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Toyota: We dont want to be #1

M

MikeMike

Lifer
Toyota: We don't want to be No. 1
Chief of Japanese auto manufacturer's US division calls struggling General Motors 'a global icon.'

DETROIT (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp. has no interest in surpassing General Motors Corp. as the world's largest auto manufacturer, the president of its U.S. division said late Monday.

Several analysts have said the Japanese auto manufacturer will likely overtake GM this year or next.

"Not so fast," Jim Press, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA, said at the Automotive News World Congress in Dearborn, Mich. "We have no interest in GM declining, or in becoming number one," Press said. "GM is a global icon, it supports the economy and represents the strength of the industry. We have great confidence they will emerge in a much stronger position."

GM (Research) has been struggling with high labor and commodities costs, loss of U.S. market share to foreign rivals, and sluggish sales of sport-utility vehicles -- its longtime profit generator. The auto giant lost nearly $4 billion in the first three quarters of 2005.

As part of broader restructuring efforts, GM plans to close 12 facilities in North America and slash 30,000 jobs through 2008.

In contrast, Toyota is expanding in the United States, and analysts expect a new engine plant in North America soon. "If we were going to build an engine plant, Michigan would be very close to the top of the list," Press said, referring to the ideal location.

Analysts have said a switch at the top could come just three years after the producer of the Camry unseated Ford Motor Co. (Research) as the second-largest car manufacturer in 2003 as it raced to add capacity around the world to meet demand.

But Press said, "I don't think it's a given. I don't think that if you look at trends that it's fair to say what the outcome will be."

Toyota last month said it would increase output 10 percent in 2006 to a record 9.06 million vehicles. GM does not provide sales or production forecasts on an annual basis but has said its 2006 global vehicle sales would hit a new record, exceeding last year's 9.2 million units.

Toyota, a leader in hybrid technology, is targeting worldwide hybrid sales of 1 million units a year by about 2010. Press said he expects sales of Toyota's hybrid vehicles to grow about 50 percent this year and slow down slightly in subsequent years.
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http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/17/news/companies/toyota.reut/index.htm
 
Hmmmm...maybe they are saying it b/c they only want to persue #1. Once you are #1, you can only go decline to number 2.......
 
"We have no interest in GM declining, or in becoming number one," Press said. "GM is a global icon, it supports the economy and represents the strength of the industry. We have great confidence they will emerge in a much stronger position."
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At least someone has some sense, unlike all the kids here who rejoice at any bad news about GM.
 
Toyota's philosophy is to encourage better manufacturing processes, not to increase profits or become the world leader. They invite other manufacturers to train in the Toyota philosophy and freely try to help their competition become better.

I, for one, am not surprised by this information.
 
Originally posted by: mugs
"We have no interest in GM declining, or in becoming number one," Press said. "GM is a global icon, it supports the economy and represents the strength of the industry. We have great confidence they will emerge in a much stronger position."
Click to expand...

At least someone has some sense, unlike all the kids here who rejoice at any bad news about GM.
Click to expand...


Does anyone really CARE about GM's cars? No.
 
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
Toyota's philosophy is to encourage better manufacturing processes, not to increase profits or become the world leader. They invite other manufacturers to train in the Toyota philosophy and freely try to help their competition become better.

I, for one, am not surprised by this information.
Click to expand...

That's a commendable philosphy, especially when compared to the typical American companies' "Profit at any cost!!" philosophy.
 
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
Toyota's philosophy is to encourage better manufacturing processes, not to increase profits or become the world leader. They invite other manufacturers to train in the Toyota philosophy and freely try to help their competition become better.

I, for one, am not surprised by this information.
Click to expand...

yes, my father worked for a business that was offered such a tour of their assembly lines and what not... of course the other execs didn't think they needed the help of the 'japs'.... hooray american business
 
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
Toyota's philosophy is to encourage better manufacturing processes, not to increase profits or become the world leader. They invite other manufacturers to train in the Toyota philosophy and freely try to help their competition become better.

I, for one, am not surprised by this information.
Click to expand...


Having worked for the world's largest airplane maker, I agree 100%. Manufacturing engineers were constantly touring Toyota plants and getting ideas, and Toyota workers even came to the aircraft plant to get ideas for their automobile factories. Toyota is beyond making cars. They have revolutionized the entire industrial world by their incredible efficiency in manufacturing and passing it on to others.

It's almost like Toyota is a company that researches manufacturing processes and making cars is just something they use to test this... okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.
 
Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
Toyota's philosophy is to encourage better manufacturing processes, not to increase profits or become the world leader. They invite other manufacturers to train in the Toyota philosophy and freely try to help their competition become better.

I, for one, am not surprised by this information.
Click to expand...


Having worked for the world's largest airplane maker, I agree 100%. Manufacturing engineers were constantly touring Toyota plants and getting ideas, and Toyota workers even came to the aircraft plant to get ideas for their automobile factories. Toyota is beyond making cars. They have revolutionized the entire industrial world by their incredible efficiency in manufacturing and passing it on to others.

It's almost like Toyota is a company that researches manufacturing processes and making cars is just something they use to test this... okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.
Click to expand...

You worked for Airbus?
 
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
Toyota's philosophy is to encourage better manufacturing processes, not to increase profits or become the world leader. They invite other manufacturers to train in the Toyota philosophy and freely try to help their competition become better.

I, for one, am not surprised by this information.
Click to expand...


Having worked for the world's largest airplane maker, I agree 100%. Manufacturing engineers were constantly touring Toyota plants and getting ideas, and Toyota workers even came to the aircraft plant to get ideas for their automobile factories. Toyota is beyond making cars. They have revolutionized the entire industrial world by their incredible efficiency in manufacturing and passing it on to others.

It's almost like Toyota is a company that researches manufacturing processes and making cars is just something they use to test this... okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.
Click to expand...

You worked for Airbus?
Click to expand...

I said world's largest airplane maker, not the world's largest commercial airplane maker.
 
Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
Toyota's philosophy is to encourage better manufacturing processes, not to increase profits or become the world leader. They invite other manufacturers to train in the Toyota philosophy and freely try to help their competition become better.

I, for one, am not surprised by this information.
Click to expand...


Having worked for the world's largest airplane maker, I agree 100%. Manufacturing engineers were constantly touring Toyota plants and getting ideas, and Toyota workers even came to the aircraft plant to get ideas for their automobile factories. Toyota is beyond making cars. They have revolutionized the entire industrial world by their incredible efficiency in manufacturing and passing it on to others.

It's almost like Toyota is a company that researches manufacturing processes and making cars is just something they use to test this... okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.
Click to expand...

You worked for Airbus?
Click to expand...

I said world's largest airplane maker, not the world's largest commercial airplane maker.
Click to expand...

I vote for Lockheed Martin
 
They don't want to "awaken a sleeping giant." 😛

If they could shed the fvckin' union, and start building real cars again, maybe they could make another go of it!

They still have the second best selling vehicle in the country, which shows they're far from dead. That cheap, time proven platform could kick start a new beginning. Let Japan have the econobox market, who cares? 😕
 
Originally posted by: SearchMaster
Toyota's philosophy is to encourage better manufacturing processes, not to increase profits or become the world leader. They invite other manufacturers to train in the Toyota philosophy and freely try to help their competition become better.

I, for one, am not surprised by this information.
Click to expand...

yep, as long as the reason they don't want to be number 1 is because they want quality over profits, etc, then i say more power to them.
 
Originally posted by: Ornery
They don't want to "awaken a sleeping giant." 😛

If they could shed the fvckin' union, and start building real cars again, maybe they could make another go of it!

They still have the second best selling vehicle in the country, which shows they're far from dead. That cheap, time proven platform could kick start a new beginning. Let Japan have the econobox market, who cares? 😕
Click to expand...

No offense, but that's a terrible idea...that kind of thinking is why Toyota beat Ford and is nipping at GM's heels. People LIKE the "econobox" cars Toyota and other Japanese makers produce, those real cars you talk about would be a terrible thing to start building again, it's not what people want. Remember, that's why Japanese makers were able to break into the industry in the first place. GM and Ford made "real cars", and the Japanese made cars people wanted to buy.

Obviously people still like what GM makes, but going off and making boat cars and trucks is not a great approach.
 
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