Toyota says GM's problems due to lack of popular new models

[Ming]

"If G-M faces further difficulty, I don't think the U-S government will leave it." Okuda's remarks come as Toyota tries to overtake the struggling American rival as the world's top automaker. G-M lost nearly five billion dollars in its North American operations in the first nine months of 2005. It recently announced plans to cut 30-thousand hourly jobs and close a dozen plants by 2008. Okuda says G-M's problems are caused by high oil prices and the lack of popular new models.

Source: http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.a...43199&nav=0Rce



Toyota's Okuda Thinks Uncle Sam May Save GM
Greg Levine
01.10.06

NEW YORK - Divided by a common industry, George Bernard Shaw might have it.

A titan of Japanese industry weighed in on one of the U.S.' most iconic companies--and may have missed the mark

In a marvel of understatement, Okuda was quoted as saying, "I have the feeling that GM is in a difficult situation." The chairman's alleged remark came via a spokeswoman for Nippon Keidanren.

Okuda then proceeded to prognosticate the likely future of Chief Executive G. Richard Wagoner Jr.'s Detroit automaker. "The auto industry is a symbol of the United States, and if GM faces further difficulty, I don't think the U.S. government will leave it," he opined.

Will Uncle Sam step in if GM looks to go the way of, say, American Motors Corp.? Once thriving, AMC stumbled in finance and design. Remember the Pacer and the Gremlin, the last named--incredibly--for the mythical hobgoblin that gutted WWII aircraft? Observers came to define the now-defunct manufacturer's initials as A Major Cost and/or A Moron's Car. Ouch.

But Okuda may be mistaking Japan's communal form of capitalism with its American cousin.

Article Source in Full: http://www.forbes.com/2006/01/10/toy...acescan09.html

[GM-10]

what a ****************ing genious.

no **************** sherlock.

Oops he forgot about the inflated yen.

[member12]

yeah, Toyota has been "helped" buy Japan for a long time. Clinton nor W have done much to help the auto industry.

I am for free trade and smaller government- but not when the other guys are not playing fair. We need to get Japan to play fair or GM and Ford need a government contract to build the next generation hummvee or tank like Chrysler did with the m1 abrams tank.

[NemesiSupra]

Not Toyotas fault Gms own idiot goverment does nothing to help their own.

Get ready for ToyoSan Era.

[Phillip]

Not playing fair? Some of you are eager to point the finger solely at Japan's nationalistic tendencies when many agree that the Big Three could have put a stop to them long ago, but more or less chose not to. Stop blaming economics for the reprecussions of bad management...

[VibenPontiac]

No way...since when was GM in trouble!!!

[cfch3399]

Nonsense. What popular new models does Toyota have? They know that popular new models won't make you #1 but rather regular improvment of existing models without constant name changes and sales gimmickery. Don't focus on what Toyota says but on what they do.

[darndot]

It is true. GM needs cars and truck like the hhr, ssr, camaro, and the new series of truck. What they have been building for the past few years is ugly. Yes, my 04 Silverado is not a good looking truck compared to the 99 or hopefully the 2006.

The now need to turn the eye toward the mini van. I am thinking a 5.3L V8 with the looks of a HHR.

[BigBadBflo]

This country was built on the backs of doers and innovators who worked hard for things. Somehow along the way they have been replaced mostly by whiners and excuse makers, except maybe any immigrents that come in and show us how it was once done.

Why isn't anyone helping me? That test was too hard! Nobody told me that! Where's my job that I'm entitled too? Whaah whaah....

Get a backbone, build some some inspiring vehicles, and kick your competition's a$$. Relish being the underdog and overperforming everyone's expectations, noting that even your compertitors gov't momma couldn't help them.

Maybe back around 1776 everyone should have just sat around patting each other on the back making excuses that England had all the money and paid professional army.

Let's all be martyrs. It takes less effort. I'd vent more, but my labor agreement says I can only press my keyboard XX times a day. I must now read my newspaper until 4:00......

[VibenPontiac]

Originally Posted by BigBadBflo

This country was built on the backs of doers and innovators who worked hard for things. Somehow along the way they have been replaced mostly by whiners and excuse makers, except maybe any immigrents that come in and show us how it was once done.

Why isn't anyone helping me? That test was too hard! Nobody told me that! Where's my job that I'm entitled too? Whaah whaah....

Get a backbone, build some some inspiring vehicles, and kick your competition's a$$. Relish being the underdog and overperforming everyone's expectations, noting that even your compertitors gov't momma couldn't help them.

Couldn't agree more, although GM does need a little more of the green stuff to do the job right.

Originally Posted by BigBadBflo

Maybe back around 1776 everyone should have just sat around patting each other on the back making excuses that England had all the money and paid professional army.

Ironically, most people in the colonies at the time did just that!!

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by cfch3399

Nonsense. What popular new models does Toyota have? They know that popular new models won't make you #1 but rather regular improvment of existing models without constant name changes and sales gimmickery. Don't focus on what Toyota says but on what they do.

Maybe he means "newly redesigned". Toyota's life cycle is quite short. They recently redesigned the Avalon, the Sienna, and the Lexus IS series. They just redesigned the RAV4. The Camry redesign is upcoming shortly (so are two new models, the FJ Cruiser and the Yaris), followed by a Tundra redesign. The whole Scion line is only two years old (with the tC only one year old), and so is the current Prius. I'm sure I left some out. How old is the current Corolla-can't be more than a couple years. If you insist on actual new model names, I've listed five that are no more than two years old (Scion xA, Scion xB, Scion tC, Toyota Yaris, Toyota FJ Cruiser). But, yeah, Toyota keeps a model name once it's a hit and keeps it a hit by refining it often.

[DuSpinnst]

Thank you Captian Obvious...

I bet this guy at Toyota thinks he is a real genius too.

[FordFan]

what a smart litle fellow, how long is this guy? seriously? 2 inches?

[macphisto]

Toyota should be complimented on their rise to the top. I'm not a fan of their cars anymore (once was a big one), but they've always been very intelligent with their marketing and their stress of quality. That said, they've had plenty of help from the Japanese gov't.

The Big Three should have complained years ago, but profits were rolling in for them and the threat wasn't imminent. Chances are that the Feds would have done nothing, especially prior to Glasnost. Japan was a capitalist bulwark against nearby communist China. Following the Truman Doctrine, the US didn't want anything to hurt the Japanese economy and make them move toward a communist gov't. This is why the Japanese were able to undersell American competition here in the electronics industry and put them out of business.

But now help is needed if we are to preserve one of the last big industries here. They need to level the playing field a bit, but GM does still need to put out great products. I think they know that now. I've seen a lot more of their upcoming vehicle portfolio than most and I can tell you it's very, veru impressive. The new Malibu looks like it might be the industry leader in quality and design for midsize sedans (at least at volume).

[Quickening]

Originally Posted by BigBadBflo

This country was built on the backs of doers and innovators who worked hard for things. Somehow along the way they have been replaced mostly by whiners and excuse makers, except maybe any immigrents that come in and show us how it was once done.

Why isn't anyone helping me? That test was too hard! Nobody told me that! Where's my job that I'm entitled too? Whaah whaah....

Get a backbone, build some some inspiring vehicles, and kick your competition's a$$. Relish being the underdog and overperforming everyone's expectations, noting that even your compertitors gov't momma couldn't help them.

Maybe back around 1776 everyone should have just sat around patting each other on the back making excuses that England had all the money and paid professional army.

Let's all be martyrs. It takes less effort. I'd vent more, but my labor agreement says I can only press my keyboard XX times a day. I must now read my newspaper until 4:00......

NIcely said and I agree 100%. O yeh and Mr. Huge Glasses..obviously hasn't been watching the auto show..ENCLAVE ppl!