Detroit - Saturn is hoping that, when consumers are considering the purchase of a new Toyota Camry or Honda Accord, they take a test drive - at a Saturn retailer.
Well, folks. What many have predicted for quite some time looks like it’s finally happened. For the first quarter of 2007, Toyota has surpassed General Motors in global auto sales.
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (April 17, 2007) –As a long-time partner in the automotive specialty-equipment industry, Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. is deepening its support for the market by participating as the Vehicle Manufacturer of the 2007 SEMA Show. This will mark the first time the automaker will serve as the Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show.
March 1, 2007 - Torrance CA. - Spurred by record hybrid sales, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported best-ever February sales of 187,330 vehicles, an increase of 12.2 percent over February 2006.
February 20, 2007 - Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the 2007 Camry Hybrid 50th Anniversary Edition. The limited edition Camry Hybrid celebrates Toyota’s 50 years of business in the United States.
In the U.S., automotive enthusiasts are so used to the “domestics versus imports” argument that we rarely consider imports are eyeing each other to see who’s next into the compactor.
Whenever Toyota makes a move, the world takes notice. Japan’s #1 automaker (which looks poised to be the world’s largest) has been a leader on hybrid development, but has been a little behind the curve when it comes to diesel development. It especially lost face when archrival Honda boasted it would have clean diesel models on sale in the U.S. within 3 years. Toyota’s only response at the time was, “We’re working on it.”
Leave it to the proverbial new guy to come in and make bold pronouncements and claim “things are going to be different this time.” Such was the case when Volkswagen’s new CEO and DCX alum Wolfgang Bernhard, took the helm. With VW dogged by chronic poor quality, Bernhard made the comment that he wanted to match Toyota for vehicle quality.
Healthcare costs continue to rise here in the U.S. I can sympathize why the United Auto Workers and other unions in Detroit are fighting tooth and nail to maintain their phenomenal health coverage. Foreign automakers with plants on U.S. soil (called “transplants”) have made sure to match such benefits to keep their workers happy and, more importantly, prevent any unions from forming.
So what would happen to those benefits if unions didn’t exist anymore?
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