Jim Press is just a bitter old sour grapes queen

I think Press is just disillusioned with Toyota and that’s why he left.

A non-issue. The japanese government is there to make sure business runs smoothly. So, even if Toyota got some government money, who cares?

maybe nobody else cared?

And, so what if it’s true? It’s not like senators and congressmen haven’t kicked back the U.S. auto industry and vice versa. Please, **** off.

Unfortunately for Press, and although he had a title position, he was always an outsider as so much of what happens in a Japanese corporation does not get divulged. Press was left out of many loops because he was not Japanese.

Once again media bias. They love Toyota and hate America.

“However, since no one has ever heard or made these claims before, it seems a little hard to believe that Toyota would have received such funding — which would have been worth at least tens of millions of dollars — without anyone else knowing.”

He was the highest non Japanese in the company, I am sure he knows the truth. He left on his terms and was not fired, so it is not sour grapes.

He was the highest non Japanese in the company, I am sure he knows the truth. He left on his terms and was not fired, so it is not sour grapes.

I’m sorry, but he did not know all the details—there is no way. He only knew what he was privy to, and what they told him. You have to work with the Japanese at high levels to understand this.

Didn’t Chrysler survive on a government loan when every other lender told them to stick it?

Hell, like this is news. Our crappy government supports minority, female, and immigrant business ownership as well as attaches strings to half the BS it does and gives tax breaks to “fund” pet projects and ramrods pork spending into the areas and businesses and special interests everywhere. Only issue I would have about this is why weren’t Honda and Nissan invited into the free-ride funding party since they’re part of the home-team and don’t need to pay taxes to subsidize domestic competition, but to claim the Big 3 were left out is a joke: they could have gone begging to Congress for financing for a Hybrid Powertrain Development Consortium to ween us off paying terrorists thru oil to kill us but they didn’t, so T.S.

Japan’s government highly subsidizes Toyota in general so it doesn’t really matter that much.

One would have to think that disclosure of this kind of information falls outside the umbrella of any confidentiality agreements that Mr. Press would almost undoubtedly have been forced to sign no matter what terms he left under.

That said have to agree with jjt: who cares? I’d rather see a government fund something like this than give it away to able bodied people who are just too lazy to work. Just one example, of course.

a) So what?
b) If Toyota did indeed receive funds from the Japanese government there would be records of if somewhere, it’s not like would’ve/could’ve been a top secret deal.

Chrylser took LOANS from the US government in 1980 to the tune of $1.2 billion. Chrysler paid back these LOANS years ahead of time.

These loans were to keep the company from going bust and from all of its employees from losing their jobs. And it almost didn’t happen at all due to public and congressional outcry.

It’s a FAR different issue for the Japanese government to totally fund Toyota’s hybrid program. Toyota wasn’t in danger of going under. There would no reason to fund Toyota other than to give Toyota an advantage in the market.

It’s not unfair if they didn’t play by the rules, however. There aren’t really any rules. If Japan wants to subsidize their largest automaker, and it isn’t illegal, why wouldn’t they?

It may not seem fair to us, but our industry and our government play by different rules. And I defy anyone to prove that the US government has been giving kickbacks to Detroit.

Whatever the US gov’t has been giving the Big Three, state and local governments have been giving MORE to foreign companies so they’ll build factories in their areas. And non-union factories to boot.

And the US government gave concessions like crazy to Nissan a couple of years ago for their noncompliance to CAFE. Nissan threatened to pull all US production if the US government didn’t back off and call the Mexican-made Sentra an American product, thus letting them offset all that truck production with their car production and helping them skate under CAFE.

Inline, paid back or not, those Chrysler loans were a direct government subsidy to Chrysler no different than any other subsidy. Pretty much the only reason Chrysler went to the government for the loans was because the private market would not lend the money at the interest rates Chrysler wanted, because the private market will make funds available if the interest rate offsets the risk. So putting simplistic numbers to it, if private banking wanted 20% interest on that $1.2B it would have cost $240M/year in interest, so if Uncle Sam offered it at 6% ($72M/year interest) they subsidized Chrysler to the tune of $168M/year till that loan got paid.

A subsidy is a subsidy, whether it be a loan subisdy or a project subsidy. Same thing. If there are no records of this with Toyota it is more likely a rider where Toyota performed other services for the government at a set (higher than market) price but agreed to pursue this project on the side. That crap happens all day everywhere.

who cares though? is it illegal for one’s government to help out a car company?

WEKS – in response to your ignorant “so what” comment…If Japan did indeed fund Prius development, then Toyota had a huge advantage over the US automakers because their government unfairly funded one of the most expensive development projects. No car costs more money to develop than a hybrid one…so it’s unfair that they got money (probably billions) for it while GM is funding the Volt themselves AND paying MORE for labor, MORE for its retirees, and MORE for healthcare

One object lesson to learn, Stuff gets made if the Government actually shells out the money for it.

But I’ve pointed out before if the Government said, “Hey! We need hybrids now! Whoever builds a machine that wins, by meeting our criteria, will get all the funding and resources they need to get this vehicle and/or technology on the market for ten years (Yes you get part of the $18B subside for oil companies!)”, then you’d have every serious engineers and designers, and every crackpot coming out of the woodwork.

So much crap would be shaken out in a heartbeat, but so much good stuff would finally see the light of day. Because this Government version of the “X-prize” would be aimed at a specific end, if a large automaker like FORD or GM won they would have to spend the money on that and only that product or technology. Just as some garage engineer could end up sitting on top of a brand new major automaker, courtesy of the US Government, but would have to spend the money tax-free only on the company, though any profits would be his/hers/theirs to do with as they chose (taxes not withstanding).

No projects bankrolled and thusly owned by big energy, sponsorship is a bit different but can be a sticky problem depending on how that sponsorship is secured, would be allowed on conflict-of-interest concerns. Other exceptions would apply, such as proof of concept. If the concept clearly does not work, then it would be a non-starter.

After all, if the Government can get new fighter planes developed by promising rewards for the winning design, then why not the automotive technologies that we, the driving, car-buying, public need.

Though unlike those military projects, this could be a contest on public review. While the public may not get a say as to what machine will ultimately win, it is possible to sway designers and engineers through public discussion online and maybe running commentary in auto magazines and websites.

still dont know why this is even an issue. if Japan wants to help there automotive industry, so be it. its just unfortunate that US doesnt do the same.

However…if a backroom deal was done with Toyota shouldn’t the other Japanese automakers be the one’s making a stink?

This doesn’t surprise me at all. The japanese government has been accused of a lot more nefarious acts, so adding this on top of the pile wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary for them.

REARRY, Me sooo horrry. Is there any bigger threat to the US than Asia. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm.

‘unfairly funded’ and ‘nefarious’? why? its no secret Japan is tech central, which includes there govt, right? why is this ‘evil’ to some of you, i dont get it?

If US did this we’d be gloating, and being proud of our govt. this act isnt evil, it just makes us jealous, thats all. dont start being ‘threatened’ by Asia, but if you are its our own govt to blame, not Asia. ****, if anything the US govt is against our own US automakers (cafe standards, alternative fuel..**** i remember Bush pushed aside a meeting with the Big 3 recentley) you guys sound paranoid.

like johhnnycanuck said, if anyone should be pissed it should be nissan and honda..you paranoid ****s.

Bush oil to worry about.

^has

I don’t know whether or not Toyota recieved assitance from the Japanese government. I will say that you can see how Japan views and positions Toyota, Sony and other large companies as assets. You don’t see other goverments doing the same thing. Maybe they should. They sometimes do things that make the situation worse like NAFTA.

This is a non-issue. Who cares if the Japanese government kicked down money to develop a car that saves fuel. Hell our non representative government in the USA has its nose so far up big oils behind that they in no way would spend money to put our country ahead of rest of the world in fuel economy because that would damage Exxon Mobils profit margin.

All governments assist home teams. In Japan they decide who is on that team. Toyota is and Honda isn’t. But in US government does subsidize huge research which benefit domestic industry. When Benz invaded Chrysler (and raped) FoMoCo and GM bitched to government about cutting Chrysler from fruits of that research since it wasn’t US company any longer.

Commodore, they got a “unfair” advantage, so what again? Thats like Toyota would all of the sudden start whining and complaining that GM has a unfair advantage over them because GM has been producing cars longer.

Knowing Toyota, this wouldn’t suprise me if its true. The Japanese definitely don’t play fair game with free trade. The U.S. does, but maybe we shouldn’t any longer. Give them a taste of their own medicine.

Hah! I knew it. Further proof the Japanese are waging an economic war on America since they couldn’t defeat us in WWII. It’s a matter of pride and honor and all that crap the Japanese rave about.

Zo6, I TOTALLY agree. To hear these Jap apologists on this board excuse activities which hurt our economy and businesses, well it just makes me sick. People have been saying for years that the Jap government was manipulating the value of their money to stay in advantageous import/export positions.

So what if they funded the Toyota hybrid program? Here’s my ’so what’: Toyota has been branded as this ‘green’ company because of the Hybrid, even though they make vehicles that get worse fuel economy than the Hummer.

Let me ask you this: Jim Press leaving Toyota was a huge shock to them. He wasn’t fired, and he was very high on the executive totem pole. He was in a position to know. So why would he lie? I give him more credibility than Toyota’s management, or the Japanese government in general.

So the real question is, why is the Japanese government denying it?

This thread is totally laughable as I have worked with various countries and you would have to be an idiot to think the US is innocent at “manipulating the value of their money.” BTW, I’m American born and raised. Jim Press’ leaving was not a huge shock…

Um, yes it was. But I guess you’d know better than me, having been in Japanese upper management and all…

injunraiv, it’s all about connections.

I’m more in a “so what” camp on this news item. If the Japanese government subsidized the development of the world’s leading automotive hybrid technology for 10 years running, that’s simply their business.

If the gov’t-subsidized research makes Toyota tech cheaper, giving the U.S. auto makers a competitive disadvantage, then the real question is: what will the U.S. government do to help? Critics have long said that the U.S. gov’t needs to step in to help right the trade wrongs.

One person cited the Nissan example re CAFE. I’m not familiar with Nissan’s demands or the U.S. concessions, but the U.S. could have said, you know what, Nissan? Comply with CAFE or not. Go ahead and pull your U.S. production, drive up the cost of your vehicles, and see if American’s won’t buy more Fusions and Malibus.

And, if you ask me, as a director on Toyota’s Board, I’m sure he had access to what he needed to to make such a claim. Maybe he doesn’t have the whole story, but he’s not pulling it out of his butt either.