Celebrating 25 years of partnership: Toyota and Inchcape in Romania

This year marks a major milestone – 25 years since Inchcape began its partnership with Toyota in Romania. Over the past two and a half decades, this collaboration has grown into one of the most successful and enduring in the local automotive market.

To reflect on this journey and explore what’s ahead, we spoke with Edit Tarcolea, Managing Director of Inchcape Romania, about the driving forces behind this partnership and what sets Inchcape apart in an evolving automotive landscape.

This year marks 25 years of Inchcape’s partnership with Toyota in Romania – a major milestone. Looking back, what has made this relationship so successful?

I believe the key to our success has been a shared commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction. This milestone reflects a journey built on trust, dedication, and a passion for delivering the best to our customers. Our success comes from a shared commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction and working hand-in-hand with our OEM partner, Toyota, to combine their renowned quality with our local expertise. Over the years, we have consistently adapted to the evolving Romanian market, embracing innovation and collaborating with Toyota to align strategies and goals. This has allowed us to grow together, building a loyal customer base and reinforcing Toyota’s reputation as a reliable and trusted brand in Romania.

Inchcape brings together digital insights and local expertise to support OEM partners. How has this approach helped Toyota grow its presence and customer base in Romania over the past two and a half decades?

The combination of Inchcape’s digital and data capabilities, and our team’s strong local knowledge, supported by a commitment to delivering great customer experiences, has helped Toyota’s growth in Romania. Over time, this has allowed us to better understand evolving customer needs, improve consistency across the dealer network and continuously enhance the customer experience. Our long-term partnership is built on trust and this foundation continues to guide how we engage with customers and shape our future in an increasingly dynamic mobility landscape.

As a global distributor and retailer, Inchcape plays a unique role in connecting OEMs to local markets. What do you think sets Inchcape apart in Romania’s automotive landscape – and why does this matter for OEMs?

What sets us apart is our agility, deep customer understanding and ability to identify and maximise every opportunity in the market, while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and operational excellence. For Toyota, this partnership reflects both Inchcape’s Accelerate+ strategy and our shared commitment to Kaizen, continuous improvement. It’s this alignment that enabled us to reach the no. 2 position in the Romanian market in 2025, reflecting our ability to grow with purpose towards our long-term vision and serve our OEM partners with integrity.

With 25 years behind this partnership, what is most exciting about the next chapter for Toyota and Inchcape in Romania?

Toyota and Inchcape will continue to bring the next chapter of innovation for Romanian customers, from the complete portfolio of EVs to fuel cell vehicles and next generation technologies, step-changing our growth journey. This will bring opportunities for our people to grow and develop, achieving our ambition and shared purpose, transforming tomorrow, together.

Thank you to Edit Tarcolea for sharing her time and insights. Her perspective highlights why Inchcape is a partner of choice for OEMs worldwide, the strength of our relationships with our OEM partners, and our shared ambition to shape the future of mobility in Romania.