Crushed by last year’s devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Toyota Motor Co. lost the global automotive sales crown to not only General Motors but was also passed by German rival Volkswagen AG. But if the Japanese maker’s pace during the first half of 2012 is any indication it may very well be back as king-of-the-hill this year.
Toyota sold 4.97 million vehicles worldwide between January 1 and June 30th, a commanding 300,000-unit lead over GM, according to newly released numbers. Barring another setback for Toyota, industry analysts suggest it will be difficult for the U.S. rival – or VW, for that matter – to catch up by year-end.
Toyota’s rebound reflects a number of factors including, most notably, its recovery from last year’s Japanese natural disaster which forced most of that country’s makers to shutter key plants for a month or more due to component shortages and then only slowly restart production in Japan and at their overseas plants. While some customers migrated to competing brands rather than wait, it appears many other loyalists hung tight and are only now returning to showrooms. That was considered a major factor behind last month’s 68% surge in Toyota’s U.S. sales.
And the Japanese maker is in the midst of one of its most aggressive product roll-outs ever, with a variety of new models ranging from the 2012 Camry update to the Prius C compact hybrid. And, significantly, Toyota President Akio Toyoda has put premium on more expressive models, such as the upcoming Avalon, which are designed to conquest customers rather than just retain brand loyalists. General Motors, however, has the same idea in mind and has been regaining momentum it lost during the run-up to its 2009 bankruptcy continue reading
Although Lindsay Lohan’s latest car accident was pretty insignificant by itself, it could, in a more rational world, have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back where her driving privileges are concerned. Do we have to wait for her to kill someone before the Golden State takes away her license?
At the very least, her car insurance must be ridiculous. Lohan and driving were enough of a concern for Lifetime producers to specify that she couldn’t operate a motor vehicle while they were filming Liz & Dick, in which Lohan starred as Elizabeth Taylor (the insurance for the picture would have continue
At the very least, her car insurance must be ridiculous. Lohan and driving were enough of a concern for Lifetime producers to specify that she couldn’t operate a motor vehicle while they were filming Liz & Dick, in which Lohan starred as Elizabeth Taylor (the insurance for the picture would have continue
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