On November 18 (Japan time), the prestigious Golden Steering Wheel (GSW) award ceremony took place in Berlin, where Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda received the Lifetime Achievement Award—one of Europe’s highest honours in the automotive world.
Reflecting on the recognition, Chairman Toyoda remarked, “How wonderful it would be if Japan, like Germany, were a country where the first response was ‘Cars are our culture.’”
The award held deep meaning for him, given his long-standing admiration for Germany and Europe’s rich automotive heritage.
About the Golden Steering Wheel
Established in 1976 and presented by Auto Bild and Bild am Sonntag, the Golden Steering Wheel is one of Europe’s most influential automotive awards, evaluating vehicles based on driving dynamics, connectivity, design and cost. The 2025 edition included eight categories and four special awards—although no Japanese vehicles were among the winners this year.
Toyota and Lexus have previously been recognized, including:
- GR Yaris (2021 – Best car under €35,000)
- UX300e (2020 – Best Innovation)
- GR Supra (2019 – Sports Car)
While product awards are annual, lifetime achievement and individual contribution awards are given only in exceptional cases. Past recipients include Henry Ford (1983), Michael Schumacher (1993) and Elon Musk (2014).
Reason for Selection
Chairman Toyoda was honoured for his profound contribution to motorsport and leadership during pivotal moments, notably guiding Toyota—and the broader global automotive industry—through complex recall crises after becoming President in 2009. At the ceremony, he was described as: “An accomplished racer with a passion for driving, as though gasoline runs through his veins—truly a living legend in the automotive world.”
Due to schedule constraints, Chairman Toyoda shared his gratitude via video message, with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT driver Sébastien Ogier accepting the award on his behalf.
From Nürburgring Memories to Global Inspiration
In his speech, Chairman Toyoda reflected on his lifelong love for cars, childhood dreams of becoming a taxi driver, and his journey to becoming Toyota’s Master Driver. He recalled his first experience at Nürburgring in 2007 driving a used Toyota Supra, dwarfed by the power of German performance machines—a moment that motivated him to return the following year with a prototype Lexus LFA.
His passion for learning through racing helped shape the development of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and influenced numerous Toyota and Lexus performance models.
He emphasized unity and collaboration in the rapidly transforming mobility landscape, adding: “This is a challenging time for our industry, and I believe we need to reach out to each other and work together, now more than ever.”
He also expressed gratitude to the global Toyota team of 383,000 members, the award organizers including Mathias Döpfner, and customers worldwide.
A Full-Circle Moment
Eighteen years after being overtaken by cars at Nürburgring, Toyoda says receiving this honour made him feel: “Like I’m back in high school and I just got asked to hang out with the cool kids.”
As he concluded, he looked ahead with optimism: “Thank you for this honour, and I hope to see all of you at next year’s 24 Hours at Nürburgring!”
