UPDATE: Toyota Says It Topped GM In 1Q Global Auto Sales
April 24, 2007: 02:41 AM EST


TOKYO (AP)--Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) sold more vehicles worldwide than General Motors Corp. (GM) in the first quarter, topping GM for the first time to become the world's No. 1 auto seller on a quarterly basis, the Japanese company said Tuesday.

Toyota sold 2.348 million vehicles worldwide in the January-March period, company spokesman Satoshi Yamaguchi said.

That topped the 2.26 million vehicles that U.S.-based GM said it sold in the same three-month period.

I can see it now...........

Here comes another endless thread of foriegn vs domestic.........:roll:

Thanks D.

You're Welcome :p:

"Toyota beats GM"

Not in NASCAR, HA!!!!


Later :smile:

"Toyota beats GM"

Not in NASCAR, HA!!!!


Later :smile:

YET!! :D

YET?:lol:

That's a good one!:nuts: :roll: :thumb:

Toyota Tops GM in 1Q Global Sales
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer
17 minutes ago

TOKYO - For the first time ever, Toyota sold more vehicles globally in a quarter than General Motors, preliminary January-March figures show, the clearest sign yet that the Japanese company is on track to overtake its U.S. rival as the world's top automaker.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s success is fueled by robust demand for its reliable, fuel-efficient models, including the Camry, Corolla, Yaris and gas-electric hybrid Prius.

It also comes at a time when General Motors Corp., which lost $2 billion last year, has been forced to scale back production and cut costs in a bid to revive its sliding fortunes, even as it leads in China's booming market.

Final bragging rights as the world's top automaker _ a title GM has held for 76 years _ won't be decided until global vehicle production numbers get tallied for the full year.

But Tuesday's data show that Toyota is getting closer. The Japanese company sold 2.35 million vehicles worldwide in the first quarter, Toyota said, surpassing the 2.26 million vehicles GM said it sold in the period, according to preliminary figures.

In 2006, Toyota's global output rose 10 percent to 9.018 million vehicles, while GM and its affiliates produced 9.18 million vehicles worldwide _ a gap of about 162,000. In the first quarter, Toyota made 2.37 million units while GM had expected to produce 2.34 million during the same period, and has not given a final number.

Analysts say Toyota is building on its lead by investing in ecological technology, opening plants around the world, developing new models and wooing drivers with solid marketing that drives home its brand power.

Those are precisely areas in which GM has fallen behind Toyota, analysts say. GM will be hard pressed to play catch-up, making it more likely that Toyota will outstrip GM for the full year, they say.

"Toyota sales are booming because of its good image around the world about reliability and ecological technology," said Koji Endo, auto analyst with Credit Suisse in Tokyo. "It's just the opposite for GM, and its image is deteriorating."

GM said although Toyota won the first quarter, the fight for global leadership is not over for the year. A company spokesman said it would not chase market share solely to recapture the lead from Toyota, and it has no special plan to retake the lead.

"We also had a record first quarter globally. We set sales records in three out of our four regions," said spokesman John McDonald. "We've got our first quarter underneath our belt. Let's see what the rest of the year holds for us. We're going to fight for every sale," he said.

The cycle of good news keeps getting better for Toyota, however, as it can use its profits to keep growing. With the company doing so well, morale is high at Toyota, keeping the positive cycle going, while GM tends to be dragged down by battles with its union, Endo said.

But Endo also warned that increased size also brings other problems like trying to ensure quality and manage a sprawling network of manufacturing and sales.

"As your volume gets bigger and bigger, in many cases efficiency tends to drop," he said. "There might be a risk of being over-stretched."

Toyota was founded in 1937 by the Toyoda family, whose members continue to play key roles and are a symbol of emotional unity for the company and its employees.

Perhaps more famous than the Toyoda family are the company's innovators, such as Taiichi Ohno, credited with inventing just-in-time production to reduce inventory, and the philosophy of worker-empowerment called "kaizen," allowing workers to keep improving production methods and hold the critical power of shutting down the assembly line at any time.

Companies around the world, including those outside the auto industry, have adopted Toyota's methods. Universities, both in and outside Japan, study the Toyota method.

Toyota is also well-known for nurturing worker loyalty by offering lifetime employment. The last time Toyota resorted to massive job cuts was during hard times in 1950.

Toyota has beaten GM in profitability for the past four years, with 1.4 trillion yen ($11.8 billion) profit for the fiscal year through March 2006.

GM, meanwhile, has been negotiating severance packages with thousands of workers in an effort to turn around its North American operations. In the fourth quarter of 2006, it reported a profit of $950 million, a big turnaround from a loss of $6.6 billion a year ago.

Modesty is also a Toyota trademark, and executives have repeatedly played down the prospects of overtaking GM.

Asked that question last week in Detroit, Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe emphasized that Toyota must continue to improve its quality from the top down to remain a leader in the auto industry.

"We're still developing in many regions of the world. I don't regard that as a success yet," he said.

GM doesn't give yearly forecasts, but Toyota is shooting for global output of 9.42 million vehicles and sales of 9.34 million units.

While Toyota appears on course to supplant General Motors this year, GM's moves to boost overseas production could keep it in the running. The company's sales in China jumped 32 percent last year to 876,747 units, making it the No. 1 seller there. It is also building a new factory in India, another market with tremendous potential.

But analysts note that Toyota's success required long-term planning and years of hard work.

"Winning didn't happen overnight," said Koichi Shimokawa, business administration professor at Tokai Gakuen University. "Japanese makers built their business, slowly but surely, accumulating technology and developing good cars."

Endo believes the trend of Toyota outdoing GM is very difficult to reverse: "Everybody on the road expects Toyota to overtake GM in 2007."

I have to say that much of the logic in that article makes sense.

Even with what I own today (2 2006 HHR's, a 2004 Corolla, and a 1986 GMC S-15) I have great confidence that the Toyota has a good chance of being around for Caleb, now 2 1/2, to drive when he turns 16. I'm HOPING that the HHR's make it past 100,000 miles.

Yes Toyotas have had issues now and then, but they haven't gone decades making crap like Detroit did in the 1980's. Don't get me wrong I am not trying to say that Detroit can't make good cars, it does. It just hasn't always been its main focus. When I think of a reliable car, one that will last well over 100,000 miles, my first thought is NOT GM, Ford or Chrysler.

Okay, let the slamming begin!!

BTW, my dad worked on the line at Ford's Hazelwood plant for a couple decades so I've got built in loyalty to domestic cars, but I also have heard way too many stories about what happened on the line to not also question the quality and consistancy. If others didn't feel the same way then why do people often say, "hope you car wasn't built on Monday". I can say from the stories that I was told that at at least one plant in the 60's, 70's and 80's; drug and alcohol use, while on the line, was common.

Say what you will about GM and Toyota, but the facts bear out a hard truth. I still think that being “the world’s number one automaker” isn’t the best title to have. Being the best in quality and reliability is, and I’d lean towards Honda in that regard.

Toyota’s ineptitude in NASCAR is also fact, but will likely change over time. NASCAR knows full well that it is the sport’s parity – thinking your driver CAN win this weekend – that puts the bums in the seats.

The NASCAR example can also be applied to the business of selling cars. Like Cole Trickle draftin’ Russ Wheeler, Toyota has a lot of momentum and will most likely fly right by GM. I disagree with the article where it states that things are getting worse for GM, as I believe the opposite is true. Toyota may end up being “the world’s number one automaker”, but I’ll gain so much respect for GM if they just continue on their path to recovery and ignore the path to a rather meaningless title.

Oh, I also enjoy “Days of Thunder”! He didn’t hit you, he rubbed you….and rubbin’s racin’!

In the 80's and early 90's, I would give quality to the asian market. But their quality today is not the same IMO. I see more of them breaking down now that the ole 88 civic that I had and seem to never die (and is still running to the best of my knowledge).

That is what has hurt the US market IMO. They did a better job and now we (US market) are definately paying for it. What is sad is that a lot of asian cars have US motors and vice-versa....... My wifes Mazda has a Ford motor. Now does that say Mazda is better than Ford?

I deal strickly with US models for work. I can honestly say, they run just as good as any asian models with proper care. I have Uplander's rolling 100K, no issues. My 96 Chevy was running great after 10 years and over 126K on the clock, my wifes 95 Honda motor blew after 8 years and 122K, and I know the truck was driven a lot harder. :lol: Along with towing a boat and lot's of loads in the bed. Same maintenance on both.

Buy what you want. I know I will.:thumb:

As quoted on ABC news, "Detroit keeps shooting itself in the tire". I fully agree. I bought a '92 Chevy PU with a manual transmission that GM knew had problems since '88 yet kept putting into newer models. My next PU was a Ford! I also remember in 1974 when they didn't react quickly to higher gasoline costs and lost a big market share. The only thing that held them back was the problems with rust and corrosion on foreign cars. Now that they're built in the US (in non-union states), they easily compete with the US manufacturers.

The only thing that Toyota's going to have to battle now is economies of scale. Their dealer network now rivals the Big Three and they're building more and more plants in parts of the country that have never experienced a manufacturing industry on the scale they're developing. They're also outsourcing production of key models like the Camry to companies that haven't had as good a track record, like the Subaru/Isuzu plant in Indiana.

There will come a time when driving a Toyota is about as uncool as driving a Buick is today for the mainstream. It may take another 20 years, but one day they'll be in the same boat as the Big 3. It's probably going to come from a startup in China or even one of the Korean manufacturers, but all things must pass and for Toyota, that day WILL come.

I'm soooo glad to see another Toyota fanboi thread on the forum...

I'm soooo glad to see another Toyota fanboi thread on the forum...

I resemble that remark and thank you. As a 2 time Toyota Owner I am a fan. Funny this comes only after your response in my other thread.

I too look at Toyota and wonder if/when their bubble will burst. The thing is, they keep saying all the right things. Everyone knows that GM got so large that it had trouble keeping things going in the right direction. I still think that is why Honda hasn't been more aggressive in their approach - they worry about losing their way.

I already view Toyota as one of the most “uncool” rides one can buy. Other than the FJ, I can’t think of a single Toyota that I would consider purchasing. Why? Because they are so boring! If you want your car to have the soul of a Maytag, buy a Toyota I guess…

I happen to be a loyal Chevy owner but have inherited a 1992 toyota camry that belongs to my better half. This thing has 300K miles on it. Runs like a top and gets better gas mileage that my HHR! Of course it dont have quite the get up and ga as the HHR.