Supported by six Toyota vehicle plants and three powertrain factories in Europe, local production has reached the point where two out of every three Toyota vehicles sold in Europe is built here, too.

Didier Leroy, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, said: ‘We have a long tradition of building locally what we sell locally. Recently we have also expanded our exports outside Europe, based on the competitiveness of our European operations. We are committed to keeping production in Europe by bringing technology like hybrid and management innovations that enable us to keep our manufacturing plants globally competitive.’

Speaking at the recent Paris motor show, Mr Leroy added that Toyota’s European operations are profitable as well, thanks to three consecutive years of growth in Europe and the prospective of a further rise in sales volume this year.

He said: ‘Looking ahead, we have every reason to remain optimistic. With the recent launch of the new generation Aygo and Yaris, we have the youngest offerings in the compact car market. We are confident they will reinforce our position in the city car and supermini segments and strengthen the foundations of our European manufacturing operations.