Advertising watchdog tells Toyota: You can't say 'the Best Built Cars in the World' anymore

The chief executive of Toyota Ireland has said he's "bemused and baffled" by a ruling which could prevent the manufacturer from using "the Best Built Cars in the World" marketing campaign.

In a statement, the car manufacturer says the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland (ASAI) has decided to uphold a complaint, which was filed on behalf of rival firm Volkswagen.

Toyota has used this tagline for the past 20 years, and now the ASAI has ruled it should no longer be used.

In their ruling, the advertising watchdog stated that Toyota have proven to create the best-built mass-produced cars in the world, but not the best cars overall.

"We're absolutely bemused and baffled by the ruling of the ASAI," said Toyota Ireland chief executive Steve Tormey.

"'The Best Built Cars in the World' has been a tagline and a proposition used by Toyota for the last 20 years, and even as recently as 2010, on a few occasions they have substantiated our claim, for good reason.

"They readily accept that the best built cars in the world for mass-produced vehicles is a claim we can make - but they're splitting hairs or dancing on a pinhead."