Shoichiro Toyoda, the honorary chairman of Toyota Motor, died of heart failure on Tuesday (February 14), the company said. He was 97.
Born on February 27, 1925, Shoichiro Toyoda paved the way for the Japanese automaker to grow into one of the most globally recognized brands.
The son of Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda, Shoichiro Toyoda was named a managing director in 1961 for his endeavors in improving product quality. In particular, Shoichiro Toyoda is credited with establishing a culture of quality control at the firm, helping it evolve into a world-leading automaker.
He became executive vice president in 1972 and in 1981, he was named president of Toyota's sales organization.
Following a merger of production and sales organizations a year later, he took over the helm of the newly integrated Toyota Motor Corp, serving as chairman of the board from 1992 to 1999.
He was also responsible for pushing Toyota, which started as a loom manufacturer, to produce vehicles overseas, media reports.
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