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Who's Number 1? Who Cares?


silvrsvt

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Toyota is well aware of this. The company doesn’t want the attention and scrutiny that comes with being No. 1. Its executives often try to show deference to Detroit and humbly make a case that they’re not a juggernaut. In fact, in December, Toyota backed off on incentives for its Tundra pickup truck, missing its goal of selling 200,000 in the U.S. by more than 3,000 vehicles. The reason: “All those suggested Toyota is a juggernaut, so we needed a little loss,” Toyota Motor Sales CEO Yukitoshi Funo told Bloomberg News last week. In other words, the company sand bagged.

 

Um either they are really smug or the reporter is a fucking moron

 

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat...gn_id=rss_daily

Edited by silvrsvt
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Once upon a time I thought No. 1 was the spot to be in, but in all honesty that crown does come at a cost. Granted every company is pressed to make vehicles at a cost, Toyota's overall quality has taken MORE than just a ding.

 

To put it into perspective, look at Honda: yes Acura is in a huge sales slump, but the company as a whole continues to build vehicles that are higher quality but yet sip fuel. Diesels are on the horizon and honestly how can someone frown at having 2 choices of a 4 cylinder in a mainstream family car.

 

You have Toyota on the other hand that has convoluted the Camry brand name, allowing of all companies 'lowly' Ford out do them where they have typically shone. Attempting to out do GM from a full-size SUV perspective, price a full-size pickup higher than established leaders (regardless as to how much power it has). Yet, on the other hand you end up with a Corolla that doesn't up the ante yet motors on with old tech (suspension, mainstream transmission choices).

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I would love it if Ford could stay off the radar screen for quite awhile and was left alone to build great vehicles that consumers want to buy. Slowly inrcrease market share, but only if it means PROFIT. Selling cars at a loss makes no sense.

 

Let Toyota have the target on its back and let it chase sales numbers by offering big rebates like they are doing with Tundra. And who is number one is meaningless for GM especially. I would think that GM would rather sell 5 million vehicles/year and make $20 billion in profit rather than sell almost 10 million at little or no profit.

 

Little Honda makes billons and they may sell only 3 million vehicles/year or so. Subaru sells only about 180,000 vehicles/year in America and probably makes more profit than GM or Ford.

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In fact, in December, Toyota backed off on incentives for its Tundra pickup truck, missing its goal of selling 200,000 in the U.S. by more than 3,000 vehicles. The reason: “All those suggested Toyota is a juggernaut, so we needed a little loss,” Toyota Motor Sales CEO Yukitoshi Funo told Bloomberg News last week. In other words, the company sand bagged.

 

I think I know this reporter.

 

Last year I sold him an ocean view condo in Oklahoma, and I offered him a 2 for 1 deal on the Brooklyn & Williamsburg Bridges.

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Um either they are really smug or the reporter is a fucking moron

 

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat...gn_id=rss_daily

 

It's neither. They're crazy like a fox is more like it. Toyota understands Americans, perhaps better than American companies understand Americans. Americans love the underdog. We hate the big guy. The man. The evil CEO, on and on. If you're number 1, you just automatcially get the boo's and hisses. Whats really sick about our culture is that everyone wants to be # 1 but at the same time everyone wants to hate # 1.

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It's neither. They're crazy like a fox is more like it. Toyota understands Americans, perhaps better than American companies understand Americans. Americans love the underdog. We hate the big guy. The man. The evil CEO, on and on. If you're number 1, you just automatcially get the boo's and hisses. Whats really sick about our culture is that everyone wants to be # 1 but at the same time everyone wants to hate # 1.

 

Even Lutz said it may be a good idea to let Toyota be #1 for a while.

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You're daft!!!! It was funny but we've had better this week to be sure. LOL

Sorry. The POTW has to be a one-liner that can almost be taken out of context, like, for instance, one of the funniest lines I've ever read on this (or any other) board:

 

"I can't believe I just clicked on a Lyndon LaRouche website and I wasn't even wearing my tinfoil hat."

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Um either they are really smug or the reporter is a fucking moron

 

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/autobeat...gn_id=rss_daily

 

You are right who cares give me a Ford any day of the week l love Fords, you have gotta ask are Toyota happy making all that money, nobody realy cares much what happens to Toyota?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC7vmC8AR6w...feature=related

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Everybody keeps complaining about Ford's market share, but building cars and giving them away just to say they were 'number 1' is one of the main reasons for all the problems the company has now. It doesn't mean shit. Toyota already feeling the pain of a boring line of vehicles and a large rise in problems trying to spit out cars as fast as they can.

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