Akio Toyoda receives the Gold Steering Wheel
Akio Toyoda has received the prestigious Golden Steering Wheel for his lifetime achievements, an honour bestowed by Springer, one of Europe’s largest mass media publishers.
The Golden Steering Wheel was established in 1976 and is among the Europe’s most respected automotive awards. The most prized are the honorary awards (established in 1983), presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the auto industry.
Akio Toyoda became President of Toyota Motor Corporation in 2009 amid difficult market conditions and in challenging times for the company. In the following years the financial and business results significantly improved in key markets, including Europe. In 2023, Toyoda became Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation and many of his strategies endure today, such as the philosophies of ‘Mobility For All’ and ‘Leave No One Behind’ which continue to form the basis of the company’s direction and success.
In making the announcement, the jury recognised Akio Toyoda’s particular character by highlighting the “Golden Steering Wheel for the Driver”, a clever play on words that not only recognises his ability to guide the Toyota organisation but also reflects his role as a passionate car enthusiast and Master Driver.
Referring to the Nürburgring as playing a very special role in his personal development, Toyoda fondly recalls the challenge given to him by his mentor Hiromu Naruse, who said: “Somebody in your position, who doesn’t know the first thing about driving, should not make passing comments about cars. The least you can do is learn how to drive.”
This challenge motivated Toyota to improve and refine his driving under Naruse’s guidance. Later, he adopted the persona of ‘Morizo’ to compete many times at the Nürburgring, including in the famous 24 Hours race. He is now a Master Driver for both Toyota and Lexus.
Robin Hornig, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Bild, said: “He is one of the most influential personalities in the international automotive industry and at the same time one of the most passionate. He stands like no other for the combination of tradition, technology and genuine enthusiasm for driving.”
Receiving the award, Akio Toyoda said: “It is a tremendous honour to be given a lifetime achievement award. I feel like I’m back at high school and just been asked to hang out with the cool kids. That’s how big a deal this is for me.”
There he also struck a serious note, taking the opportunity to call for increased collaboration as the industry tackles a once in a lifetime period of change.
“I think we can all agree that this is a challenging time for our industry. I believe that now more than ever we need to reach out to each other and work together. I believe too that we have a responsibility to use our collective resources to help make people’s lives better.”
He closed by thanking the jury and Toyota teams and customers for the award: “I’m deeply humbled to receive this award, and want to thank Mattias Döpfner, the organisers and the jury for recognising not just the cars that we build but also the dedication and passion that I share with the 383,000 members of the Toyota team around the world. Finally, I would like to thank our customers. They’re the ones who truly inspire us and without them I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
ENDS
