Toyota timeline

1958 – 13 LandCruisers imported to assist on the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

1963 – First Toyota produced outside Japan comes off the Australian Motor Industries (AMI) Port Melbourne assembly line in April – a 1.5-litre Tiara sedan.

1964 – ‘Shovel-nose’ Corona replaces Tiara.

1966 – First Corolla arrives on Aussie soil in November, just one month after going on sale in Japan.

1967 – Toyota Crown begins local assembly.

1968 – Local assembly of KE10 Corolla sedan begins.

1972 – Toyota buys out British Leyland’s share of AMI and announces it will invest $27 million for engine and gearbox production.

1978 – Engine production begins at Altona.

1979 – Toyota achieves commercial-vehicle market leadership in Australia.

1981 – Volume production of body panels begins at Altona.

1986 – Toyota Australia exports its first car – a Corona wagon to New Zealand.

1987 – Corona production ends with 336,197 built, replaced by locally built Camry.

1988 – AMI-Toyota becomes Toyota Motor Corporation Australia.

1991 – Toyota achieves overall market leadership for the first time.

1992 – One millionth locally built Toyota produced.

1994 – Car production transferred from historic Port Melbourne site to a new $420 million facility at Altona, south-west of Melbourne.

1995 – Exports of left-hand-drive Camrys to the Middle East begin.

1999 – Corolla production ends at Altona, totalling 601,101 across 31 years.

2004 – Two millionth locally built Toyota (a silver Camry Sportivo) leaves the Altona plant in April, exactly 41 years after Australian production began.

2004 – Toyota becomes the first manufacturer to sell 200,000 cars in Australia in a year (201,737).

2006 – Port Melbourne plant, still producing seat trims and bumper bars, is finally closed.

2006 – Toyota Australia exports its 500,000th car – a Camry to New Zealand.

2013 – Toyota finishes the year as Australia’s number one automotive brand for the 11th consecutive year.

2013 – Toyota produces 106,000 cars at its Altona plant – 74,000 of which are exported, mainly to the Middle East.

2013 - For the first time in history, Australia’s best-selling car is a Toyota (the Corolla).