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The Long Run - Toyota: The First 40 Years in Australia by Pedr Davis offers a detailed and authoritative account of Toyota's remarkable rise within the Australian automotive landscape, tracing its journey from modest beginnings to industry dominance. Published in 1999 and produced entirely within Australia, the work was conceived by the Toyota Australia Editorial Committee to document not only the company itself, but also its key predecessors—Thiess-Toyota, AMI-Toyota, and Toyota Manufacturing Australia—placing the narrative within a broader industrial and economic context.
Richly illustrated and supported by extensive research, the book explores Toyota's evolving product range, manufacturing milestones, and marketing strategies, while also highlighting pivotal moments such as the local assembly of vehicles, the expansion of the LandCruiser legacy, and the introduction of innovative technologies like the Prius. Davis presents both the corporate story and the human element behind it, weaving together executive insight, workforce development, and the shifting demands of the Australian market across four transformative decades.
More than a corporate history, this volume captures the changing face of Australia's automotive industry and Toyota's integral role within it, reflecting broader themes of globalisation, technological progress, and local adaptation. Handsomely produced and informative, it remains an important reference for understanding one of the nation's most successful automotive stories, appealing to collectors of motoring literature, Toyota enthusiasts, and those interested in Australian industrial history."
