03.08.06
The Birth of the Prius
Fortune Magazine ran this great, longish article on the car that we bought late last year The Birth of the Prius:
Today Wada explains Okuda’s order philosophically. “This is always how it is,” he says. “The top management is not going to give detailed instructions on technology. As long as engineers come up with solutions by the deadline, that is fine.” As Watanabe, who also had a lot riding on the decision, puts it, “Everything was challenging about the development of the Prius.”
It’s a great run down on the workings at Toyota. It’s also an interesting study of the relationship between engineering and business management.