Japanese Press: Suzuki-VW Beats Toyota"
The Japanese press is making a big to-do out of the combined 2009 sales of Volkswagen and Suzuki. Or rather out of the fact that the two together sold more than Toyota. „Suzuki-VW Beats Toyota In Global Sales In ’09” headlines The Nikkei, as if the two would be one company.
That the two of them could easily crush Toyota is no news to TTAC readers. When we announced the VW-Suzuki nuptials on Dec 9, 2009, we said: “Suzuki has an output of 2.36 million units a year; added to VW’s sales, Toyota would be toast.”
The Nikkei did the adding, and writes:
“Suzuki, a major minivehicle maker that formed a capital and business alliance with the German firm late last year, generated sales of about 2.3m units. With the German partner’s 6.29m combined, their sales totaled roughly 8.6m vehicles, exceeding the Toyota group’s some 7.81m units (down 13 percent on year).”
If GM is allowed to count the Chinese Wuling sales as theirs, despite having only a 34 percent minority interest in the joint venture, then a case could be made that Volkswagen’s and Suzuki’s sales could also be added together.
We just didn’t think someone would. At least not for 2009, for crying out loud. The deal was announced in December 2009, and the marriage wasn’t formally consummated before January 15th, 2010.
But Japanese media, from the Kyodo News to the Asahi Shimbun , trumpet that the two trounced Toyota. Sounds like ToMoCo has fallen from grace in Japan, while an upstart motor cycle manufacturer and a German gaijin are being feted. A bit prematurely, we’d say, but tell that to the Nipponese media. Tough to be Toyota these days.
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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Since TMC owns stakes in Subaru and Isuzu, shouldn't those 2 companies' sales numbers be added to Toyota's tally?...
"...and the marriage wasn’t formally consumed...". I think you meant "consummated". (Unless VW is gobbling up Suzuki?)
I would very much support including only a proportional percentage of sales for minority holdings. And in the same vein, Hyundai's reporting should then only include 40% of Kia's sales in its own as it does not own a majority.
As a fan of Hank Hill, I most protest. Hank would never fudge figures like that. Hank, the most decent man on television, believes in a square deal. I'm just surprised that Hank never converted his Ford pickups to run on propane.