Back in 1950, Eiji Toyoda visited a Ford plant to learn how Americans made cars. The visit by a member of Japan's foremost manufacturing family changed the way Toyota Motor Corp. produced cars, altering the global auto industry.
Toyoda, who is credited with developing the car company's efficient, low-defect manufacturing processes and who helped spearhead Toyota's aggressive push into the U.S. auto market, died Tuesday. He was 100.
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