Interesting read in this week's New Yorker about why Toyota may become the world's biggest car manufacturer this year. The secrets of Toyota's management style are not secret, but, as the article states, hard to follow.
From the article:
Quote: In the current atmosphere of economic tumult, the announcement that Toyota sold a hundred and sixty thousand more cars than General Motors in the first three months of this year might seem like a minor news item. But it may very well signal the end of one of the most remarkable runs in business history. For seventy-seven years, in good times and bad, G.M. has sold more cars annually than any other company in the world. But Toyota has long been the auto industry’s most profitable and innovative firm. And this year it appears likely to become, finally, the industry’s sales leader, too.
USA lost the World leadership a generation ago.
It is just now that some people are seeing it.
Some don't see loose brick till it smacks him in the head.
Pessimist sees dark tunnel, optimist sees a light at the end, realist sees lights of coming train.Engineer sees 3 idiots on the tracks.
GM has lost almost as much as the company is worth in just the last three-consecutive quarters. Close to $4,000,000,000 Billion dollars, and counting......
I'm just glad that a contractor in America can still make a decent living overcharging customers that have too much ability to pay the bid, and not enough brains to realize it. Shows there's still a lot of soaking to do in America.
2002 Rockwood 8272s
1999 suburban 5.7 k1500
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson
Orion wrote: I have been trying to figure out exactly how much this is,
$4,000,000,000 Billion = $4,000,000,000,000,000,000. Wow that's a lot of bucks!
Huh? Don't know where you and Buckwheat's counting comes from, but 9 zeros = a billion.
Once it was reported that GM had lost 3,800,000,000 Billion dollars in just three quarters, who needs accounting......? ROTFLMAO
* This post was
edited 05/09/08 12:26pm by Skid Row Joe *
Thinking about confusion with numbers, there was a report on TV about the blonde that was rescued after a plane crash in South America.
"So Miss Jones, after you crashed in the Amazon rain forest, I understand you were attacked by three Brazilian natives?"
When GM, Ford or Chrysler have a recall, it seems to become front page news. If the appropriate amount of "ink" was given to report recalls on Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and the rest Toyota may have remained as "#2".
Pasted info below is not meant to slam Toyota. I do feel they build a good vehicle. I also believe many others follow suit. Toyota's aren't quite as "perfect" as many think. Below is just a portion of recalls that don't seem to recieve much ink.
Toyota recalls about 90,000 Highlanders over rear seat belts
May 02, 2008 2:40 pm
Toyota Motor Corp. will recall 628,239 minivans
Apr 10, 2008 11:49 am
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 539,500 Corolla and Matrix
Apr 09, 2008 4:25 pm
Toyota to extend warranty on 2004-2006 minivans
Wed Jan 23, 2008 11:11 am
Indiana-made pickups add to Toyota woes
Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:14 pm
Toyota recalling 15,600 Tundra pickups in U.S.
Dec 14, 2007 12:18 pm
Toyota recalls 215,000 cars worldwide
Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:32 pm
Toyota recalls more than 34,000 Lexus vehicles
Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:14 pm
Toyota Tundra hit with two more quality issues
Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:18 am
Toyota 600,000 Sienna doors recall
Oct 25, 2007 2:38 pm
Toyota is recalling 472,000 vehicles - faulty fuel system
Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:41 pm
Toyota recalls 55,000 floor mats
Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:47 pm
Lexus acceleration probe is widened
Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:18 am
Prius Owners Report More Unintended Acceleration Incidents
Fri Aug 17, 2007 8:15 am
Lexus facing lawsuit over ES350 airbags
Tue Aug 07, 2007 4:54 pm
Toyota recalls more than 140,000 Camry sedans over 6-1-07
Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:57 pm
Toyota recalls Tundras to replace the engine!
Thu May 31, 2007 9:18 am
Toyota recalls nearly 20,000 Yaris
Mon May 21, 2007 4:41 pm
2007 Tundra Falls Short in NHTSA Frontal Crash Test Rating
305 Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:49 pm
Toyota settles class-action suit on buildup 3.5 million cars
Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:07 pm
Toyota to recall 533,000 Sequoias, Tundras in U.S.
Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:27 am
Toyota Agrees to Settlement for Consumers 3.5 Million cars
Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:33 pm
Recalling 160 MY 2007 Camry Solara coupes
Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:09 pm
60,700 Highlanders - 159,100 RAV4s Recalled
Fri Dec 15, 2006 4:06 pm
Toyota recalls 54,000 cars because of engine fires
Nov 16, 2006 3:00 pm
Recall on 2005-2006 Scion tC
Fri Oct 27, 2006 11:02 am
Toyota recall involving 157,000 Tundra Access Cab pickups
Oct 09, 2006 2:38 pm
Toyota Motor to recall 20,000 Crown sedans made in China
Mon Aug 28, 2006 1:42
Recalling 1 million vehicles worldwide in July
Aug 08, 2006 9:50 am
So much for Toyota's vaunted reputation for quality.
Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:41 am
Toyota recalling about 420,000 vehicles
Jul 18, 2006 3:02 pm
2006 - Toyota recall hits 1,000,000 vehicles - Danger!
Jun 06, 2006 4:07 pm
Toyota recalls 210,000 Prado SUVs worldwide for axle problem
Tue May 16, 2006 12:18 pm
Toyota/Lexus recalls 57,000 Lexus GS & IS Models
Wed Apr 12, 2006 8:14 am
Toyota/Lexus Recalls: 2007 Camry Models
Apr 12, 2006 7:58 am
Toyota/Lexus Recalls 2006 Lexus GS300,GS300 AWD,GS430 more
Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:54 am
Toyota to Recall 76,000 Vehicles - April 4, 2006
Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:31 am
The least-safe cars of 2006
Dec 11, 2005 12:49 pm
TOYOTA MOTOR CORP.: Recalls double in 2005 to 2.2 million
Dec 03, 2005 1:28 pm
Toyota recalls 246,592 vehicles 11-08-05
Tue Nov 08, 2005 10:33 am
Defective tires to buyers of Toyota's popular Sienna Minivan
Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:20 am
Toyota Scion recalls about 71,000 vehicles from the 2005-06
Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:26 pm
Toyota Recalls Record 1.27M Vehicles 10-08-05
Tue Oct 18, 2005 9:32 am
ngc1514 wrote: Interesting read in this week's New Yorker about why Toyota may become the world's biggest car manufacturer this year. The secrets of Toyota's management style are not secret, but, as the article states, hard to follow.
From the article:
Quote: In the current atmosphere of economic tumult, the announcement that Toyota sold a hundred and sixty thousand more cars than General Motors in the first three months of this year might seem like a minor news item. But it may very well signal the end of one of the most remarkable runs in business history. For seventy-seven years, in good times and bad, G.M. has sold more cars annually than any other company in the world. But Toyota has long been the auto industry’s most profitable and innovative firm. And this year it appears likely to become, finally, the industry’s sales leader, too.
The financial health of any public company can be viewed looking at their stock price. GM's has been in the gutter since just after the start of the Millenium. Look at the return on GMAC bonds, and what that has done to many elderly that bought them, now almost penny bonds.......what a laugh! I believe they've run out of customers, and run out of gas. I certainly won't ever buy one of their products again, new or used. I don't see anything on any horizon that would change any of that.
I must offer a contrarians view on GM. With gas going through the roof, I am excited about their electric hybrid called the Volt. It will run 40 miles on a single charge. When the charge is out, it will run over 600 miles on a single tank of gas using its 3-cylinder engine. 80% of Americans drive less than 40 miles every day. Hence, the Volt may save GM and this country.
Let's hope and pray that the Volt lives up to the high praise I have seen so far.
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