No Dispute: Toyota displaces GM as world's largest automaker
Quick: Who is the world's largest automaker? General Motors or Toyota? Last year, the two brands were in a statistical dead heat after sales for all of 2007 were tallied, and debates raged as to which one of the two global giants had outsold the other. This year, there's no argument. The winner of the 2008 sales crown was Toyota by over 600,000 units (exact figures are due a bit later). This is quite an accomplishment for the Japanese automaker and reinforces the fact that GM's sales have been in decline for the last couple of decades after crushing all competitors and reigning as the worldwide leader in auto sales for 77 years. Still, the mood is hardly one of jubilation at Toyota as the rise to the top has not been without sacrifice. The automaker has lost both money and market share over the last few months, and the outlook for 2009 isn't shaping up to be much better.
[Source: CNN]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jose 11:04AM (1/21/2009)
Had to do it,
First like micheal phelps!!
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ack154 11:14AM (1/21/2009)
Ya, first douche like Phelps too. That guy annoys me to no end...
So do people who think they need to say "first."
Epyx 11:17AM (1/21/2009)
Phleps is the man...but Jose is a douche.
Justin 5:45PM (1/21/2009)
@ ack154
It is so hard to imagine that it is actually possible for any American to dislike Michael Phelps. Did he offend you in anyways? He is a great American hero who won the Olympic Gold for the USA, a great patriot.
So I'm just gonna profile you right now Ack154.
You are probably a union lover, despite the chaos they created.
You are a bitter person in general, when you see other succeed you feel the need to pull them down.
You are a democrat, much like what I said about being a bitter person.
You are perhaps latino.
ack154 7:15PM (1/21/2009)
Three words for you Justin...
Elle. Oh. Elle.
Srsly. Just ridiculous.
Avinash machado 11:04AM (1/21/2009)
GM anyway has more important things to worry about now than whether or not it is the largest automaker.
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Jeremy B 11:04AM (1/21/2009)
No suprise there.
Toyota is, has always been, and will always be the best. Dont you domestic lovers forget it.
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Justin 11:08AM (1/21/2009)
Pride always comes before the fall.
Toyota will one day be unseated by Hyundai or someone from China.
That is of course assuming the import lovers don't cause the world economy to collapse before then.
Sea Urchin 11:25AM (1/21/2009)
Jeremy, i wouldn't say the best. I think Honda overall makes better cars. But Toyota ofcourse knows what it is doing.
People in here love to talk about 0-60, MPG and all that, but average consumer wants MPG and reliability. Think about it, if something goes wrong with a car you have to pay mechanic $200+ just to look at it. Toyota targets that audience that doesn't want to pay the mechanic.
Mazda FTW! 11:25AM (1/21/2009)
Best in what?
Sea Urchin 11:26AM (1/21/2009)
@ Justin
Look we are not as Patriotic as you are, Mexican build Fusion is as American as guacamole.
Hamud 11:27AM (1/21/2009)
Yeah, like being the bigger means being the best...
In the past years climbing to the top, Toyota saw their quality going down.
BigMcLargeHuge 11:39AM (1/21/2009)
"That is of course assuming the import lovers don't cause the world economy to collapse before then."
Can you explain your logic on how this will go down?
Kitko 11:56AM (1/21/2009)
Justin, don't forget it was GM that has been way too proud ...
Cellien 12:18PM (1/21/2009)
@jeremy:
"Toyota is, has always been, and will always be the best." Take the blinders off and don't be so ignorant.
Toyota quality has declined as they've made their way up to the largest automaker. They're already suffering from over-size syndrome.
Ford ranks higher in reliability, not to mention has a much better future line-up. Don't you forget it.
Justin 1:34PM (1/21/2009)
Here is my Loigc:
You continue to buy "imports" (it has nothing to do with them being made in america, hence the quotes), this causes the "domestics" to lose market share and eventually collapse. The collapse of the "domestics" creates a domino effect that collapses the US economy (or damages it greatly). Now that would be fine and dandy, except the "import" companies rely on the US for sales (take a look at Toyota and Honda or even BMW and Mercedes without the US market sales) and suppliers. The collapse of our economy thus causes them to not be able to sell cars or get parts locally, causing the "import" companies to collapse. Basically the entire things snowballs and blows up on us.
Regardless of "american" content and or factory location. The "domestics" (and suppliers) support a lot of jobs. There are reasons Japan, China, and Germany support local manufacturing and the companies that are manufacturers. Also if you noticed, Toyota, Honda, et al where FOR the "loans" from the US Gov for GM and Chrysler, because they are WELL aware what an unorgnized collapse of them would cause.
And yes, GM was too proud. Toyota is walking in the footsteps of GM just 30 years later. And yes Toyota quality has slipped, and if attitudes don't change over there it will continue to slip. The Japanese are no more perfect than we are.
Toyota is Hitler to GM's Napolean both are stupid enough to think they can invade Russia in the Winter.
rypt 2:29PM (1/21/2009)
Wrong. Toyota quality has slipped in the USDM market, where alot of the cars are now made in US factories.
Toyota quality is still the same in the EU and JDM market where cars are made in EU and Japan.
Shawn 11:05AM (1/21/2009)
I don't think any car buyer actually care who is the bigger company. The point is that people bought Toyota when it was selling less cars but much more reliable and well built. The point is that Toyota finally reached GM's status and production mind set of dumping as many cars as it can build. At the same time Ford is slowly but surely establishing cars and trucks that are safe, reliable, technologically advanced, and stylish. In a few years Toyota will be GM, and ironically probably looking at Ford wondering why they are losing consumers.
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Hamud 11:29AM (1/21/2009)
Well put.
Temple 12:26PM (1/21/2009)
Your argument may make sense if Toyota or GM were making cars like GM was in the 80-90s. But neither are, Toyota has still does well reliability-wise, ranked 4th overall in 2008 overall, which is the top non-luxury brand. Ford has the brightest future among the Big 3, but Toyota isn't dumping cars.
There will probably be a lot more mergers and consolidation in the next few years, the biggest automaker will probably be a newly merged company in the future.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/2008-jd-power-rankings-released/
http://money.cnn.com/2007/08/08/autos/jdpa_dependability/index.htm