Like if you did not smell this coming, but Toyota reported a 7.3 percent jump in quarterly profit thanks to booming sales in North America and Europe.
Even though sluggish demand in Japan, Toyota Motor Corp. recorded group net profit of 426.8 billion yen ($3.6 billion) in the three months ended Dec. 31, up from 397.6 billion yen for the same period the previous year. Vehicle production rose 9 percent to 2.09 million units in the quarter.
Toyota's global vehicle production topped 9 million in 2006, at 9.018 million vehicles, marking the fifth year straight of growth. General Motors and its group of automakers produced 9.18 million vehicles worldwide in 2006 — just about 162,000 vehicles more than its Japanese rival. Toyota, including its Lexus luxury line, surpassed DCX.
And to add more insult to injury, GM posted a 17% drop in January as its sales of cars and light trucks fell to 244,614 in January, down from 293,131 a year earlier. Sales of light trucks fell 12% to 140,458, while passenger-car sales dropped 23% to 104,156.
Ford said that its January sales of cars and light trucks in the U.S. tumbled by 19%. Ford sold 166,835 cars and light trucks in January, compared with 205,671 a year ago. The company's passenger car sales fell 33% to 55,842, while sales of trucks and SUVs were 110,993, a 10% decline.
Meanwhile, Toyota said its January U.S. sales rose 9.5% to 175,850. Passenger car sales rose 13% to 100,256 and light truck sales increased 5% to 75,594.
On the upside DCX, once one of Detroit's Big Three and now a unit of Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG, said that its January U.S. sales rose 0.5%.
So what do you all think?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Wednesday, February 07, 2007 10:45 AM
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
[quote=97trd(???™)]who cares
LOL
GM and Ford should. It means they are not only losing money, but customers are losing any shred of faith left in them.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Wednesday, February 07, 2007 11:44 AM
I as a consumer do not mind.
Toyota will be #1 in the world, so what? It's just to say that they are #1.
I will keep buying cars that I like, whether it be GM, Toyota, whatever, and not give a crap who is the #1 producer.
Sucks for GM though.
Gee... let's analyze this...
Toyota makes the best rated quality cars in the world and sells vehicules around the globe. You go to Africa, you go to Afghanistan, you go to Nigeria, you go to Thailand and the majority of vehicles tend to be Toyotas. One of the most common police cars and taxis in all of Asia and the Middle East is the Toyota Corolla. They're designed on a reputation of high quality and being easy to fix if they do break down. Also, even if something goes wrong, you can keep driving it around because it's never the engine or transmission that breaks.
The internet has popularized this reputation to a lot of people who weren't aware of how tough these cars and trucks were and now that car prices have gone up so high it makes sense to want the best bang for your buck that you can get.
im a die hard GM guy , and have been treated poorly from gm and pontiac , so much i doubt ill buy a new car from any gm dealer
but ill buy used , atleast you know to expect to get farked by the seller
only new car id consider buying new would be a challenger
I have no problems with Toyota being the number one automaker in the world. If they make quality cars that the masses like, then they should be rewarded as such. Like Mikedirntrulez stated, I will also continue buying cars that I like, that fit my needs no matter what brand it comes from.
It doesn't surprise me Toyota is becoming the top brand...it surprises me it's taken them that long more than anything else.
Stop and think for a minute, what happens when Toyota surpasses GM or the big 3 err what was the big 3 (previous GM, FoMoCo, DCX) in sales and the big loss in sales... .
And you will see it very clearly with cash-strapped Ford, products will be longer in the market with out replacements and when they are replaced, the new product is not 100% all-new. Case-in-point, Ford's new Focus which when the 2008 model will be unveiled, the platform will be 10 years old. Or look at Jaguar's XK, new body but with a engine that hasn't been touched in more than 7 years. Or the small pick-up (Ranger), has been out since 1992 with no re-engineering changes, just face lifts.
If this trend of the big 3 loosing sales and Toyota gaining ground continues, GM and DCX will see Ford's problem, but more apparent.
Then you will see these auto corporations try to scramble to maintain some sort of profit by shutting down plants, and reducing health-care, etc. In other words, executives blaming the problem on not their products, but on the "little people."
Hell, GM had a lead of close to 5 million in 2000 in total world sales, now in 2006 GM's lead was a mere 162,000 vehicles. Am I the only one not seeing something wrong here?
The way I am seeing it, this is the beginning of a future huge hit in the American automotive industry.
James (The S197 Driver) wrote:
It doesn't surprise me Toyota is becoming the top brand...it surprises me it's taken them that long more than anything else.
Surprises you that it's is taken that long? It is the only auto industry that has the potential to do it. Toyota has been out in half the time that Ford has been in the market (GM's closest competitor) and this will be the first time that GM may be dethrone.
For Toyota, that is impressive to say the least.
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-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
gm cant offer what the public really wants , and keeps giving 20 versions of the same dam thing(suv's and trucks), even though they are starting to catch on , the gto woulda been the right kick in the pants if they would have excuted it better , and is still a good showing of what people want
it used to be when you bought a GMC truck it was the same but alot different than a chevy , and the reason they sold , now there is only a nose difference , and a caddie version is no different
ford only offer a couple things people want , trucks and stangs , and the dead GT-40
dcx has a pretty wide customer base
its to no fault of their own if they fail , i told some GM exc's at sema before the camaro was officially dead , that they were gonna hit hit hard by its loss , and they were stupid for even considering it , they just looked at me with a dumb-founded look on their face , and told me i didnt know what people wanted
well obviously i know better than they do , took them to long to listen to people
but as well as making a big change in their customer service , and giving us better options , id say let them go belly up if they wont listen
Gm cant offer the public what it wants?
Ill agree with that in one catogory - hybrids
As for the focus of most ppl on this web site which is the sport compact, what does toyota have?
The Scion TC, hmm they dropped the celica which was the only decent thing they did have, Corolla S, forget about it, toyota has nothing to compete in that market
The Camaro Dead? - wow I guess the millions of ppl wanting to get one isnt enough
The GTO was pathetic and never sold which is why it got dropped
and as for Toyota owners being so happy, perhaps you should talk to some Corolla owners, I know one in particular that would like nothing more than to set his 02 on fire if he could afford something else. I've never been that impressed with them as a company, they are bland, slow, certain replacement parts are difficult to obtain as with most foreign cars, everyone bitches about GM's options and interiors, whats better about Toyota interiors and options? Maybe im missing something on thier website?, Maybe all thier cars I sat in at the auto show were concepts and not what they actually sell?
1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85
if toyota could ever make a good looking car, then they would really take over
Rodimus Prime wrote:Gm cant offer the public what it wants?
not a 100% , but there is alot more of a compromise that can be done
gto was price a little high , and a little heavy , but is a great car , and is a great car , hard to beat a car capable of going 180mph , and run low 13's high 12's stock , and is more comfortable than most caddies
i think Ford will turn it around in the next year or so with new vehicles and more marketing for its cars like the Fusion
Rodimus Prime wrote:
The GTO was pathetic and never sold which is why it got dropped
O RLY?
How is that? Obviously you know nothing nor have driven the car. It got CANCELED because of the NEW airbag standards and tire pressure monitoring systems that are REQUIRED. Why would any company in there right mind spend HUGE amounts of $$$ to update a older platform that was due to be replaced within a few years stateside and already replaced in OZ. Maybe your diluted company would but then they would be last in growth each 1/4 for uniformed decisions and comments.
BUT...
I agree with your stance on toyota. Alot of $$ for what you might get.
05 M6 YJ GTO 1 of 447 12.767@109.93
halfJ99 wrote:if toyota could ever make a good looking car, then they would really take over
If they impress people with more restyles like they did with the Camry, they could be at the top for a long time.
Good, maybe GM will kick it up a notch.
Quote:
Good, maybe GM will kick it up a notch.
they already started. better cars better warrentys there fixing there proplems and geting better.
@!#$ Toyota & the @!#$heads who don't support american workers by buying american. At the local auto show there was a display that showed which Automaker in america makes american made vehicles using american made parts. GM & Ford were at the top of the list, GM with almost 90% vehicles and parts sourced through US manufacturing. Toyota was in the 30-40% range, Sure the cars might be put together here but the parts come from other countries.
jbody03eco wrote:Quote:
Good, maybe GM will kick it up a notch.
they already started. better cars better warrentys there fixing there proplems and geting better.
ahhahahaaa , thats funny
GM doesnt give a ratts ass
Foreign auto makers dont lay off people, american car makers do. You don't hear any of the foreign employees go on strike because they dont get treated properly or get paid what they are worth. Which leads me to believe that there is alot better management in foreign auto makers than there is in american auto makers.
dan
dubduce18s wrote:Foreign auto makers dont lay off people, american car makers do. You don't hear any of the foreign employees go on strike because they dont get treated properly or get paid what they are worth. Which leads me to believe that there is alot better management in foreign auto makers than there is in american auto makers.
dan
Unions.
Very few import makers have to deal with the sh1t domestic automakers do.
GM management is dealing with it.
[quote=97trd(???™)]
jbody03eco wrote:Quote:
Good, maybe GM will kick it up a notch.
they already started. better cars better warrentys there fixing there proplems and geting better.
ahhahahaaa , thats funny
GM doesnt give a ratts ass
Nobody Does.
JinxedZ THE LOVED ONE wrote:dubduce18s wrote:Foreign auto makers dont lay off people, american car makers do. You don't hear any of the foreign employees go on strike because they dont get treated properly or get paid what they are worth. Which leads me to believe that there is alot better management in foreign auto makers than there is in american auto makers.
dan
Unions.
Very few import makers have to deal with the sh1t domestic automakers do.
GM management is dealing with it.
What I was trying to say, is that money management for domestic auto makers is not there. The amount of money that the upper management is getting is HUGE! While the import auto makers are still making good money, but I would bet that they are not getting the amount of money that GM, Ford and Chrysler upper management is getting.
dan
personally i think most of this trend has to do with advertising
Toyota has radio comercials for their cars calling it "not just a car, it's an investment" What kind of investment goes down in value? That's a horrible investment if you ask me....but if you don't think into things like that they are really putting in peoples heads how much "better" their products are and it's creating demand. Compare the upscale way of advertising that honda and toyota use compared to a GM commercial. id say about 70% of GM commercials i see are advertising discounts and special financing on vehicles and that's pretty much it, it's giving off a "look at me i don't have money for nicer cars" attitude.
whether or not their products really are better? well that's personal preference.
point being, i think it's good advertising and good publishing from motortred + consumer reports that started the trend, and now after a few years the consumer demand is swining the other way. Could it swing back in the future? sure, does toyota being #1 change anything in the auto market? not really just some bragging rights.
Give me a toybota for use on the weekends and I'll be willing to call them #1.
Other than that it doesn't affect me at all, I'll probably always look to used cars rather than new. The weather around here is such @!#$ all year long that I wouldn't torment a new car to it. The depreciation (not referring to toyota) isn't worth the new car smell either, whats waiting another 2 years for a few thousand lower.
