It all started in 1957 when the then fledgling Japanese automaker introduced the Toyopet Crown and Land Cruiser. The former, which sold for an obnoxious $2,300, wasn't the right kind of car for the American buyer at the time -- it was too small, underpowered and dull.

Toyota sold 288 Toyopets and one Cruiser, not exactly an auspicious beginning. The Toyopet was dropped from the auto maker's line in 1961 and the company survived in the U.S. off of the sales of the Land Cruiser until 1965 when the Corona was introduced.

The Corona, many analysts agree, was what really set Toyota on its way to success in the U.S. By 1967, 31,000 Coronas were sold.Now Toyota is ranked second in sales in the U.S. behind only General Motors. And Toyota leads GM in global sales.

Here is a little walk through memory lane.

1950s

• Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. was established in a former Rambler dealership in Hollywood, California
• Sales reached 288 vehicles -- 287 Toyopet Crown sedans and one Land Cruiser
  

1960s

• Toyota introduces the Corona.
  
• Toyota introduces the Corolla. It would become the world's all time best selling passenger car. 27 million units have been sold in more than 140 countries
  

1970s

• Toyota overtakes Volkswagen as the number one import brand in the U.S.
• Toyota is the leader among import manufacturers in the sale of cars, trucks, and total vehicles sold
  

1980s

• Toyota becomes the first import manufacturer to top one million sales annually in the U.S.
  

1990s

• Toyota Camry becomes number one selling passenger car in the U.S.
• Toyota introduces its first pickup truck to the U.S. market, the Tundra (pictured is the 2007 model year)
  

2000s

• Lexus becomes luxury sales leader over Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
  
• Toyota becomes the third best selling brand in the U.S. passing Dodge.
• Toyota starts Scion, its third line of vehicles.
• Second generation Prius introduced.
• Annual sales surpass 2.5 million.
• Ground is broken for construction of a new Toyota plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi. This the company's 11th manufacturing plant in the U.S.

More details can be found at the Chicago Tribune. Our take? It seems that Toyota knew just what to concentrate on to evolve into a top selling company. It focused on quality, reliability and durability.