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Toyota Corporation (Kabushiki-gaisha Toyota?), formerly Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki-gaisha?), is a Japanese automaker. It is the world's second largest automaker behind General Motors ; however it ranks first in net worth, revenue and profit. It is also the only car manufacturer to appear in the top 10 of the BrandZ ranking. 
The company was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda as a spinoff from his father (Sakichi Toyoda)'s company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. In 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product Type A engine and its first passenger car (the Toyota AA) in 1936. It is headquartered in Toyota, Aichi pref., Nagoya, Aichi pref. and Tokyo, Japan. It also provides financial services through its division Toyota Financial Services and also creates robots besides automobiles. The company along with the original Toyota Industries form bulk of the Toyota Group. Toyota owns and operates Toyota, Lexus, Scion, has a majority shareholding in Daihatsu Motors , and has minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries, Isuzu Motors, and the engine, motorcycle and marine craft manufacturer Yamaha Motors. The company includes 522 subsidiaries. Toyota planned to produce 9.51 and sold 9.37 million vehicles overall in 2007, becoming the world's largest automaker if it surpasses General Motors sales estimate of 9.30 million vehicles. It plans to produce 9.95 and sell 9.85 million vehicles in 2008 setting an industry record if it happens. On 8 January 2008, the company dropped "Motor" from its corporate name, calling itself simply "Toyota Corporation" (Kabushiki-gaisha Toyota). Also, Toyota changed the Japanese writing of its brand name from Katakana to Kanji and "Corporation" has moved from the end to the beginning. 
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