Global Sales: Toyota Still On Top, But Lead Narrowing
Toyota has released their production numbers for the first four months. So has Volkswagen. GM has not, but that doesn’t change the general picture: Toyota is still in the lead in worldwide production, Volkswagen catches up a bit, but sits solidly in the #3 position for the first four months of the year.
Toyota is reporting worldwide production of 2,98m units for the first four months, which is an increase of 62.8 percent over the same period last year.
Volkswagen delivered 2.34m units in the same period, a growth of 20.9 percent.
In the first three months, the GM Group had sold 1.99m units. We don’t assume that the sky dropped on GM worldwide. Even in absence of concrete numbers, we declare GM #2.
Either VW has picked up a little steam (which it needs,) or Toyota has lost a little momentum. In the first three months of 2010, VW was 25 percent behind Toyota, in the first four months, it’s only 21 percent.
It would be interesting to have GM numbers. In Q1, GM trailed only 14 percent behind Toyota. But we can’t quote numbers that aren’t published. And for the record, the Toyota numbers are production figures, whereas VW reports deliveries.
Anyway, 2010 promises to be an interesting race between three giants. The surprising contender is GM, which could kick Volkswagen from the #2 spot which it most likely will have when the 2009 OICA numbers are released.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Can't say the same for poor old Jarno.