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.September 24, 2003
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This Week:

• The New BMW 6 Series Coupe

• New Adventra All Wheel Drive Wagon Is Holden's Local Hero

• PRE-SAFE development team nominated for the German Future Prize

• 2ICE FORD FOCUS Proves The Viability Of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Technology

• Visions take shape - Three insights into the future of Audi at the 60th IAA

• Honda to Showcase Hybrid, Ultra-Clean Gasoline, Natural Gas and Fuel Cell Production Vehicles at 2003 Challenge Bibendum

• smart - extended by popular demand

• Toyota-Georgetown Celebrates Fifteen Years Of Production

• Infiniti's Signature Analog Clocks Keep Its Advanced 2004 Model Line-up Connected to the Division's Original Vision

• Hella Designs New Factory With Virtual Modelling

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Toyota-Georgetown Celebrates Fifteen Years Of Production
 

GEORGETOWN, KY - Former Los Angeles Dodger Manager Tommy LaSorda and Lexington Legends President & CEO Alan Stein were guest speakers at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK) as team members celebrated the company's 15-year anniversary. TMMK broke ground in May 1986 and built its first vehicle in May 1988. Since then, the plant has produced over 5.3 million vehicles. TMMK employs over 7,000 full-time team members in a facility than spans about 7.5 million square feet, making it Toyota's largest facility in North America.

"It is absolutely amazing how big we have grown," said Randy Sinkhorn, Assistant Manager in Facilities Control and a 15-year team member. "It took a tremendous amount of teamwork to get us to this point. We have accomplished a lot here at TMMK, but Toyota has also accomplished a lot across North America."

TMMK produces the Camry and Avalon sedans and the Solara coupe. The Camry has been America's number one selling car in five of the last six years and is currently in the lead for 2003.

LaSorda, who spent over 35-years in the Los Angeles Dodger organization, told TMMK team members that the success the company is enjoying in the industry comes from their hard work and dedication. LaSorda led the Dodgers to a pair of World Series titles (1981, 88) and retired as manager during the 1996 season with 1,599 regular-season wins. He is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Former Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins, who was instrumental in attracting Toyota to Kentucky, was also on hand for the ceremony.

This past summer, TMMK began production of the all-new Solara coupe, the most American Toyota product to date. The all-new second generation Solara was born and bred in the United States. The vehicle's engineering, planning, technical and styling development was managed by Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America (TMMNA) in Erlanger, Ky., Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in Ann Arbor, Mich., Calty Design Research in Newport Beach, Calif., and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Toyota has invested over $5.3 billion in the Georgetown plant. TMMK has produced about 100,000 jobs across the United States, including over 34,000 in Kentucky.

(Sept. 23, 2003)