Its Not Just GM: July Sales Fall 7.3% At Toyota; Tundra Sells 23K - New Record

[Perian]

Link: www.wsj.com

Toyota Motor Corp. said its U.S. light-vehicle sales fell 7.3% in July amid the downturn in the housing industry, but managed to gain ground on Ford Motor Co. in the battle for the title of No. 2 U.S. auto maker.

Toyota said it sold 224,058 vehicles in July, compared with 241,826 a year ago, edging back ahead of Ford in monthly sales. Ford, which has been slashing fleet sales, said it sold 194,313 cars and light trucks in July, compared with 240,291 a year earlier.

Toyota slipped behind Ford in sales in June, after topping it in May and in January. Nevertheless, Toyota is expected to unseat Ford as the No. 2 U.S. auto maker sometime this year. July 2006 was the first time that Toyota beat Ford.

Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. Executive Vice President Jim Lentz said: "The industry stumbled this month, on continued housing weakness. Though Toyota didn't match last July's record-setting sales, heightened demand for hybrids and crossovers is reassuring."

[Perian]

Originally Posted by Perian

Toyota Motor Corp. said its U.S. light-vehicle sales fell 7.3% in July amid the downturn in the housing industry, but managed to gain ground on Ford Motor Co. in the battle for the title of No. 2 U.S. auto maker.

Thank God the PR people (GM, Ford and now Toyota) have the housing industry to blame all of their problems on!

I wonder if the reference to the housing industry indicates that the new Tundra had a bad month?

[hotrod747]

It is my understanding that sales are down at Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Honda, too.

[jkennedy293]

Originally Posted by hotrod747

It is my understanding that sales are down at Mercedes, too.

I think everyone is going to be down for July.

[CRBoyd91]

Of course Toyota blames not having record sales on the Housing Market. They sound like a bunch of ****heads.

[Perian]

Originally Posted by Perian

I wonder if the reference to the housing industry indicates that the new Tundra had a bad month?

Oh well, wishful thinking on my part:

Source: Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Division light truck sales were up 4.2 percent, with a best-ever July total of 84,764 units. Light truck sales were led by the all-new Tundra full-size pickup with all-time best-ever sales of 23,150, an increase of 134.5 percent over the year-ago month.

[Mcmflow]

Originally Posted by Perian

Oh well, wishful thinking on my part:

Source: Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Division light truck sales were up 4.2 percent, with a best-ever July total of 84,764 units. Light truck sales were led by the all-new Tundra full-size pickup with all-time best-ever sales of 23,150, an increase of 134.5 percent over the year-ago month.

This right here tells the story. GM has no chace of catching up. If Toyota is able to sell 23,000 tundras, that is where the Silverado sells are going to.

That's a total embarassment for GM. I guess people really were just waiting for Toyota to come out with a real truck.

Are you feeling the slap in the face GM???

[PrenupTB]

Originally Posted by Mcmflow

This right here tells the story. GM has no chace of catching up. If Toyota is able to sell 23,000 tundras, that is where the Silverado sells are going to.

That's a total embarassment for GM. I guess people really were just waiting for Toyota to come out with a real truck.

Are you feeling the slap in the face GM???

They're not. They think it's just a phase and they can play Mellencamp songs with rednecks. They are clueless.

[MOOSTOPHA]

i think you'll see the silverado rebound. we were still holding our own with literally no incentives. now that we have 0% for 60 months i think we'll see the silverado rise to the top!!!!

[geozinger]

Originally Posted by Perian

Oh well, wishful thinking on my part:

Source: Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Division light truck sales were up 4.2 percent, with a best-ever July total of 84,764 units. Light truck sales were led by the all-new Tundra full-size pickup with all-time best-ever sales of 23,150, an increase of 134.5 percent over the year-ago month.

Those kinds of figures are only relevant if you know what happened the year before. The previous Tundra didn't sell anywhere near what the new one does. Whether that's because of the total re-design or the money on the hood is another matter to be debated.

However, I think we're just realizing the tip of the iceberg of the whole housing/refinancing/shaky mortgage problem. I fear we have not reached the bottom, there's more room to fall down. And that this situation will affect many more of us, whether or not we purchase pickup trucks or cars.

[TahoeMikeZ71]

Originally Posted by PrenupTB

They're not. They think it's just a phase and they can play Mellencamp songs with rednecks. They are clueless.

I think you're clueless son.

[guitarlix]

GM needs 6-spds in all their trucks NOW. This is important to stem any future losses to Toyota.

I don't know how many of you have driven a 5.7L Tundra but if you step on the gas, it goes like hell and I think that leaves a strong impression of power in the minds of truck buyers.

[Butz]

How would of thought, the car market is slowing down.

[blawrence73]

GM & Ford have a blind eye to the future. IF they would take he millions they waste on giving people that don't do there jobs huge bonuses and focus on the market that the Japanese auto makers are taking from them they might get back in the ball game.

[megeebee]

Originally Posted by Mcmflow

This right here tells the story. GM has no chace of catching up. If Toyota is able to sell 23,000 tundras, that is where the Silverado sells are going to.

Not so fast. Geozinger is right. Remember last year Toyota was selling the last generation Tundra. And if 23,000 represents a 134% increase, imagine what a sales dog the last one was. When new models come out, and are given hundreds of millions of dollars worth of advertising and marketing, not to mention the VERY large incentives now being offered by Toyota, it would be difficult to NOT move the metal.

This is compared to GM full size pick up sales, Chev and GMC combined of 67,053 for July.