America's Most Admired Companies 2008

Top 20 Most Admired Companies

To create the top 20, Fortune and its survey partners at Hay Group asked the experts -- in this case, more than 3,700 people from dozens of industries -- to select the 10 companies they admire most. This year's winners all have strong records of innovation, leadership, and financial strength -- and their employees know it.

5 of 20

Toyota Motor

Top 20 rank: 5
Rank in Motor Vehicles: 2

In the past 12 months Toyota has seen three top American executives defect to competitors, been humiliated in its first season of NASCAR racing, and had its reputation for impeccable quality sullied. Yet those were mere speed bumps as it cruised to second place in U.S. car and truck sales (passing Ford) and took the winner's circle in worldwide sales.

Toyota continues to add capacity, invest in hybrid technology, and roll up the healthiest profits in the industry. If 2007 was a tough year for Toyota, imagine what a good one looks like. -Alex Taylor III

See how Toyota Motor rates in 8 key areas

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Last updated March 03 2008: 2:10 PM ET