Japanese automakers global output rise

[andy82471]

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060424/japan_auto_...ction.html?.v=1

TOKYO (AP) -- Global production at four major Japanese automakers rose in March, but the country's second largest, Nissan Motor Co., reported a decline, the automakers said Monday.

Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's top automaker and the world's second biggest auto company after General Motors Corp., churned out 779,381 vehicles in March globally, up 12.5 percent from the same month of last year

Its overseas output rose 19.7 percent to 366,391 vehicles, the 51st consecutive monthly gain thanks to increased production in almost all regions, Toyota said.

Toyota's domestic production jumped 6.8 percent to 412,990 units, the 7th straight month of increase last month, and a record high for the month.

At Nissan Motor Co., worldwide production slipped 1.7 percent to 342,165 vehicles in March, with production in Japan falling 12.2 percent to 136,413 vehicles. Its overseas output rose 6.7 percent to 205,752 units.

In the United States, the Tokyo-based Nissan's production fell 13.6 percent to 76,080 vehicles because of declined output of Xterra SUVs and Titan pickup truck models, but production posted an 8.5 percent increase in Britain and a 20.5 percent in Spain.

Honda Motor Co. reported a 5 percent increase in global production to 336,884 vehicles, as an 11 percent rise in worldwide output offset a 4.1 percent decline in domestic production.

Boosted by production increases in North America and the rest of Asia, Honda's output abroad totaled 214,466 vehicles, while production in Japan came to 122,418 units last month, the Tokyo-based Honda said.

At Mazda Motor Corp., overseas production surged 49.1 percent to 31,592 vehicles in March, while domestic output posted a 7.1 percent increase to 87,998 vehicles.

The Hiroshima-based Mazda Motor, which is 33 percent owned by U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co., said the company's production in and outside Japan rose amid steady demand for Premacy/Mazda5 and Roadster MX-5 new models as well as the Atenza/Mazda6 models.

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. reported its global production rose 2.1 percent to 133,366 vehicles, with a 33.6 percent increase in domestic production offsetting a 25.2 percent decrease in overseas output.

[andy82471]

Toyota Motor Corp., Japan's top automaker and the world's second biggest auto company after General Motors Corp., churned out 779,381 vehicles in March globally, up 12.5 percent from the same month of last year

Wow look at TM's March production number!!!! That comes to more than 9.3 million vehicles annually. Does anyone know GM's March production number ? This race is becoming very interesting. It looks like GM could very well fall to No.2 by the end of this year

Edited April 24, 2006 by andy82471

[AmericanMuscle]

It makes me sick to think of Toyota as number one. Did anyone hear the joke a spokesperson at Toyota made about this? He goes "maybe we should lower our prices to level the playing field." Know what I think of him??

[Domesticated]

Doesn't matter what this load of crap says. This year is the year of the comeback. Toyota and the rest of these commie bastards should be wiped off the map once the new 900's and Saturns arrive.

Hopefully, the import humping public will move out of this country as well since they don't belong here.

[Sixty8panther]

A story, parable if you will:

In all the decades that Lincoln has been playing 2nd fiddle to Cadillac they

have not even cmoe close to beating them in sales... except for ONE year.

1997. Why? Because Caddy decided that perhaps they didn't need an SUV

after all & the new Navigator was the bell of the ball. At one point every

single one of the players on the Boston Celtics had a Navigator. It was the

newest yuppie must have and it single handedly pushed Lincoln ahead of

Caddy. Now that we have the more refined, better looking and higher

quality Escalade the balance of power has been restored.

---

True GM competitors to cars like the 300C, Charger, Magnum, Crown Vic,

Mustang, Honda Element (minus the uglyness) Scions & even the WRX

will bring attention and positive reviews to GM and then it will help sell

even the bread & butter core products. In any case we're already on

the road to recovery. The Cobalt, HHR, STS/CTS & every single one of

the trucks from small to huge is a winning product. GM will recover and

it will sell Pontiacs & Buicks for many years to come. If they don't it will

not be for lack of trying.

I criticise but it's out of love, not hate like a couple of the trolls on here.

GM has to keep their eyes on the prize. The Kappa and sigma cars are

a definite step in the right direction btu we need more a lot more. A new

Camaro will be great but more importantly a true 300/Charger

competetive Impala/Bonneville/Roadmaster will be the true sellers.

Core product and lots of it, mixed w/ the excting niche products that are

already in the works like the Solstice GXP & Camaro/GTO will be the 1-2

punch to Toyota's teeth that we need.

And IF Toyota is No. 1 for a while... so what? Maybe that's exactly what

we need... a Business professor of mine once told me there's a lot of

strength in being No.2 in your respected market. I know I like the

underdog in a lot of situations. Perhaps the No.1 spot for Toyota will be

their downfall. Perhaps it will show their true colors and Greenpeace will

stop sucking their prevebial d!@#$.

Who knows. I don't so much care that GM is No.1 as much as I want a

good lineup of V8 powered RWD cars: Camaro, GTO, Riviera for two

doors & Impala/Caprice, G8/Bonneville & Park Ave/Roadmaster for the

4 doors. That right there will breathe more life into GM than the G6,

Malibu & whole Saturn lineup combined.

[/rant]

Edited April 25, 2006 by Sixty8panther