Toyota beats Holden, Ford: Will build Camry Hybrid in Australia

Back when North American markets shunned RWD cars in the '80s and '90s, Australians couldn't get enough of them. That sentiment has been rapidly changing as the blokes down under are increasingly looking to integrate more efficient transportation into the Outback. The Australian government is in on the hybrid game, too, and has promised that any domestic automaker that produces a hybrid will be greeted with a fist-full of orders. Toyota is listening, and the Japanese automaker has green-lighted the production of 10,000 Camry hybrids per year at its Altona plant in Australia, making it the first automaker to build a production hybrid in the land of Oz. The announcement comes only a few days after an Aussie legislator singled out Ford of Australia and Holden, GM's Australian division, as companies that need to produce hybrids domestically so the government doesn't have to buy imported Toyotas and Honda hybrids. Looks like it's time for the Australian government to make with the checks. Its domestically built hybrid is on its way care of the Japanese.