Yes, it was in 1997 that the Prius took to the road in Japan, three years before it was introduced in America.
The ideas that spurred the development of the Prius surfaced in early 1992 when Toyota Motor Corporation announced its Earth Charter.
Among the original document's goals -- updated regularly ever since -- was the development of vehicles with dramatically lower emissions. In 1993, then-chairman Eiji Toyoda formed a committee to research cars for the 21st century.
The committee was determined to create a vehicle that is environmentally sensitive and achieves extraordinary fuel mileage but still operates like a regular car.
When he was shown the plans for a car that hypothetically could have delivered fuel economy 50 percent better than the average car on the road, Mr. Toyoda is reported to have said, "No, that isn't good enough. You understand that we are talking about a car for the 21st century, right? The fuel economy shouldn't be just 50 percent better. You must double it."*
In 1994, a concept car with hybrid power was developed for the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show. It was given the name "Prius," which in Latin means "prior" or "before." The company settled on a design created at Toyota's Calty Design Studio in Newport Beach, California. Chairman Hiroshi Okuda moved up the car's launch date by a full year, to 1997.
Toyota's competitors did not rush to jump into the market. In fact, looking back on the early development of the Prius, the Financial Times (December 31, 2003) said, "Most other manufacturers, although they had 'just in case' hybrid development programs of their own, sat back to watch it flop."
Of course, Toyota didn't wait. And Prius didn't flop.
Full production began in mid-1997; sales got under way later in the year.
In autumn of 2000, Prius was launched in the United States as a 2001 model. Almost immediately, Toyota began receiving awards for engineering excellence and environmental responsibility. About 52,000 of those first-generation Prius hybrids were eventually sold in the United States.
The second-generation Prius, launched in the fall of 2003 as a 2004 model, was successful instantly. It was named Motor Trend 2004 Car of the YearTM as well as North American 2004 Car of the Year. Sales quickly outran the production rate, which had to be increased several times.
Today, Prius is the world's unquestioned leader among hybrid motor vehicles. A total of 430,000 have been sold in the United States alone.
Buoyed by the success of Prius, Toyota Motor Corporation has gone on to develop and produce hybrid versions of the Highlander sport utility vehicle and Camry, America's favorite car. The company also produces three Lexus hybrid vehicles, including the top-of-the-line flagship LS 600h currently being introduced.
Including both the Toyota and Lexus marques, Toyota's cumulative hybrid production recently topped one million units -- with a half million sold in the United States. And not long ago, Toyota predicted that in time, the company's entire vehicle lineup would be powered by hybrid powertrains.
So, Prius owners -- early adopters who stepped into the original model and those who drive the second-generation hybrid -- rightly feel proud of their role as automotive pioneers.