One of the world’s leading car manufacturers is celebrating a major landmark after the 4.5 millionth vehicle was produced at its Derbyshire plant.
Japanese car brand Toyota has been building cars in the UK since 1992, building 3,000 cars a week at an estimated 89 seconds per car at Burnaston.
The landmark car was a 1.8 litre hybrid Corolla Hatchback with left-hand drive which was destined for a customer in Poland - almost 90 per cent of Toyota’s cars in the UK are exported to overseas markets.
The company recently completed a £2.75 billion upgrade in equipment, skills and supply chains at their UK plants, Burnaston in Derbyshire and Deeside in North Wales. Production had been on hold since the pandemic lockdown took hold, but the workers return to the factories on 26th May following an extensive review of facilities and processes.
Jim Crosbie, TMUK Managing Director, said: “Seeing our 4.5 millionth car come off the line gives everyone at TMUK a sense of pride in what we have achieved in almost 30 years of high-quality manufacturing. It also symbolises the great commitment and team spirit of all our members to overcome the challenges we have faced and secure our future as a competitive and highly efficient business.”
Toyota’s Burnaston plant is the home of the Corolla Hatchback and the Touring Sports models, employing more than 3,100 people.