TOYOTA LIKELY TO NAME AMERICAN FIRMS AS SUPPLIERS
Toyota Motor Corp <TOYO.T> is likely to
name more American companies as suppliers of car parts for its
wholly-owned U.S. Subsidiary Toyota Motor Manufacturing USA Inc
(TMM), a Toyota official told Reuters.
    Toyota is studying the use of General Motors Corp's <GM.N>
GM Delco Products as a supplier of motors for windshield wipers
and Illinois Tool Works Inc for window handles, he said.
Another U.S. Firm may be used to supply radiator tanks.
    Toyota had originally planned to use two Japanese companies
to supply the parts, Nippondenso Co Ltd <DNOT.T> and Aisin
Seiki Co Ltd.
    Toyota is also considering some other U.S. Firms as
suppliers, but the spokesman declined to name them.
    Cars produced at Toyota's Kentucky plant will consist of 60
pct local content, instead of an earlier planned 50 pct, he
said. The plant is scheduled to start production in mid-1988
and have an annual capacity of 200,000 cars.
    Industry sources said the Toyota move was designed to head
off criticism that it was not using enough U.S. Company-made
parts at its Kentucky plant.
 REUTER
