Toyota Came for Chevy’s Truck Crown. The Silverado Wasn’t Ready to Give It Up.
Key takeaways
- Toyota’s North American execs will deny it, but the all-new Tundra represents a massive bet on the company’s ability to wrap itself in the stars and stripes.
- Even the most loyal insider knows that however hard it tries—the warm and fuzzy ads showing American Toyota workers in American Toyota factories, the move into NASCAR—Toyota is still perceived by many as an outsider.
- There are signs this market may be changing, however: According to a recent J.D.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Toyota’s North American execs will deny it, but the all-new Tundra represents a massive bet on the company’s ability to wrap itself in the stars and stripes.
[This story originally appeared in the April 2007 issue of Motor Trend with the headline "Hearts & Minds."] Toyota has spent more than $1 billion—a reported $400 million more than originally intended—on a brand-new factory for the Tundra in San Antonio, Texas, smack dab in the middle of America’s single largest pickup-truck market. And right about now, Toyota’s marketing team is kicking off a multimillion-dollar Tundra charm offensive through the heartland of America—a string of sponsorships, promotions, and events aimed at giving potential buyers hands-on experience with the new truck.
Automotive products don’t come much more uniquely American than the full-size pickup, and despite a couple of solid tries, neither Toyota nor Nissan has won the hearts and minds of mainstream (read: recreational-use) pickup buyers. Even the most loyal insider knows that however hard it tries—the warm and fuzzy ads showing American Toyota workers in American Toyota factories, the move into NASCAR—Toyota is still perceived by many as an outsider.