The Prius That Shook.. - VFAQ Prius Site

In addition, Sugiura had heard that the project was
endorsed by Chairman Toyoda. It was imperative that the
project be considered very seriously. Sugiura was in a
quandary and he said,
"Please give me some time to think."
Time passed, but Sugiura was still unable to reply
positively.
"Mr. Kimbara, I would be interested in taking over the
project, if I may." Unable to watch the days go by with no
progress, Risuke Kubochi, General Manager of General
Engineering Division (now Executive Vice President of
Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.), stepped forward. As the
General Engineering Division General Manager, Kubochi
had attended every progress report meeting of the four
Vehicle Development Centers, and had listened to the
dialogue.
Kubochi had been directly involved in R&D in the
past, and had been the Chief Engineer for the development
of the Celica. However, after becoming the General
Engineering Department General Manager, he became
skeptical about the effectiveness of the current
development system. Although he often gave people the
impression that he was not very friendly, he had the strong
determination to accomplish every task that he took up,
and was looked up to by young engineers.
After a Silence, Kimbara responded. "Okay. My initial
intent was to have the Vehicle Development Center II take
charge of it. However, you have access to every
16