Toyota tops GM in sales

Wagoner says GM will 'fight hard for every sale'

Toyota is now in the driver's seat when it comes to worldwide sales.

For the first time ever, the Japanese automaker sold more vehicles than GM in the first three months of this year, including several thousand trucks made in Gibson County.

For the first quarter of 2007, Toyota dealers worldwide moved 2.35 million vehicles compared to 2.26 million for General Motors, and dealers point to quality as a major reason why.

General Manager of Kenny Kent Toyota Butch Hancock says, "I think also it's the consumer's thirst for fuel-efficient vehicles, I think that's probably one of the biggest reasons. Especially this late surge with gas prices the way they are."

Hybrid Prius and Camry cars are selling well, as are the newly redesigned Tundras produced at the Toyota plant in Princeton.

Though Jennifer Brigham with Toyota US sales says it's not hung up on numbers, "We're committed to quality and our customers more than, rather than focusing on volume."

It would be a major coup to end 2007 as the world's number one automaker.

But that title is based on the number of vehicles produced, not how many are sold, a title GM has held for 76 years, but Hancock says that reign may end,"I hate to say for sure that that's the case, but I believe Toyota's success is going to continue, and I think you may even see a little bit more of a surge in the near future."

Whether or not Toyota gets that title this year, the trend towards it appears irreversible.

Toyota is flush with billions in cash to reinvest on research. And that means technology that will bring more consumers on to their car lots, even as GM struggles to even turn a profit.

Toyota turned a profit of more than 11 billion dollars last year, while GM lost more than 2 billion.

But GM says its plan to cut jobs and streamline operations could allow it to turn a profit this year.

Source: [url=http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=6423141&nav=3w6o]WFIE-TV[/url]