automotive capital of the world.

Today, Michigan is home to more automotive-related R & D centers — a total of 215 facilities — than all the other states, Canada and Mexico... COMBINED!

And there's more good news statewide. To stimulate the production of ethanol, Michigan has set up 20 agriculture zones with tax incentives for companies that build ethanol and other renewable energy facilities. And no less than 4 ethanol production plants are being built right now in the region.

There's also a pioneer hydrogen technology park in Southfield and a new, 100-acre bio-tech park being built in Wayne County.

Michigan is also home to some leading-edge work on wind-generated energy, with commercial wind turbines operating in Traverse City and Mackinaw along with new turbine farms being built in Huron and Sanilac counties.

So, yes, there's a lot of transition going on here now, and definitely some pain but overall there's great hope for the future.

Southeast Michigan is poised for a new day of progress that will attract fresh jobs and fresh companies and Toyota is proud to be a part of it.

OK...so now we know that things will soon be looking up for the auto industry, but what about the other key pursuit of Inforum, the empowerment of women?

After all, the auto industry has been a male-dominated business for nearly a century, so some people don't have much hope for progress.

Well, once again I have positive news. Women today are playing increasingly vital roles as both leaders and consumers in the auto industry, and the trend gets stronger every year.

At the risk of preaching to the choir, let me quickly list some remarkable statistics about the growing power of women in the world and in the marketplace:

46% of U.S. workers are women
46% of all privately held companies are owned by women
57% of the bachelor's and master's degrees awarded in 2005 went to women
55% of married women earn half or more of their families' income
More women hold elective office than ever, with 14 U.S. Senators, 67 Congressional representatives and 8 Governors
And...47% of all investors are women

In the auto industry, the numbers are even more dramatic. The industry trend of women buying more cars has been on the upswing for the past 12 years and currently hovers at 46% — nearly half of all vehicles.

For Toyota, it's even higher. 51% of all Toyota vehicles are purchased by women, and when you to narrow the list to just "passenger cars" purchased, about 59%, or 3 out of 5 of our buyers, are women.

All I can say is thank you very much, and let me know if there's anything else I can get for you while I'm in town.

I really wasn't kidding earlier when I said you are my boss. And luckily, I've had the good fortune to have several women mentors in my life.

My mom, of course, was a key influence. And so is Pat Moran, the president of our largest private distributor in the country, responsible for about a fifth of our U.S. business.

I'm also guided by some incredible women leaders at our headquarters in California.

Our chief information officer, top lawyer, top financial planner, the head of our North American parts operations and the leaders of Lexus marketing and service are women and playing crucial roles in Toyota's success.

In fact, people tell me it's BECAUSE we have so many women leaders that we're doing so well now...and I don't dispute that.

Now, are we doing as much as we can as a company on this front? No, we're not. We need to do more, but we are making some good progress.

In vehicle design, for example, we carefully considered the 'hip height' while designing our Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX sports utility vehicles. Our goal was to accommodate drivers who wanted the greater visibility of higher seating, but didn't want to step up to get into their vehicles. That goes for both men and women, but our surveys show that women appreciate this hip-height selection the most, and the Highlander and RX have been big sellers.

The high mileage, low-emission benefits of our cars and hybrids also rank high with women.

Along with design improvements, we're increasing our company's profile in women's sports by sponsoring a key woman tri-athlete, Beth Hibbard, and professional golfer, Janice Moodie.

And we are in our second year of a major partnership with the Women's National Basketball Association. A key part of our association is support of the WNBA "Read to Achieve" program that features players promoting the importance of reading to young fans.

We're also a major sponsor of the Danskin Triathlon Series, the largest such series in the country, and the Los Angeles Revlon Run/Walk for Women. I'm particularly proud that the volunteer Toyota Revlon Run/Walk team has been the top-fundraiser for the past 3 years.

In terms of improving the profile of women in society, we're teaming up with Glamour magazine for the second year to sponsor "Moving Forward" awards to honor three American women.

The Toyota winners will be invited to attend the annual Glamour "Women of the Year" awards in New York City and receive a Toyota hybrid vehicle.

We know we still have a long way to go to fully reach out to women consumers, but we are getting better every year and will continue refining our efforts. And at the center of those efforts is our long-standing commitment to produce the kinds of products that ALL customers want — cars and trucks that are high in quality, dependability, reliability and resale value.

Along with significant roles as leaders and consumers, women are also creating a revolution in the retail automotive business. More and more dealers are finding great success recruiting, training and promoting women managers and sales associates.

Asbury Automotive Group, one the nation's largest dealership companies, is actively recruiting women in malls to come to work at some of their dealerships.

Why? Because there's growing evidence that women are better at selling cars than men.

CNW Research reports that saleswomen are less likely than their male counterparts to ignore women customers or to ask them if their boyfriend or husband is helping them finance a purchase.

In addition, CNW found that nearly 10% of men actually preferred buying a car from a woman while more than 81% had no preference.

Women are extremely good at running dealerships, too. Although just 8% of all U.S. car dealerships are owned by women, those stores average a higher rate of sales than those owned by men.

Asbury Automotive embarked on their recruitment program after seeing the success of women sales representatives at several of its dealerships. A prime example is Kaylene Cohen, the manager of pre-owned Lexus vehicles at Plaza Motors in St. Louis. Eight years ago, she was managing a Gap store, but the dealership hired her and trained her, and she's been successful selling cars ever since.

Then there's my favorite, Elsie MacMillan, who entered the business 35 years ago as a bookkeeper at a New Jersey dealership and worked her way up through the ranks to become General Manager of a Lexus store in 1989. Although she did very well at the Lexus store, she decided it was time to buy a dealership of her own.

Through strong determination and a lot of hard work, Elsie put together a deal with financing help from our Dealer Investment Group to buy a Toyota dealership in Sierra Vista, Arizona, 70 miles southeast of Tucson.

Three years later, the dealership is thriving, and she owns it lock, stock and barrel. In fact, she has increased sales 25% and is building an entirely new, larger facility next door.

In addition to a lot of hard work, including 11-hour days, 6 days a week, Elsie attributes her success to providing supreme customer care. And her customers are not only rewarding her with more sales, but have nominated her for several business awards. Last year, Elsie's dealership won the "Ethics Award" from the Tucson Better Business Bureau, and Inside Tucson Business selected her as one of the top 10 "Women of Influence" in the region.

Oh, and that customer who nominated her for the ethics award? Her name is Melba Vickery. She's 82 years young and bought a used Prius hybrid from the dealership. She loves her car, and just as important, she loved buying it from Elsie, who took time to thank Melba by taking her to lunch to celebrate.

You see, for Elsie a successful day is not so much about ringing the cash register, but about meeting and serving the needs of those who come into her dealership.

As a result of that philosophy, a car sale is not the end, but rather the beginning of a long, fruitful relationship. We couldn't agree more, and we're extremely proud to have her as a Toyota dealer.

Elsie is a great example of how women are increasingly influencing and changing the auto industry for the better.

And in the future more and more women will come into our industry and it will be much better as a result.

Well, we've covered a lot of topics today, from Leonardo da Vinci and wind turbines to Gen Y and mall recruiting. But I think one point is clear: things ARE starting to come together and there is GREAT hope for the future.

This is no time to run scared; it's time to embrace the changes and opportunities presented by globalization, seismic demographic shifts and the empowerment of women.

Our world is definitely transforming, but a new day is dawning and we can choose to make it a positive thing by confidently moving forward.

By doing that...we will not only ensure a brighter future for ourselves, but also for Detroit, the state of Michigan, the United States and our world.

Thank you.

Oh, and I have one more surprise for you....

Because she's an important pioneer in our industry, and a prime example of what's right with the car business today, we've invited Elsie MacMillan here today so you would have a chance to meet her in person.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the leader and dealer principal of Sierra Toyota, Elsie MacMillan.

Elsie, thanks for coming, and please come join me on stage to say hi and answer questions....
# # #

USA Today's got a profile of Toyota's Jim Press, who lives in Rolling Hills, a few miles from Jalopnik's West Coast Bunker in San Pedro. Toyota's Torrance headquarters are just a quick shot up the 110 and a slow grind up the 405 from us, and the article notes that he once lived on a 42' boat "docked a few miles from Toyota's headquarters." Which most likely means Pedro. Wow. Mike Watt, Charles Bukowski and the President of Toyota Motor Sales USA. Can we come over for dinner sometime, Jim?

Press: 'I was in love with cars every second' [USA Today]

Related:
The Day The World Turned Day-Glo/Lost Cars of the Boat People of San Pedro [Internal]