andy82471

I read an article in reuters ( I think) where one analyst said Toyota most likely will be up by a modest number. Another guy contradicted him and said Toyota sales will be flat in October. I will try to post a link.

I wonder if falling sales for Chrysler and FORD helped GM in the third quarter. I bet a lot of people who never would consider an import are flocking to GM from Chrysler and Ford.

I agree with most of the points you are making and the newer GM models coupled with the UAW deal should help out GM a lot. Toyota's new product for the 4th quarter of this year are the Scion Xb and Xd and a new Corolla sometime early next year. Not sure if that will be enough to make them the biggest. I think gas prices will also be a huge factor in terms of who becomes the biggest. Toyota (rightly or wrongly) is still thought of as an environmentally freindly automaker and I hope the upcoming Astra and Chevy Volt changes people's opinion of GM.

Yes definitely. It seems like the momentum (at least for now ) is on GM's side. The reason Toyota fell behind GM is because it lost sales in the 3rd quarter here in the US. GM also lost sales here but more than made up for it overseas. I guess it comes down to the last quarter sales and production figure. This could go either way.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071022/toyota.html Toyota Sells 2.34 Million Vehicles in Latest Quarter, Short of GM Tally TOKYO (AP) -- Toyota said Monday it sold 2.34 million vehicles globally in the July-September quarter, fewer than General Motors' tally, as its U.S. rival regained the lead in the race to be the world's top automaker. ADVERTISEMENT Toyota Motor Corp.'s worldwide vehicle sales for the first nine months of this year -- at 7.05 million vehicles -- also fell short of Detroit-based General Motors Corp.'s sales of 7.06 million vehicles for the same period. But the numbers Toyota released Monday show the Japanese automaker running neck-and-neck against General Motors, which sold 2.38 million vehicles in the third quarter. Toyota beat GM in global vehicle sales in the first half of the year, riding on its reputation for high quality, low-mileage small cars such as the Camry, Corolla and gas-electric hybrid Prius. Some analysts say it's a matter of time before the Japanese automaker -- which built its business in the decades after World War II by imitating American automakers -- will close in on GM. Toyota's global vehicle sales for the latest quarter grew 4 percent from the same period a year ago, while sales for the first nine months of the year grew 7 percent. "With oil prices rising, Toyota has the advantage in the long run," said Yoshihiro Okumura, auto analyst at Chibagin Asset Management Co. "Toyota is making a dash to the top." Toyota has been in a slight lapse in introducing new models, but its momentum for growth is picking up as it comes out with new offerings, Okumura said. New models tend to boost sales, and some drivers hold off on purchases until a product gets remodeled. In August, Toyota set a global sales target of 10.4 million vehicles for 2009 -- a number that would put it far ahead of the current industry record of 9.55 million vehicles sold by GM in 1978. GM is fiercely fighting back against Toyota by boosting overseas sales. GM has worn the industry crown of No. 1 automaker for 76 years. Soaring gas prices have helped to lift Toyota's sales, but it saw its U.S. sales dip slightly last month, partly because of a record set in the same month a year earlier. Toyota is lowering its sales target in Japan for this year because of a stagnant market, but it has said that better-than-expected demand in other overseas markets will offset the domestic decline. GM, which has been trimming jobs and cutting costs, reported last week that third-quarter global sales rose 4 percent to 2.38 million cars and trucks, led by increases in emerging markets outside the United States. Toyota reported selling 4.72 million vehicles during the first half of the year compared with GM's 4.67 million. GM still led Toyota in vehicles produced worldwide during the first half of the year. Toyota and its group companies produced 4.71 million vehicles in the first half, inching up to GM's 4.75 million vehicles. The race is more than about the number of cars people are buying. GM's profitability falls far short of Toyota, which is rich in cash to invest in technology research and model development. GM's second-quarter net income totaled $891 million, largely from overseas operations. It was the third straight quarter of profit, and a dramatic reversal from the $3.4 billion loss it posted in the same period last year. For the April-June period, Toyota raked in earnings of $4.27 billion, its biggest quarterly profit ever and up 32.3 percent from a year earlier. A recent study of industry costs and profits by Laurie Harbour-Felax found GM made $2,123 less per vehicle than Toyota in 2006 in North America. Toyota, the most profitable of all automakers on a per-vehicle basis, increased its profit per vehicle from $1,175 in 2005 to $1,977 in 2006, the report said. GM is still losing money for every vehicle sold in North America but lowered that loss to $146 in 2006 from $1,271 in 2005, mostly because of cost reductions, including thousands of job cuts, it said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews...20070924?rpc=44 WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The Teamsters union said on Monday it will honor the United Auto Workers strike against General Motors Corp (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research), saying it would not haul vehicles made by the automaker. "Workers should not solely bear the brunt of decades of bad business decisions by GM management," Teamsters President James Hoffa said in a statement. Wow, the Teamsters are joining with the UAW. This doesn't look good.

Lexus sells a diesel powered IS in the UK called the IS220d. I dont think it will sell very well here.

Because you want to sell your new truck without a 7 grand rebate on the hood. Trucks sale is up by most major automaker because of the huge amount of rebate available.

I don't think the bill effects JAPAN as the article only mentions CHINA. I doubt we will see and import taxes levied against TOYOTA or HONDA since most of their high volume cars are actually built in this country.

GM could use its tie with DAEWOO to sell fuel efficient cars in JAPAN. Some of the GM DAEWOO cars look very attractive.

GM is doing the right thing by cutting production rather than piling on the rebates. Toyota, with its huge pile of cash on hand, can afford to play the incentive game for a while but GM can't. Someone correct me if I am wrong; I know someone who works at a Toyota dealer, and he told me that even with higher incentives, the average transaction price of the TUNDRA is higher than any of the domestics.

Why is it difficult to understand that TOYOTA like GM is a global corporation with world wide sales. TOYOTA outsells GM in most of Asia except China ( GM is non existent in Japan). Toyota also outsells GM in Africa, Australia and most of Middle East. Your statement cannot be more untrue. TOYOTA like GM is expanding globally and not just in the US. Toyota sold close to 9 million cars and trucks last year with the US only accounting for about 2.3 million of that number.

That isn't too bad for a midsize SUV. Doesn't the GM trio weigh like over 4000 lbs? I saw an Acadia yesterday at the parking lot. Looks beautiful but the thing is huge. Almost as big as a Tahoe. Wonder if GM is considering an optional V8 ?

Actually the reason TOYOTA is putting the brakes on US manufacturing expansion is because the undervalued yen makes it cheaper to export cars directly from JAPAN plus they don't have to deal with healthcare issues since Japan has government subsidized healthcare. I don't know what you mean by Toyota challenging the big boys since TOYOTA already is the largest automaker in the world and second largest in the US.

Toyota should have offered a stripped V6 and V8 starting around 15 to 16 grand. People don't care about fancy gizmos in a work truck. But Toyota quickly learns from its mistake and I am willing to bet the 08 Tundra will correct many of the shortcomings of the 07 Tundra. As far as HD Tundra goes, I wouldn't rule it out. Toyota wants to compete with the domestics in every segment and they won't until they offer a HD.

I don't think Toyota has anything to do with that commercial. More likely some very loyal Toyota fan taunting GM and their fans and getting a kick out of it. Personally I hate that commercial. I think GM needs a much more aggressive ad that directly compare their products with Toyotas.

This car will flop big time. It might sell well for a first new months or so, but after that sales would drop like a rock. Obviously Chrysler Motors is still living in the 90s when gas price was a buck a gallon.

IMO, the TUNDRA ads are a lot more effective than THIS IS MY COUNTRY bs. That GM ad sounds like desperate pandering to patriotism for the reason to buy GM over TOYOTA. They tried that in the 80s and it didnt work. What makes them think it will work now?

Well it might be a race, but Toyota has the wind on its back at least for the next few years. It is most likely Toyota will grab the number 1 spot by the end of this year and expand their lead by the end of next year. Toyota is increasing their sale by nearly half a million vehicle a year. That growth rate is far higher than GM's growth. In fact, Toyota predicts by end of next year they sell close to 10 million vehicle. I dont see GM growing that rapidly. Personally, I really dont care who is No1 anyway. GM itself can be used as an example that being too big can create problems. Problems that TOYOTA too is facing.

Sad but not entirely unexpected. We have been told over and over again that this day is coming. I mean can you actually count the number of articles written in the last 3 years that Toyota will topple GM ? I wonder if the media has actually helped out Toyota in their quest for the global No.1 title ?

None taken. But I still think the 82 TRANS AM looks hot, even today. Much better than whatever they are going to use in the upcoming movie. It would have been nice if the next KITT is a modified Corvette ZO6. This could be a great advertising opportunity for GM.

Yup. No doubt about it. 150,000 is more realistic than 200,000k. Unless they really up the incentives just to reach the sales goal.

Here too; isn't the Camry CE tailor made for the rental crowd ?

Oh man you stole my post.