With her purchase, Anna became another one of the millions of Toyota vehicle owners located around the globe, contributing to the Japanese automaker’s rapid growth over the past two decades. In 1990, the company possessed 20 production facilities in 14 countries. By 2012, it had 50 manufacturing facilities in 27 countries, including factories in the Czech Republic, France (where the Yaris is assembled), Poland, Portugal, the UK, and Russia. Known for its low-cost, efficient production operations, Toyota finally surpassed General Motors as the largest car manufacturer in the world in 2008 (although that only lasted only lasted until 2011 when GM and VW moved ahead). Given Toyota’s steady increase in market share, it is hard to believe that before 2002, the company had not posted a profit for its European operations for three decades and had suffered from consistently low market share and growth in the region.