It is just over 12 months since Toyota Australia was proudly boasting it was launching the first production cars in the world to wear the TRD nameplate. Yesterday the company announced the TRD performance brand will be dropped. Another scalp claimed by Carpocalypse Now (as named by Jalopnik). The decision will take effect at the end of March next year.
“Toyota made a significant financial commitment to TRD vehicle conversion and clearly understood short-term profitability was unlikely,” said David Buttner, senior executive director Toyota Australia.
“However, the perspective has changed for business globally and those new rules require tough decisions for the greater good. This is one of those decisions.”
This decision follows news that Toyota Australia will be increasing prices of its imported models from 1 January 2009 due to the falling Australian dollar.
The TRD operation produced a small product line, consisting of reworked Aurion and HiLux models. To the end of November just 888 TRD vehicles had been sold over its 16 month life cycle. Broken down, those sales amounted to 537 TRD Aurions and, since its April 2008 launch, 351 TRD HiLux models. While not directly comparable, HSV’s year to date sales to the end of November 2008 come to approximately 3500 vehicles. Although, recent sales have been encouraged by some heavy discounting.
TRD employed a small staff of just 17, and all will be kept on staff. Existing customers will continue to be covered by full factory warranty.
Full press statement after the jump.