It's long been thought that the goal of Toyota Motor Corp. is nothing less than domination of the global auto industry. So when the news came out that Toyota had outsold General Motors Corp. in the first quarter, the bragging was … nonexistent.
Bringing home the sales crown didn't seem to be an occasion for joy at the Japanese automaker's headquarters in Toyota City, about 200 miles southwest of Tokyo, nor at its U.S. sales headquarters in Torrance.
The reason champagne corks weren't popping is simple, said former Toyota advisor Matthew May. The automaker has refrained from cheering because it is "aiming at an even higher goal."
The only No. 1 ranking Toyota really covets, he said, "is the one that cuts across the board in every conceivable category. Hitting a sales target is all well and good, but the issue Toyota managers are addressing at this moment is: at what cost?"
Read Article