TOKYO (AP) — Hiroshi Okuda, the former chief executive of Toyota, who led the Japanese automaker’s stellar rise in global markets, has died, the company said Wednesday. He was 93. The date and cause of his death were not immediately available. Okuda served as president then chairman of Toyota Motor Corp. from 1995 through 2006. In his 45-year career at Toyota, Okuda is especially remembered for having led the development of the gas-electric hybrid Prius in 1997, a model with the fuel-efficient technology that was ground-breaking at that time.The Prius became a symbol of the auto industry ’s push for green driving. Okuda was instrumental in helping drive Toyota’s reputation for fuel-efficiency at a time when gas prices were already surging, such as its bestseller Camry, as well as the hybrids. Born in central Japan, the area where Toyota has its headquarters, Okuda graduated in 1955 from the prestigious Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, with a degree in business.
Okuda, reputedly outspoken and always ready with a quick laugh, was unusual in not being from Toyota’s founding Toyoda family, as the leadership at the world’s top automaker tended to be.The former chief executive was key in leading Toyota’s global expansion over his years at the helm, not only in sales, but also production, setting up manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe.
