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According to the 2013 Automotive Executive Survey from KPMG, Toyota is the fourth fastest growing car company in the world.  A story on Forbes.com says Toyota will remain a dominant force around the world with 68 percent of KPMG survey respondents saying it will increase market share.  Just 7 percent think Toyota could lose market share in the next five years. Of the top 27 companies on the KPMG survey list, GM and Ford were ranked No. 14.  Forbes said the Detroit automakers will find it harder to build market share among increasing competition from Asian automakers, some of which they already partner with in China in particular.  Survey respondents (44 percent) think GM and Ford will increase their market share, and 23 percent think their market share will decrease by 2018. The Forbes report can be found here.

It received little more than passing mention in the Lavishly Expensive Roadster Edition of Wheelies, but something significant happened a couple of weekends ago. It wasn’t earth shattering, but it was noteworthy: RM Auctions sold a 1967 Toyota 2000 GT for nearly $1.2 million. It ended up being one of the higher priced cars in a batch that included Ferraris, Porsches and one-off concept cars like a 1954 Chrysler GS-1 Special that sold for $616,000. According to the figures David Kinney – publisher of Hagerty’s Price Guide – came up with, the yellow ’67 is not only the most expensive production Toyota in history, but also the highest-priced Asian production car ever. But 2000 GTs were never cheap cars. An article in the February 2009 issue of Automobile magazine puts the list price of one when new at $7,230, which is more than $50,000 in today’s dollars. By comparison, a Chevrolet Corvette sold for $4,663 and a Jaguar E-Type for $5,559. Even a Porsche 911 was only $6,190. The 2000 GT saw only limited production. Although the exact number of cars built varies from source to source, RM Auctions claims Toyota built 351 of the curvaceous little sports cars from 1967 to 1970. Although the 2000 GT was a short-lived nameplate, it left a lasting legacy. It was the car that showed Japanese car manufacturers that they were capable of building more than just stodgy family cars that many considered knock-offs of European designs. Toyota, and later other Japanese automakers, knew they could do sporty, and they knew they could do beautiful. For full Story in the New York Times, Click Here.

Toyota is the top Full Line Automotive Brand of the Year, according to the latest Harris Poll EquiTrend study, which assesses companies based on familiarity, quality and purchase consideration. “Understanding the health of your brand is a critical component in determining the business priorities for companies in any industry,” said Aron Galonsky, senior vice president at Harris Interactive.  “The higher scores point to increased consumer affinity and likelihood to purchase from these companies.” To view the Harris Poll EquiTrend results, please click here.

Hymie’s Deli of Merion uses Max Paul’s Ardmore Toyota as their official vehicle of transportation for their World Famous Deli. To learn more about Hymie’s click here. Question of the day:    What is your favorite Deli meal?

On Tuesday April 30th, The Philadelphia Inquirer published the following story that was written by Emma Jayne Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Last year, Toyota introduced the redesigned midsize Camry Hybrid sedan, which came as part of the makeover of the entire Camry line. The hybrid got a revised Synergy Drive system, with a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and improved fuel economy. Changes to the hybrid were part of an overall Camry makeover, including the gasoline-only models. Click here for the full story.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} -- [gallery columns="1"] On Thursday May 2nd, Sales Associate Bobby Tahmas was surprised by his customers Candy & James when they came to pick up their new 2013 Toyota Rav4. They arrived at the dealership with 2 freshly baked Cakes and cupcakes with a Toyota Theme! Check out the pictures of the tasty treats that they had for Ardmore Toyota employees. Thank you Candy & James for a wonderful treat, and more importantly we wish you all the best with your new 2013 Toyota Rav4 on behalf of your sales associate Bobby! Ardmore Toyota Customer celebrates their new Rav4 by baking Toyota Cakes and Cupcakes! Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} --

The 2013 Toyota RAV4 sport utility vehicle has earned the Top Safety Pick (TSP) Award for good performance from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Institute (IIHS) noted Toyota improved the RAV4's roof structure to earn a good rating for rollover protection. With 13 segment award recipients, the Toyota brand has more 2013 Top Safety Picks than any other automotive brand. Both Lexus and Scion each have four TSP winners on the list. To qualify for the Top Safety Pick, vehicles must have good ratings for occupant protection in the moderate overlap frontal test, side impact, rollover and rear tests, regardless of their small overlap rating. The award recognizes vehicles that perform best in these tests administered by the IIHS, which the IIHS believes predict good performance in protecting people in front, side, rollover and rear crashes. To view the RAV4 IIHS test results, please go to: http://bit.ly/rdScYo

Toyota ranks 48th on the 2013 DiversityInc list of Top 50 Companies for Diversity and is the only automobile manufacturer to make the list. Toyota also is the Top Company for Employee Engagement and No. 8 on DiversityInc’s list of Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees. DiversityInc praised Toyota for its mentoring program, resource groups and increasing charitable donations to multicultural organizations by 24 percent. More than 40 percent of Toyota’s philanthropy supports racial/ethnic, LGBT or disability nonprofits. In addition, DiversityInc said Toyota’s Diversity Advisory Board continues to “move the needle on setting metrics and goals.” DiversityInc assesses companies based on four key areas of diversity: CEO commitment, human capital, corporate and organizational communications and supplier diversity

In conjunction with Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, Teen Vogue and Toyota announced on April 4 th, 2013 “Arrive in Style,” a safe driving campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving among teenage girls and inspire them to make a mutual commitment with their mothers to drive safely. In conjunction with the launch of “Arrive in Style”, Toyota released new findings from the Study regarding driving behaviors of teen girls: •Sixty-two percent of teen girls report using a cell phone while driving (handheld and/or hands-free). •Nearly one in three girl teens (30 percent) reads a text or email once or more every time they drive. •Almost a quarter of girl teens (23 percent) respond to a text once or more every time they drive. •Almost one in five (19 percent) of teen girl drivers report that they have extended conversations via text message while driving. •More than half (51 percent) of girls say they search for music on a portable music player, such as an iPod, while driving. •Twelve percent of girls report that they update or check social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, while driving. •Seventy percent of teen girl drivers report they drive with two or three teen passengers and no adults in their car, which is associated with a doubling of a driver’s risk of being killed in a crash, as compared to having no passengers   Click Here to watch a Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaqlN3EN4Us&feature=share&list=UUr7ZFxNlDvb3waeoTN1_3mA Click Here for the Full Story: http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/teen+vogue+toyota+partner+safe+driving+campaign+april4.htm?view_id=39839

Scion revealed the new 2014 tC sports coupe at the New York International Auto Show, showing off a sporty new look, upgraded interior and an enhanced driving experience for the brand’s top-selling vehicle. “The sustained success of the tC, which accounts for 40 percent of all Scions ever sold, challenged designers to enhance the 2014 sports coupe in ways that keep it exciting to today’s drivers without losing its core appeal,” said Doug Murtha, Scion vice president.  “The outstanding result is a 2014 tC with a sportier style and driving experience that will thrill buyers and hold its unique spot in the marketplace.” The 2014 Scion tC’s cabin adds new technology, additional convenience features and upgraded materials. The tC will be the first model in the family to come with the all-new Scion Standard Display Audio, featuring a 6.1-inch LCD touchscreen. The system will be incorporated into all 2014 Scion models, making Scion the industry’s first non-luxury brand to feature a touchscreen audio system as standard equipment across its entire lineup.   Click here for the Full Story: http://pressroom.scion.com/releases/2014+scion+tc+debuts+ny+auto+show+march28.htm?view_id=39839

Toyota's Highlander family hauler is getting quieter and more stylish, but with the look of an athlete who's not afraid to mix it up. The changes should make the aging Highlander more attractive to buyers who've preferred the Ford Explorer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The new version brings the Highlander up to date and makes it more competitive with the Ford and Jeep. For more of the story: http://bit.ly/YK6QfV

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Toyota with its ninth consecutive ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership in protecting our environment through superior energy efficiency. During the past decade, cumulative cost savings at these 13 North American vehicle, engine and parts plants totaled more than $370 million and energy use has been reduced by 15 percent per vehicle produced, enough energy to power 27,000 average households for 10 years. “Toyota is honored to be recognized with our ninth ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellent Award,” said Robin Haugen, general manager of production engineering - Plant and Environmental Engineering at Toyota.  “It gives us greater motivation to identify ways to minimize our impact on the environment while helping our bottom line.  Our team members’ commitment to reducing energy and water consumption across our operations demonstrates that when good ideas are shared, great things can happen.” To read more: http://bit.ly/14p5ND4