Toyota to Be a Gold Sponsor for
the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics

Tokyo―TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC), the Japan Olympic Committee, and the Nagano Olympic Committee jointly announced today that TMC will supply 1,300 Toyota vehicles to be used as official Olympic cars in the Nagano Winter Olympics that begin in February 1998. In doing so, TMC becomes recognized as a Gold Sponsor for the Nagano Games, and will receive the right to use its official emblem and mascot.

TMC has always been committed to providing vehicles for various public activities that contribute to the enrichment of our society. Being the final Winter Olympics of this century, we recognize that these Games are a stepping-stone to the global society of the future. With that in mind, we hope that Toyota vehicles will be of assistance in Nagano, helping people throughout the world enjoy this landmark sporting event.

All of the official vehicles that TMC plans to provide will be chosen in order to best transport athletes and officials through the snowy and icy terrain of the Olympic competition area. As a portion of the 1,300 vehicles, most of which will be equipped with 4WD, TMC is already planning to supply the Crown Majesta i-four, equipped with the vehicle stability control (VSC) advanced safety technology, and the newly-launched Ipsum recreational vehicle.

In addition, in the spirit of the guiding principle of the Nagano Olympics, coexistence with nature, TMC is considering supplying low-emission vehicles that run on electricity or compressed natural gas. Furthermore, vehicles capable of connecting to the VICS (Vehicle Information and Communication System), which will be part of the ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) of the near future, may also be provided.

Following the end of the Nagano Olympics, TMC will donate about 240 of the official cars for use in the Nagano Winter Paralympics, and nearly 500 to various Japanese social welfare programs.