Celebrating the art of the automobile: Toyota commemorates 70- year history with two public exhibitions

In celebration of its 70th anniversary, Toyota is proud to support a unique event which combines contemporary art and automotive history for car lovers across Europe. From 20 September 2007 until 31 January 2008, the world's largest automotive museum, Cité de l'Automobile, in Mulhouse, France, will host two major exhibitions: Full Beam — Contemporary Art and the Automobile is an exhibition, which brings together contemporary works from 28 internationally-renowned artists, whose pieces either feature, or have been inspired by, the automobile Toyota 70, tracks the company's remarkable journey from a small textile equipment manufacturer to become one of the world's leading car companies. This exhibition features historic Toyota models and displays brought over from Japan by event sponsor, Toyota Motor Europe (TME).

"Toyota Motor Europe is honoured to sponsor the Full Beam exhibition, which exemplifies our long-standing commitment to the arts while sharing our passion for the car with the wider community," said Mr. Thierry Dombreval, Executive Vice-President of Sales and Marketing and Chief Operating Officer of TMME Company, Toyota Motor Europe. "We are particularly pleased to exhibit some of our own automotive heritage in this world famous museum which, like Toyota, has roots in the textile as well as the automotive industries. It is a perfect match."

The Full Beam exhibition features fifty works across a variety of mediums, ranging from painting and sculpture, to photography and video. The exhibition explores the different roles and impact, both positive and challenging, the automobile has made on communities around the world.

The Toyota 70 exhibition features interactive displays, video footage and historical vehicles, such as a 1966 Toyota Corolla, one of the first cars to carry the model name that would ultimately become the world's best selling car and a name synonymous with Toyota. The exhibition also highlights some of Toyota's most significant automotive achievements, including a section devoted to Toyota's groundbreaking hybrid technology, coinciding with 10 years of hybrid leadership for Toyota since the launch of its first mass-produced hybrid vehicle in 1997.

Toyota 70 has been developed exclusively by past and present Toyota employees, with special assistance from the Cité de l'Automobile, Toyota Automobile Museum and the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry & Technology in Nagoya, Japan.

Both exhibitions are available in English, French and German. For more information about access and visiting hours, please visit: www.collection-schlumpf.com