GM Sales up 22% in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East

[ColinOpseth]

Miramar, FL - General Motors Latin America, Africa & Middle East (GM LAAM) region set an all-time quarterly sales record in Q3 2007, selling over 329,000 vehicles, up 59,000 units over the same period last year. In addition, GM’s quarterly market share in the region increased to 17.5 percent, representing the best Q3 share since 1997.

Looks like GM is rolling everywhere but in its home market. Link follows..

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayS...74&docid=40304

[espo19047]

Originally Posted by ColinOpseth

Looks like GM is rolling everywhere but in its home market. Link follows..

http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayS...74&docid=40304

I thought GM was up 6% in September in the US...Thats good right?

[hrcslam]

This is why I say if Toyota does overtake GM at the end of this year they wont have the title for long. GM is growing rapidly globally. Toyota will be hard pressed to keep up especially with the current quality problems they are having.

[Butz]

If GM controls 17.5% how much Toyota controls?

[Odin]

yeah i'd like to know how much toyota increased in the region doesn't do much good if toyota is increasing sales faster there.

[hrcslam]

Originally Posted by Odin

yeah i'd like to know how much toyota increased in the region doesn't do much good if toyota is increasing sales faster there.

True True

[Butz]

I've found this
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/about_toy...ne/index4.html

seems like GM still trails Toyota in Africa and the Middle East.

[tgagneguam]

As mentioned previously, and assuming the above sales came with a reasonable profit, there's absolutely nothing wrong with GM pursuing a pro-growth/pro-profit strategy. I think this is great news.

[tgagneguam]

Originally Posted by Butz

I've found this
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/about_toy...ne/index4.html

seems like GM still trails Toyota in Africa and the Middle East.

Nice find, Butz. With the exception of Toyota's relatively flat sales at home, that's some pretty impressive growth outside of Japan over the past 5 years.

[Havasavana]

I have never been able to understand why, over the long term, people think GM would be doing better compared to Toyota in developing markets when the reverse is true here in a more mature market. I can understand that GM execs might want to put the best face on things for public consumption, but they had better be dealing with the whole picture themselves. From what I understand, small, fuel-efficient vehicles are more in demand in developing markets than here, and this is just where GM is weaker than Toyota.

[rob2299usa]

Originally Posted by Butz

I've found this
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/about_toy...ne/index4.html

seems like GM still trails Toyota in Africa and the Middle East.

I don't quite get how you can determine that?? There are no Q3 results shown on that site.

[MOGI]

Originally Posted by espo19047

I thought GM was up 6% in September in the US...Thats good right?

It is, especially in a saturated market such as NA.

[MOGI]

Originally Posted by Havasavana

I have never been able to understand why, over the long term, people think GM would be doing better compared to Toyota in developing markets when the reverse is true here in a more mature market. I can understand that GM execs might want to put the best face on things for public consumption, but they had better be dealing with the whole picture themselves. From what I understand, small, fuel-efficient vehicles are more in demand in developing markets than here, and this is just where GM is weaker than Toyota.

Building such a car for the us is challenging b/c of all the safety regs and so forth. You can't just take a car sold in one of these countries and bring it to the us and say OK done. Designing a small car for this market has historically been a costly investment for the return...that's changing though.

[Havasavana]

Originally Posted by MOGI

Building such a car for the us is challenging b/c of all the safety regs and so forth. You can't just take a car sold in one of these countries and bring it to the us and say OK done. Designing a small car for this market has historically been a costly investment for the return...that's changing though.

I can understand your point, but don't Honda and Toyota do this? It's my understanding that Honda sells the Fit all over the place; maybe with some additions/deletions, but the drivetrain is widely used. Am I wrong here?

Edit: I just read that the Honda Fit is being produced in six factories in five countries and sold in approximately 115 countries around the world, with cumulative sales of more than two million units.

[GM lover]

Wherever General Motors is increasing sales it is good. I find it interesting in the Middle East GM's line-up is the same as the U.S.

See GM's middle east line-up
http://www.gmarabia.com/content_data...tml?cntryCd=JO