On November 18 Japan time, Chairman Akio Toyoda received the Golden Steering Wheel, one of the European automotive industry's most prestigious awards. We share his words of joy.
On November 18 Japan time, the Golden Steering Wheel (GSW) award ceremony was held in Berlin, where Chairman Akio Toyoda was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
“How wonderful it would be if Japan, like Germany, were a country where the first response was ‘Cars are our culture.’”
Chairman Toyoda made this comment after being selected to head the Automobile Business & Culture Association of Japan. Given his special affection for the rich automotive history of Germany and Europe as a whole, how did he feel about being honored with this award?
The Golden Steering Wheel
Established in 1976, the Golden Steering Wheel is one of Europe’s most prestigious automotive awards, presented by the German car magazine “Auto Bild” and tabloid “Bild am Sonntag.”
Each year, cars are selected based on criteria such as driving dynamics*, connectivity, design, and cost. In 2025, GSW featured eight categories and four special awards, though unfortunately, there were no Japanese cars among the recipients.
*The basic functions of driving, turning, and stopping.
Among Toyota and Lexus models, the most recent to be recognized were the GR Yaris (2021, best car under €35,000), UX300e (2020, best innovation), and GR Supra (2019, sports car).
Awards are also presented to individuals for their outstanding contributions to the automotive industry. Unlike the GSWs for vehicles, these awards are not presented every year.
Past honorees include Henry Ford (1983) and Michael Schumacher (1993). In 2014, Elon Musk also received an award for his pioneering efforts to popularize electric vehicles.
This year, Chairman Toyoda was selected “in recognition of his contributions to motorsport and his achievements in leading Toyota, as well as the global automotive industry, through recall issues and numerous other crises after assuming the presidency in 2009.”
At the ceremony, he was introduced as “an accomplished racer with a passion for driving, as though gasoline runs through his veins—truly a living legend in the automotive world.”
Although his schedule prevented him from attending the award ceremony, Chairman Toyoda sent a video message to convey his gratitude. The trophy was accepted on his behalf by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team driver Sébastien Ogier.
Without further ado, here are the words shared by Chairman Toyoda on this joyful occasion.