"Ed White" <cewhite3@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:13l9kkvg91ug288@corp.supernews.com...
>
> <johngdole@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:210f75f0-c172-4756-886c-81537d0033e6@a35g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>> That's what happens when they don't build vehicles the customers want.
>> And now all three in Detroit are under new management. I like the
>> turnaround in GM so far. Time will tell.
>
> So where does that leave Toyota? For the last ten years they have devoted
> far more dollars in the US to building ever larger trucks and SUVs. The
> Toyota car line is stagnant (except for the Prius).

The Camry was all-new for 2007 and included a hybrid version. The xB is
new. The xD is new. The Yaris was introduced within the last two years.
The Rav was all-new in 2006. The Tundra is new in 2007. The 4Runner was
extensively reworked (don't know if it was a chassis-up changeover) in the
last few years. The Avalon is all-new in the last couple of years. The FJ
Cruiser is recent. The Highlander is all-new this year. The Corolla is
expected to be replaced this year. The Sienna was new in 2004. The Tacoma
is new in the last couple of years.

You have a curious definition of "stagnant."

> Seems to me they have been following exactly the same strategy as Ford.
> The only difference being they have a protected home market, lower cost
> labor, and a lot of positive press for some really ordinary products (as a
> friend of mind explained it - Toyotas are EXTRA ORDINARY). Almost every
> company that sells vehicles in the US has rushed to produce some mix of
> vans, SUVs, Crossovers, and Trucks. Even BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and VW
> are selling SUVs. Apparently the Ford strategy was not so bad.
>
> Ed
>
>> On Dec 3, 3:54 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>>> Ford car production ain't what it used to be
>>>
>>> Automotive News
>>> December 3, 2007 - 12:01 am ET
>>>
>>> Fifty-seven years ago, Ford Motor Co. passed Chrysler Corp. to become
>>> the
>>> No. 2 producer of cars in North America behind General Motors. Ford held
>>> that position from 1950 through 2006, but this year things have changed.
>>> Ford has slipped from second place in car output to fourth place.
>>>
>>> From January through October of this year, Ford built 711,889 cars at
>>> six
>>> plants in North America. That's down from 998,989 cars in seven plants
>>> through the first 10 months of 2006.
>>>
>>> It's been a tough decade for Ford cars. Consider the first 10 months of
>>> 2000. During that stretch, Ford produced about 1.5 million cars in North
>>> America.
>>>
>>> Ford loses its place
>>> North American car production, excluding light trucks. Ford has slipped
>>> two
>>> places since last year.
>>> Jan.-Oct. 07 Jan.-Oct. 06 % change
>>> 1. General Motors-- 1,403,701 1,657,582 -15.3%
>>> 2. Toyota Motor Corp. 835,332 799,996 4.40%
>>> 3. Honda Motor Co. 722,918 705,168 2.50%
>>> 4. Ford Motor Co. 711,889 998,989 -28.7%
>>> 5. Nissan Motor Co. 697,748 578,853 20.50%
>>> 6. Chrysler LLC 659,316 678,582 -2.8%
>>>
>>> The dropoff this year was mainly caused by the demise of the old
>>> Taurus -
>>> representing a decline of 174,124 units in 2007 from 2006. But other
>>> Ford
>>> cars are down, too. Focus production is off 34,697 units; Mustang,
>>> 28,947;
>>> Fusion, 15,923; and the new Taurus/Five Hundred, 11,104.
>>>
>>> Toyota Motor Corp. is the new No. 2 in 2007, and Honda Motor Co. also
>>> passed
>>> Ford. Nissan Motor Co. is close on Ford's heels.
>>>
>>> Nissan has had the biggest gain this year in North American car output,
>>> rising from 578,853 through October 2006 to 697,748 in the first 10
>>> months
>>> of this year - and passing Chrysler LLC in the process. Ramping up Versa
>>> production in Aguascalientes, Mexico, is the main reason.
>>>
>>> Where does Ford rank in total light-vehicle production - if you include
>>> all
>>> those F-150s it builds, as well as other Ford and Lincoln trucks and
>>> SUVs?
>>> Still a solid No. 2 behind GM.
>>
>
>