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Toyota's ruthless pursuit of the top spot demonstrates that no manufacturer is immune to the responsibility of serving its customers.
I've talked to a large number of people who have sworn never to buy a GM product again. They are out there, and GM has clearly failed them in the past. It is worth mentioning, however, that GM did a sufficient job of maintaining so much clientele that even less than stellar products in memory made their way into consumer garages. GM managed to maintain a top spot in the automotive industry for a long time. Perhaps losing that spot to Toyota gave GM an opportunity to take that spot again for another long haul.
Without the reckless pursuit of an egotistical management team, Toyota would not have dethroned GM for the short time that it did. These failures of service would never have happened, and one could further speculate that GM would not be the company that it is today without someone cutting corners to beat them.
GM and Toyota were like two teams playing for the championship. GM had a few losses recorded but remained the reigning champ, and Toyota was the media darling, an underdog with a flawless season. Of course, the wins over that season turned out to me the manufacture of a team on steroids, engaged in a scheme with referees, and costing its fans a lot of respect. Toyota would win the game only to forfeit after allegations of cheating became more than just allegations.
GM, now a company in the fight to earn the spot so soiled by Toyota, has produced mind-blowing products and services for its customers. In the automotive industry, innovation and change are constant, and GM now knows that holding that crown requires the brands it owns to touch people with the best damned cars out there. Since Toyota's rise, GM has produced fuel economy leaders, performance legends, and monstrous workhorses. Like I said, innovation is constant, and defeating Toyota does not clear the way for another near-century of dominance. There are fresh competitors and new products from all over the world, and America isn't the only place GM must win the market. Fortunately, GM has an arsenal of products—Corvette, Camaro, Cruze, Silverado, Volt, Malibu, Regal, and many more—to help it on its way.
May the best car win.
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