The history of Toyota started in 1933 with the company being a division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works devoted to the production of automobiles under the direction of the founder's son, Kiichiro Toyoda. Kiichiro Toyoda had traveled to Europe and the United States in 1929 to investigate automobile production and had begun researching gasoline-powered engines in 1930. Toyoda Automatic Loom Works was encouraged to develop automobile production by the Japanese government, which needed domestic vehicle production, due to the war with China. In 1934, the division produced its first Type A Engine, which was used in the first Model A1 passenger Vehicle in May 1935 and the G1 truck in August 1935. Production of the Model AA passenger Vehicle started in 1936.Toyota Motor Co. was established as an independent and separate company in 1937. During World War II, the company was dedicated to truck production for the Imperial Japanese Army. The company was on the brink of bankruptcy by the end of 1949, but the company eventually obtained a loan from a consortium of banks which stipulated an independent sales operation and elimination of "excess manpower".