Inevitably, Toyota took root in South Africa. By this time, Toyota was re-presented
by the word, “Toyota,” executed in a special font.
From here, things quickly evolved. Dr Albert Wessels, founder of Toyota South Africa,
believed the company should have some form of emblem associated with it. His passion
for horses led to the development of a unique identity for Toyota South Africa –
namely the addition of a white stallion encircled in a red background.
The mid 1970s, brought change, when the Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan changed
their font, and South Africa followed suit. At the same time, the circle was replaced
by a red square with rounded edges felt to be in keeping with the design trends
of the day. Interestingly enough, the Stallion has never actually appeared on a
vehicle. It has always been a unique identifier of the Company itself.