GM vs Toyota – down to the wire
January 24, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
With reports of Toyota overtaking General Motors as the largest brand in the world by the end of last year predicted long before December, final figures from last year, released a few hours ago, actually put the old General about 3500 units ahead of Toyota.
GM managed to sell 9,369,524 vehicles in 2007, a 3 per cent increase over 2006. Toyota had previously stated that the company had sold 9.37 million vehicles in 2007 but that figure was changed to “about 9.366 million in sales” today.
There is still a chance for the Big T to claim victory if sales from an obscure GM partnership in China are not counted. The Automotive News Data Centre, the people who do the counting, last year denied GM the sales figures and deducted vehicles from SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. from the GM total because SAIC is majority owner of the partnership.
So how can GM be in financial trouble if the 2007 results were the second-best global sales total in its 100-year history? 2007 was also the third straight year the American manufacturer sold more than 9 million vehicles.
The U.S. domestic market only accounts for 41 per cent of GM’s sales with over 5.5 million of the 9.36 total sold outside the United States. The Chinese market accounts for over 10 per cent of all sales, with more than a million GM vehicles sold there last year. Eastern Europe and Brazil also performed well.
The problem GM faces is that it’s losing ground at home, while Toyota is growing fast. GM’s sales in North America fell 6.1 per cent in 2007.
The question that everyone wants answered is if GM can claim victory for ‘07? Mike DiGiovanni, GM’s executive director of global product planning, said in a morning conference call with analysts and reporters that the race with Toyota is too close to call.
” We’re just focused on putting our nose down and trying to do a good job, serving our customers and making the best products that we can. I don’t think anyone knows… we don’t know (who won).”
The company has stated that while it is in it to win, they don’t wish to get into trouble with too many fleet orders and big incentive sales.
” We think we’re doing the right things to remain No 1, and we’re in it for the long run,” DiGiovanni said.
It is also clear that GM has shifted its focus from the domestic market in the U.S. and Europe to Latin America, Asia, eastern Europe and developing countries.
If GM does keep the title in 2007, will Toyota finally have its day in 2008?
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Wheelnut – give me the name of the place were you work (no i don’t want to know who you are therefore it shouldn’t be a hassle) and i will give them a courtesy call to confirm your comment..
What…………just cause we know where you work mate……and by the way you must be on nights to be here now!
What you think your going to achieve anyhow……talk the company out of getting rid of Toyotas……….you on a crusade to save Toyotas!!!!!!!!
Andrew … gee sorry mate, i must have failed to diagnoise that my question was so hard.
You questioned Toyota’s omnership of Izusu and i directed you to a site were you anwser it for yourself and then get to me.
Is it really that hard !!
oh yeah – and no one has ‘EVER SAID’ on one single occassion (that i have noted) that the Hilux is unbreakable but while saying that – it has earn’t itself an honourable reputation for breing a rugged utility and that you can not deny.
Put it this way – alot more rugGed than a Rodeo or Ranger could ever hope to be …PERIOD !!
no BM dont you read!!!!
he just came off nights!!!!
ha ha ha ha oh i see what you mean ha ha ha ha :o
Bavarian – what are you doing here, i thought you were apart of a forum now so why the neccessity to be on this site.
To answer your question, all i want to do is varify Wheelnuts comment so for once and for all we can start grasping what is accurate and what’s not.
Surely you carn’t hold that against someone who justs wants to know the truth from … well, not so truthful comments.
Apart from that – NO HARM … Take it easy !!
Dingo………..what time do you start your shift….???
Dingo,
mate you question wasnt to hard it is just pointless.
Im not your little B***h that runs for information at your request. as i said i wasnt doubting you on the ownership just curious as to how they could still keep selling Isuzu when they dont own them anymore.
Im not going to look out of principle as there is nothing to prove.
oh and no one has ever said the Hilux is unbreakable?
gee you must love your toyotas if you havent even realised that Toyotas slogan for Hilux’s for many years was in fact “Unbreakable Hilux”. they even put a little sticker on the owners rear screen.
i wouldnt be so quick to class the ranger as not being as rugged as the hilux. the Ranger/Courier has held its own over many years too but only promoted less than the hilux.
didnt the Ranger and BT50 both out do the Hilux in the 4X4 test to find that very thing out?
Andrew … WRONG – i was suppose to go back today but because of the heavy rains we probably won’t make it back until Monday the earliest but haa … i don’t mind because it means it will just be a short week for myself.
Surely you are a resonable enough person to understand that.
Anyway, like i asked – i would appreciate if i can varify your story and like i said i don’t want to know who you are or even your position so that way we can keep the personal info to the side therefore no harm is done.
Haa … If it true then why the dilemma especially considering you have the oppurtunity to ’show me up’ … gee – if i was you i would jump at the idea !!
Dingo,
CORRECTION……….
i am not wrong. i too pointed out that you were suppose to go back today. even you said you were suppose to so are you WRONG too?
I take it that second part isnt for me?
Andrew – get over it … it’s advertising just like Holden with it’s Billion Dollar Baby that can challenge the worlds very best or the old thunderstruck adds that had GEN3’s doing burnouts yet knocked back people’s warranty claims when they admitted to driving them hard or the fact there’s that Epica add that makes it look like a prestiages motorcar.
Anyway – good to see you know understand that GM no longer holds shares in Izusu.
Haa … you learn’t some new – what’so bad about that.
But now you have your chance to teach me something new and that is wether your company is changing over Hilux’s to another brand.
Maybe your story is true because Toyota is unable to satisfy the contract in full or within time because of the demand of the Hilux so yes then you are right but failed top highlight a resonable explanation why.
Then again – it could have simply came down to them being undercut by thier competitor.
I’m just curious … that’s all !!
Sorry … my mistake (and the above comment) – it should have been directed at Wheelnut not yourself.
Thanks for the correction !!
4×4 tests are conducted over hoW many kilometers – 2 / 3
thousand.
How do they handle the conditions over an extended period of time through rain, hail or shine, day-in, day-out, 365 days a year.
Believe you me Andrew … i am in the poition to answer that question not yourself.
YOU CAN HAVE NY WORD ON THAT
The solid reputation that the Hilux has rightful earn’t itself just does not happen by mistake and you should be smart enough to be able to respect it.
Bavarain – some time when the grounds are dry enough to SAFELY commence production.
Don’t want any rollovers.
“OMG Cobra it crapped its timing belt man thats a major engine floor… are your kidding? What else you gonna dig up, at 300,000kms it misfied once? What kind of a stupid comment is that, such a minor problem… at least it had a non-intereference engine and didnt screw the valves up… a postitive for the engine design”
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OMG TP, stupid comment is it? Not so minor when you’re stuck in the mountains. And a problem is still a problem TP, you can’t just ignore it the way you do other things *nudge*. Other than that it has been resonably reliable.
That “positive” you mentioned is the one I bloody well mentioned. It’s also always blowing fuses on the interior light circuit, despite two auto-sparkys looking at it. I only mentioned it’s major problems, put the belt together with it’s terrible fuel consumption, poor bush ability, and he regrets ever buying it, or at least wishes he’d paid extra for the diesel.
It seemed like the best vehicle for his needs at the time, but not now.
Watto,
well electrical gremlins must be a problem with them then??
they also have a safety recall out on the current lux’s at the moment due to electrical issues when connected to a trailer
Well, generally fine except that fuse that keeps blowing. We’ve tried looking for wires chafing on steel body, replaced switches and the interior light. Nothing has worked.
Might have to settle for hooking up some sort of circuit breaker in place of the fuse, unless he does decide to trade it soon.
Haven’t had issues with trailer circuit, but it’s a 2000 model, so I wouldn’t know if newer models do. What kind of safety recall? Just inoperative lights or possibility of melting wires?