It wasn't all that long ago that GM was focused on maintaining its 29 percent market share. Boy what they wouldn't sell give to be back at that point right now (not including executive pay). Automotive News [sub] reporting that GM's market share is below 20 percent for the first time in the company's history (dating back 100 years to 1908). As of May 2008, it's 19.1 percent to be exact. Meanwhile, despite a fall in sales number, Toyota's market share jumped up to 18.4 percent. Count out the impossible-to-count out fleet sales and you can be sure Toyota has passed GM in private market sales. On the positive side, least when GM isn't number one in its home market any more, a lot of the pressure to move the metal at all costs will decrease. Maybe. Alright, no.
Find Reviews by Make:
Read all comments
Where are the ’19’ buttons?
Let the centenial celebration begin!
Party on Bob & Rick.
Bunter
In a funny way, this contraction in the new car market, might be a good thing.
If people are less inclined to buy a new car, they might turn to the used car market. Now since, GM has appalling depreciation rates, customers can pick them up for cheaps.
This means, more GM cars on the road and more servicing costs, spare parts, etc.
Of course, it’s a drop in the ocean to GM. But every cloud and all that……
I was a little surprised by AN’s statement that this is the first time GM’s market share has been below 20%. In 1915, for example, Ford had half the market and Willys-Overland, Dodge and Maxwell also topped Buick, GM’s top brand. Does anyone have data to fact-check AN’s statement?
BTW, GM’s decline has gone on for a long time and long way. I can recall Business Week’s laudatory cover story about GM’s superb management’s plans to lead it on to a 55% market share.
50merc: I don’t think AN was going THAT far back!
Still, one in every five vehicles is a GM product. That’s quite a lot of wheels…
How about “37.5% minus Toyota” pin?
Seriously all workers can do is strike or show up to work, or complain. All people can do is give opinions. Execs can do what ever they want, they may get yelled at, and then what? Is an exec supposed to make everybody that yells at them happy my being complacent with them? Are those in charge supposed to feel punished for dumb decisions? Yeah right. If I were an exec, I’d have a hard time giving up my job even if GM stock was worse than it is today. To much money. I can care less about what people think about my morals, my decisions, my behavior, GM market share, GM profit, GMs future. Who the hell buys stocks for the well being of others? Who the hell works at GM for the well being of others (not family)? Whose words have any accountability for the well being of others?
I’m almost ready to say…Go ahead bail out GM. Go ahead do it, who cares where the money comes from, what happens to the integrity of the market, whats best for competition and the future of the economy, who cares about empowering lazyness?…I may be wrong, but I can dare to question anything and I have a right to be wrong.
Can Rick be fired now?
Can the board be replaced?
Can all cannabalizing brands be closed except for GM’s core business Chevrolet and Cadillac?
Can the dealer and factory bloat be trimmed to reflect GM’s new 20% marketshare reality?
Can GM get a grip on honoring it’s brand and styling heritage on producing modern classics and new names that prioritize fuel economy?
All of this needs to happen before the company will be profitable once again.
There is no real pleasure in watching a train wreck and having said I told you this was coming … yet not having been able to get the conductor to listen.
Many, many people have tried for years to get the word through to GM that it was headed for disaster, but all of us have been dismissed one way or the other.
After showing some promise of starting to get the branding house in order, GM has continued to make a cluster**** of it to the point where none of the brands stand for anything. Heck, I don’t even know what Chevrolet stands for these days let alone Saturn or Saab.
If your work depends on GM then by all means get out and find something else to do. There is no honor in going down with this ship.
I remember reading an article in 1993 or 1994 in which the author spoke to a Toyota executive who wished to remain anonymous. His desire was not to have GM flashover and go bankrupt, but to slowly but surely slip into obscurity.
Nearly fifteen years later it’s happening exactly as that anonymous Toyota executive wished.