What makes "40" and "50" important for Toyota?

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Mention numbers in the 40 to 50 range to me and the first thing that usually comes to mind is hearing about a friend or family member celebrating a birthday. Is it time to bring out the cake with all the candles on it and the funny yet self deprecating card? Fortunately, in Toyota's case, they're not going that route. They do have two great milestones to celebrate, however!

The first is the announcement of the 40 millionth Toyota Corolla being sold worldwide, making Corolla the best selling nameplate of all time! To give you a comparison, in 1966 Toyota announced production of about 240,000 vehicles. Nowadays, over 1.1 million of them are produced annually, including the all-new 2014 Corolla with its premium interior and more stylish design. According to Jack Hollis, Toyota's Vice President of Marketing, the Corolla is "built for the way we live today and the places we go. From urban chic to family road trip, at 40 million we’re just getting started!”

Take a look at the comparison photo below and you can see just how much the car has evolved in terms of size, style, and technology. I don't think the designers of the original Corolla ever imagined it could be outfitted with a backup camera or the ability to make hands free phone calls with Bluetooth!

Now, what's special about the number 50? This story is a little more emotional, and involves a special surprise for an unsuspecting police officer in suburban New York. Michael Dee, who's been part of the police force there for over 20 years, was having a barbecue in his backyard when Toyota's U.S. Sales Chief Bill Fay showed up unannounced with balloons in hand. What was the commotion about? Well, it turns out that Michael, who had just purchased a Toyota Camry, happened to be Toyota's 50 millionth customer in America! You'll have to watch the video below to see how they celebrated Michael's purchase, and his genuinely candid reaction. Would you have felt the same way if you were in his shoes?