Toyota chief admits company is in rough shape, "grasping for salvation"

[divideandconquer]

Toyota chief admits company is in rough shape, "grasping for salvation"

"Akio Toyoda appears to have brought with him the art of plain speaking to the office of company president, a position he's occupied at Toyota since June. Like most every other automaker these days, Toyota has been struggling, having seen its sales targets slip from 10 million units to a 2009 estimate of 7.3 million. But to listen to Toyoda is to understand that the company's mounting troubles can't be blamed solely on the state of the global economy, as he is using the stark language of How the Mighty Fall, a business book by author Jim Collins, to describe the company's state."
<http://www.autoblog.com/>

Watch VW pass these rotten bastards like they're sitting still.

[gmoney]

1. They'd increase sales if they just changed the name to "Toyoda"

Oh what a feeling...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Sih7BaCUm94/SaMiEFPqaaI/AAAAAAAAABM/B6SjGJdV80U/s400/New+Toy+Yoda.jpg

http://posterrante.blogspot.com/2009/02/nota-errante-new-toy-yoda.html

[bluestateguy]

2. Will the Southern Republican senators beg for a bailout?

Well they can forget it.

[AllentownJake]

3. Who would think that a company that manufactures big capital assets

Would have trouble during a depression?

[regnaD kciN]

4. "Rotten bastards"...?????

Toyota makes some of the best, most reliable cars in the world. And you want VW to pass them? VW automobiles are great...as long as you buy new and dump them after three years, because that's about when they start to fall apart. Check out the Consumer Reports reliability ratings, and in particular the graph on number of problems versus years of age for all brands -- a ten-year-old Toyota will have less problems than a five-year-old VW.

[Vincardog]

5. Funny my 1986 VW Golf was running at 300K+miles until a friends son totaled it in 2001

[PJPhreak]

6. They are both very good cars...

Toyotas are "Driver/Owner Plug and Play" in other words,just drive the hell outta 'em. (I drive a 86'Corolla with 190,000 plus miles.

VW's require a bit 'o Mechanical and Technical knowlage...They are "The Tinkerer's Car"

Ever own a Baja Bug? I did and want another...But I love to 'Tinker" with things like engines.

[taught_me_patience]

7. Nice honesty from a CEO

unlike american counterparts that have their heads in the sand.