TOYOTA REPORTS MILLION-PLUS SALES FOR 1995

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A., Inc., today reported best-ever Toyota Division annual sales of 1,004,015 cars and trucks, a 1.0 percent increase over 1994. Combined Toyota and Lexus annual sales for 1995 reached 1,083,349 vehicles, a 0.2 percent rise compared to the same period last year.

"With our sixth consecutive million-plus year in the record books, I think you can safely say Toyota is on a roll," said Yale Gieszl, TMS executive vice president. "We'll use '96 to build even more momentum toward the approximately 50 percent increase in North American production capacity we'll have in place by 1998."

Toyota's North American-produced vehicles also posted record- breaking sales totaling 611,237 units, an increase of 19.8 percent over the same period last year. Of the Toyota vehicles sold in 1995, 56.4 percent were built in North America, compared to 47.2 percent in 1994.

Avalon, Camry, Land Cruiser, 4Runner, and T100 all achieved best- ever sales in 1995. Camry, in the fifth year of its current generation, was Toyota's sales leader for the year.

Total Toyota Division car sales rose 6.1 percent, to 714,640 in 1995. Camry sold a record-breaking 328,600 units, up 2.7 percent for the year, and Corolla, Toyota's second-best selling vehicle, was up 1.9 percent, to 213,640. Avalon exceeded its first-year objective posting annual sales of 66,445 units.

Toyota's sport utility vehicles (SUV), full-size pickup truck and compact van sold strong in 1995. Total SUVs posted a gain of 6.0 percent to 90,202 over the same period last year. 4Runner had its best year ever selling 75,962 units, up 2.5 percent, together with best- ever Land Cruiser sales of 14,240, up 29.7 percent.

T100, Toyota's full-size pickup, more than doubled its sales compared to the same period in 1994. Total T100 annual sales increased 150.1 percent, to 37,467 units. Previa sales also rose 1.9 percent in '95, to 18,234.

Annual Lexus Division sales were led by the ES 300 which posted best-ever year-end total sales of 41,508 units, up 6.8 percent, with LS 400 up 6.1 percent, to 23,657. Annual retail sales for the ES 300 and LS 400 were up 10.0 and 14.0 percent respectively. Total Lexus Division sales were down 8.7 percent to 79,334 for the year, due in part to lost production during the mid-year trade sanctions dispute.

                            TOYOTA/LEXUS SALES
                              DECEMBER, 1995
                              CURRENT MONTH      CALENDAR YEAR TO DATE
                                         DSR%                     DSR%
                          1995    1994    CHG     1995     1994    CHG
   TOTAL VEHICLE SALES  99,373  86,597   23.91,083,3491,088,082    0.2

TOYOTA DIV.

    IMPORT CAR          19,055  20,047    2.7  216,005  293,677  -26.0
   LEXUS IMPORT CAR      8,091   8,811   -0.8   79,334   87,419   -8.7

TOYOTA DIV NA

    BUILT CARS          46,117  31,805   56.6  498,635  384,048   30.7
   TOTAL TOYOTA CARS    73,263  60,663   30.4  793,974  765,144    4.4

SPORT UTILITY

    VEHICLES             9,267   7,933   26.2   90,202   85,641    6.0
   SMALL VANS              883   1,562  -38.9   18,234   18,005    1.9
   PICKUPS              15,960  16,439    4.9  180,939  219,292  -17.0

*NORTH AMERICAN BUILT VEHICLES

   COROLLA              18,236  11,235   75.3  184,002  151,693   22.1
   CAMRY                21,982  17,166   38.3  248,188  225,752   10.7
   AVALON                5,899   3,404   87.2   66,445    6,603  912.9
   PICKUP               12,623   8,932   52.6  112,602  129,675  -12.6
   TOTAL                58,740  40,737   55.7  611,237  513,723   19.8

N.A. VEHICLES

    % OF TOTAL           59.1%   47.0%           56.4%    47.2%
   SELLING DAYS             25      27              306       308

DSR = DAILY SELLING RATE

    -0-                        1/4/96

/CONTACT: Jeremy Barnes or Julie Alfonso of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., 310-618-7728 or 310-618-4625; or Tracy Underwood, Lexus Division, 310-781-3279/

CO: Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. ST: California IN: AUT SU: SLS 

JP-SK -- LATH046 -- 1134 01/04/96 16:34 EST