Toyota 'godfather' Hiroshi Okuda dies at 93

Hiroshi Okuda, the influential former executive credited with championing the development of the Toyota Prius, has passed away at the age of 93. Okuda took the helm of the struggling company in 1995, becoming the first leader in decades not from the founding family.

Under his leadership, Toyota saw the creation of innovative models like the RAV4 and, most notably, the Prius. At a time when electric vehicles seemed like a distant utopia for the mass market, the Prius emerged as the world's first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid. This segment has since seen a resurgence in popularity, appealing to buyers deterred by the high cost of electric vehicles and rising fuel prices.

Okuda was also a key figure in Toyota's international expansion, driving the opening of overseas factories as the company aimed to surpass General Motors in global sales. Beyond his automotive career, the black-belt karateka led Keidanren, Japan's most powerful business lobby, and served as a government advisor for many years.

Known for his outspoken nature, Okuda once famously trekked through the jungle to meet leftist guerrillas in the Philippines during his tenure leading Toyota's local unit in the early 1970s. Reflecting on his leadership in 1998, he told The New York Times, "Before I became president, the company was considered very conservative, so I tried to make us more aggressive." Toyota confirmed Okuda's death but provided no further details.

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All [executives] are different. However, about Toyota, I can say that before I became president, the company was considered very conservative, so I tried to make us more aggressive.