Japanese Automakers Trivia

Japan's carmakers turned postwar scrappiness into some of the most dependable, best-selling vehicles on Earth — often starting from products that had nothing to do with cars.

Humble Beginnings

Toyota grew out of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, and its founders reportedly tweaked the spelling from "Toyoda" to "Toyota" partly because it took fewer strokes to write and was considered a luckier number in Japanese. Honda's Soichiro Honda started out making piston rings before pivoting to motorcycles and then automobiles, eventually building the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer.

Names With Meaning

• Subaru's six-star logo represents the Pleiades star cluster, which the company's name translates to in Japanese.
• Mazda's name nods both to founder Jujiro Matsuda and to Ahura Mazda, a Zoroastrian deity of wisdom.
• Nissan sold cars under the "Datsun" badge for export markets for much of the twentieth century.

Built to Last, Built to Thrill

Toyota's Corolla has sold in numbers that make it one of the best-selling nameplates ever, while enthusiasts still chase Nissan's Skyline GT-R, nicknamed "Godzilla" for flattening rivals on the track.