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CarSpace Alternate RouteTurn off the nav system, crumple up that MapQuest printout, and let's find out where the next random turn may take us! Jul 23, 2009 - Yep, That Adds Up
Consider these two headlines: Toyota Motor To Begin Talks With GM On Pull-Out From US Joint Venture Toyota Targets Profitability in North America by Next Fiscal Year Isn't that a remarkable coincidence?
Jan 22, 2009 - Spring Cleaning
Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, will replace most of its top management later this year as incoming President Akio Toyoda aims to return the automaker to profit, people familiar with the matter said. Interesting to see the contrast between how Toyota is dealing with turning things around compared to the Detroit manufacturers. Read the entire article at Bloomberg.com
Jan 5, 2009 - Looking For The Worst
For example, take the story I read this morning about auto sales in Japan with the headline that includes, "Worst December Ever". While it is true that auto sales in Japan are off as they are elsewhere, the headline is only possible when sales of minivehicles, one of the growing segments of auto sales in Japan, are excluded. Fanning the flames of doom and gloom seems to be a way of life for the media, but that's not the way out of the mess. Of course, when the market doesn't react as much as the "experts" expect to this news, and they are 'surprised', it will be be another one of those end-of-bear-market signs. The media is really going to have to work at it to try and keep us all scared to death. Read the entire article at Reuters
Jan 2, 2009 - Here Comes The Sun... Eventually
TOKYO (AP) - Toyota Motor Corp. is secretly developing a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy in an effort to turn around its struggling business with a futuristic ecological car, a top business daily reported Thursday. Never mind that the article goes on to say the idea is years away from the marketplace, or that the inefficiencies of batteries are a major hangup in the practicality of electric vehicles, let's just report it that this is the secret plan that's going to "turn Toyota around". Read the entire article at breitbart.com
Jun 10, 2008 - Fortunate Timing
I stopped in to visit my buddies at Tire Town this morning and they were in the process of replacing the realtively good tires on a 1998 Toyota Tacoma with some very used tires. The reason? There was a recall/buyback from Toyota for the truck. If you want to read more about it in detail, checkout the Toyota Tacoma 2004 and Earlier Frame Problem discussion on the Pickups board right here in CarSpace. This particular 1998 Tacoma 4x4 has 130,000 miles on it and it's showing every inch of it. Toyota is using some formula to figure out what to pay to buy back these trucks, and in this case it turned out to be $12,500. Pretty sweet deal. Get 10 years of use/abuse out of your 4x4 and get $12,500 cashback. Timing in life is everything!
May 6, 2008 - AR IndexHighlander Recall A long strike at GM's Fairfax plant could hurt sales of Chevy Malibu Ford workers quick to OK deal We'll have to wait a few more weeks before I declare it a trend, but it sure seems like the automotive sector might be outperforming the market in general at this time. AR Index 1065.32 +22.70 (2.13%) Stocks of individual interest Dow 12969.54 +98.29 (0.76%)
Apr 29, 2008 - Big Three Report
'Toyota way' inspires lean practices General Motors May Post Loss as Kerkorian Signals Ford Support Despite quarterly profit, Ford not cruising yet The AR Index easily outperformed the Dow this past week. While the situation in the automotive sector may be less than ideal, there's far less uncertainty there than the rest of the market. The market hates uncertainty and the path to profitability for the automakers has become clearer over the last year as the new labor contracts help reduce their costs.
AR Index 1065.32 +26.79 (2.58%) Stocks of individual interest Dow 12871.25 +46.23 (0.36%)
Apr 24, 2008 - Oh What A Feeling
There's a new No. 1 in the auto industry. Toyota took the global automotive sales lead from General Motors in the first quarter of 2008. GM says its first-quarter sales dropped across the globe by less than 1 percent, while Toyota (NYSE: TM) sales were up 2.7 percent during the same period. Toyota sold 2.41 million vehicles and GM sold 2.25 million in the first three months of the year. GM posted record sales in three of its four regions, but a 10 percent drop in North America pulled down its overall numbers. Sales were up 8 percent outside North America, the Detroit automaker said. For its fiscal year ended in March, Toyota's global output rose 6.4 percent from the prior year, to 9.66 million vehicles. From the Business Courier
Dec 25, 2007 - Need a Plan
General George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas day in 1776 with 5,400 troops, hoping to surprise a Hessian force at their winter quarters in Trenton, New Jersey. A bold move, a surprise move, though not strategically very important as Washington was forced to give up the town because most of his force had failed to make it across the river in time. News of the raid did rally the troops and raised the spirits of the Colonists who had begun to fear that victory wasn't possible. In the ongoing struggle between domestic and import manufacturers, the Big Three are in a position where they need to make similar bold statements if they are going to regain the status they once held. Toyota, now the number one selling automaker in the world, has announced it plans to sell 9.85 million vehicles worldwide in 2008, setting itself an ambitious target despite worries about a slowing U.S. car market as it tries to become the world's top automaker. Doesn't look like Toyota is planning on sitting on their laurels anytime soon. Can the domestics respond?
Nov 29, 2007 - Rising Sun
Nissan's exports were up 17.5% and their exports to Morth America rose for the third straight month and were up34% on the year. Honda had it's fourth striaght month of export growth, up 10'6%. Toyota exports rose for the first time in two months and were up 19%. Seems that there must be interest in high quality, smaller, more economical cars out there. Perhaps the Big Three will pay attention this time around. Oh that's right. They figured out we want a hybrid Escalade.
Learn from history Read more at MarketWatch.com
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