Watch How a Toyota Research & Development Engineer Got a Mountain Named After Him
Read MoreAt what point in life could you say, “I made it”?
Would it be once you’ve paid off your mortgage? How about finally becoming a famous social media influencer? Ever thought it’d be the day a mountain was named after you (a totally ordinary career milestone)?
Well, that’s exactly what happened to Vehicle Mobility and Engineering Senior Manager Bob Ditner from Toyota Motor North America Research & Development: Toyota Arizona Proving Ground named a mountain after him. And not just any old mountain in the cactus-laden desert either—this is one he helped design specifically for off-road testing.
Bob, though, is staying humble. “I still don’t necessarily like using my own name when I’m calling out going to an area,” he says with a laugh. “Until it’s actually memorialized on a sign, I’ve been saying ‘off-road mountain.’”
The sign is still being installed, but you can watch the story behind it unfold in the video below.
Originally published August 7, 2026