[doh]

Toyota takes world sales lead from General Motors
DETROIT - Toyota Motor Corp. has taken the first-quarter global automotive sales lead from General Motors Corp., selling 2.41 million vehicles to GM's 2.25 million over the first three months of the year.
GM said Wednesday its first-quarter sales dropped across the globe by less than 1 percent, but Toyota said its sales were up 2.7 percent during the January-through-March period.
GM barely won the global sales race with Japan-based Toyota last year. Toyota overtook General Motors as the world's top automaker in global vehicle production last year.
A record 64 percent of GM's sales came from outside the United States.
Strong demand in Europe supported Toyota's worldwide sales.

article continues here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080423/...m_global_sales

 

[lam]

Toyota did the same thing last year in the same quarter.

 

[plane]

Ahhhhhhgggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhgggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!
Runs wailing from room to room.

You can pry that GM steering wheel out of my cold dead hands.

 

[lam]

GM Q1 2008 sales.
GM sales in Latin America, Africa, Middle East rose by 19.6 percent.
GM Asia-Pacific was up 5.8 percent
GM Europe sales increased 3.3 percent
GM North America was down 10 percent.

 

[spaz]

i'd guess the market share losses in NA are from dropping fleet queens such as the 200000+ unit per year grand prix for much more desirable but lower volume the 30000 unit per year G8. same with saturn ion vs astra

 

[lam]

GM Q1 2008 sales.
GM sales in Latin America, Africa, Middle East rose by 19.6 percent.
GM Asia-Pacific was up 5.8 percent
GM Europe sales increased 3.3 percent
GM North America was down 10 percent.

 

[goblue]

We all knew this was coming, and in many ways it has reinvigorated GM. I look forward to the day that GM takes that title back - but only if they do it profitably with class leading vehicles.

 

[lam]

We all knew this was coming, and in many ways it has reinvigorated GM. I look forward to the day that GM takes that title back - but only if they do it profitably with class leading vehicles.

Toyota did the same thing last year in the same quarter.

 

[psece]

Fine with me. Being number one means jack if you aren't profitable. GM needs to concentrate on selling cars people want at a profit. Once that happens, #1 can/will come back. Look at how GM is operating everywhere else. I just hope it doesn't take manufacturing cars somewhere else to do it....

 

[DarkKnight67]

Toyota is as good as anyone else at the PR games - let's make up the numbers so we look favorable, but we're also announcing that we might expect a 20% revenue decline by year's end.

 

[Hurricane]

A record 64 percent of GM's sales came from outside the United States.

64 percent!!!!!

 

[Ambalanche]

GOOD!!
Now the media can start looking at Toyota's bland, boring appliances as they start to loose market share to GM's new and beautiful,quality cars and trucks.

Also, when Japan opens it's market fully to any automaker without tarriffs and such, and GM looses the sales race by a significant amount, THEN I will conceed that GM is #2!

 

[joemac]

Will be interesting the financial impact of the weakening Dollar to the Yen, and the overall bad and worsening US vehicle market hurts Toyota this year. North America happens to be Toyota's number one market for revenue.

 

[VCDJ]

Fuel economy and quality sell. It will sell any car even if its as boring as corrola. GM needs to learn from this. Few people want big thirsty cars and Suvs.

 

[SSJ]

Really, Im ok with it. GM is building better cars than it has in many years, Internationally, sales are doing good, it is just here in North America that GM is loosing ground. Toyota is starting to show some cracks in its armour and GM is in a good position to take advantage.

 

[N8s07ss]

GM barely won the global sales race with Japan-based Toyota last year. Toyota overtook General Motors as the world's top automaker in global vehicle production last year.

Is anyone else confused by these contradictory statements? Can someone clarify what they are saying.

 

[civilzues]

Let em be number one. Is it really that big of a deal as long as GM produces great products?

 

[doh]

Is anyone else confused by these contradictory statements? Can someone clarify what they are saying.

Production does not mean Sales.

 

[Sal Collaziano]

When Japan opens it's market fully to any automaker without tarriffs and such, and GM looses the sales race by a significant amount, THEN I will conceed that GM is #2!

Good point...

 

[SuperSS27]

Is anyone else confused by these contradictory statements? Can someone clarify what they are saying.

Toyota PRODUCED more cars than GM, but GM SOLD more cars than Toyota.