(Australian Associated Press)

TOYOTA’S AUSTRALIAN CAR-MAKING TALE:

* More than 3.4 million cars built in Australia since 1963, starting with the Tiara sedan

* Altona North plant opened in 1978, and closed on October 3, 2017, with a petrol Camry last off the line

* More than 2.1 million Camrys were built in Australia

* Other models produced: Corona, Crown, Corolla, Apollo, Nova, Avalon and Aurion

* In 2010, the company revealed plans for a $300 million engine plant at Altona

* In 2014, Toyota announced it would shut the door on Australian car making, partly due to the strong dollar

* The Altona North closure puts about 2600 workers out of a job and reduces the number of Australian employees to about 1300

* The Altona North site will be used as a training centre, for vehicle evaluations, and to house some corporate departments

* Toyota Australia hit peak production in 2007, building almost 149,000 cars, and its biggest export market is the Middle East

CAR MANUFACTURING IN AUSTRALIA:

* 1925 – Ford Australia founded at Geelong, Victoria

* 1948 – Release of first Australian-designed Holden car, the FX

* 1958 – Holden opens manufacturing plant at Elizabeth, Adelaide

* 1963 – Toyota begins producing cars in Melbourne

* 1978 – Altona North Toyota plant opens

* 2003 – Holden opens $400 million V6 engine plant at Port Melbourne

* May 2013 – Ford Australia announces it will cease local manufacturing in October 2016

* December 2013 – Holden says it will stop making cars in Australia in 2017

* February 2014 – Toyota also says it will pull the local manufacturing pin in late 2017

* October 7, 2016 – Ford shuts its Broadmeadows and Geelong plants

* October 3, 2017: Toyota’s last petrol Camry rolls off the Altona North production line

* October 20, 2017 – Holden to shut its Elizabeth plant, officially ending car manufacturing in Australia