Transplants Overtake Detroit, Toyota Closing on GM
More morning after meshugas: May sales stats reresent the first time in history that the transplants' sales have overtaken Detroit. The International Tribune is the bearer of sad tidings. "General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler combined for a record low market share of 44.4 percent, compared with 48.1 percent for 10 Asian brands, according to the Autodata Corporation, the industry statistics firm. Toyota Motor of Japan pulled to within 10,000 vehicles of overtaking GM in United States sales, and Honda posted its highest monthly sales total ever." The Trib also confirms TTAC's Best and Brightest's explanation for the 39.8 percent drop in Priora sales. "The head of Toyota Motor sales, Bob Carter, said the company had been hindered by production constraints and that its most fuel-efficient cars, including the Prius hybrid sedan, were selling as quickly as they could be built. 'Dealer stock for Prius is best measured in hours rather than days,' Carter said." In other words, if ToMoCo had more Priora, they would have sold more retail vehicle than GM in May. Responding to his employer's catastrophic sales collapse, GM marketing maven Mark LeNeve was characteristically upbeat– in a completely downbeat sort of way. "We're somewhere near the bottom," LaNeve said.
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In regards to the prius sales numbers, I stumbled across this on the tulsa craigslist today http://tulsa.craigslist.org/car/704881150.html that's a dealership 4hrs north of here bragging they can get me a prius at msrp with only the options I choose in just 4-12 weeks. Smells like a shortage to me.
"In other words, if ToMoCo had more Priora, they would have sold more retail vehicle than GM in May" ...and if the Queen had...
"in the 20 years after my Dad retired in 1980 they actually made a million dollars through being frugal and investing wisely in stocks and real estate." Which happens to be the usual method by which ordinary people achieve a net worth of a million or more. Despite all our society does to discourage it.