First quarter auto sales data shows that while GM sales continued to slump, Ford and Toyota made significant gains. Keep in mind that Ford accepted NO bailout moneys and Toyota is Japanese owned. Could it be that American car buyers are steering clear based on principled, ethical reasons – not supporting a company asking for a hand out? Or could it be concern of more practically matters, such as future availability of parts and dealership for repairs, or issues of warranties?
And what happens with GM and Chrysler? There is much talk of them being “smaller, leaner” companies. But could such significantly smaller companies continue to complete with a much larger Ford and Toyota who are already picking over the bones of these all but busted companies? Only time will tell for sure, but remember – American’s love an underdog, not a loser.
