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Card Consolidation Credit Debt Japanese giant Toyota Motor Corp. sped past American corporate icon Ford Motor Co. last year to become the world's second-biggest car company, according to sales figures released Friday.

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Credit Union The ascension marks a major milestone for Toyota, which began as a small weaving factory in 1918, didn't produce its first vehicle until 1935 and as recently as 1966 sold a mere 20,000 cars and trucks in the crucial U.S. auto market.

On top of the list are Asian models, Honda and Toyota. Seven slots are occupied by Toyota and five by Honda, which are all included in the Top Ten. In place of the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, which has fallen off from the current list, are Toyota RAV4 and Chevrolet Tahoe. Together with the Tahoe is the Ford Mustang, up.

Merchant Credit Guide Co Its overtaking of Ford a company that gave birth to the auto industry when it created the first mass-production assembly line nearly a century ago is a powerful symbol of how even the biggest names in business aren't safe from bruising competition in the global marketplace.

On April 1, 2007, the credit for a Prius will again be reduced, to $787.50. After September 30, 2007, purchasers of any Toyota hybrid vehicle will no longer be entitled to the credit. out of the credit applies to all hybrid models of Toyota. The rules for the credit require that the taxpayer purchase a new car and the car not be purchased for resale.

Apply Online For Credit Card Toyota's preliminary figures show that the Tokyo-based automaker's worldwide retail sales climbed about 10% to 6.78 million in 2003, ousting Ford from the No. 2 spot it held for decades. General Motors Corp., with global sales of more than 8 million cars and pickup trucks, remains firmly in the No. 1 spot it has held for 75 years.

"Overseas sales are booming across the board, but conditions in the home market have been difficult, " Fukui said. "We hope to strengthen our product offerings and revitalize the flagging market." Still, honda 's robust global sales underline the bright outlook facing many Japanese automakers, including honda and Toyota, which have been expanding and booking record earnings, while U.S. rivals such as General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. battle sagging sales by closing plants and cutting production.

By Card Credit Debt Debt Guide In the eyes of some industry experts, ceding ground to Toyota is a big blow for Ford. Analysts estimate Ford's worldwide retail sales for last year at about 6.4 million units. "Being second in such an important global industry can be an important marketing tool that it has now lost," said Bob Schnorbus, chief economist for J.D. Power & Associates.

Officers moved in and arrested Bulmero Mendoza, 34, of Tennessee and Jose Sanchez, 33, of Carteret in the front lot of the warehouse as the pair moved the merchandise to another vehicle. Two other men fled into a wooded area and were not apprehended. They are both believed to be from the New Brunswick area. Police recovered more than $43, 000 in stolen merchandise. In addition, police seized three vehicles used by the thieves a Ford Windstar, a Chevy Astro van, and a Toyota 4Runner.

Credit Repair But the numbers speak as much to Toyota's rise as they do to Ford's fall.

Active Credit Credit Guide Toyota Chairman Hiroshi Okuda has set a lofty goal of capturing 15% of the global auto market by early next decade, up from 10% today. To do so, Toyota must continue to snatch business away from traditional American brands as well as Asian and European rivals.

Credit Score "Toyota is pursuing world domination and doing it successfully," said Gordon Wangers, president of AMCI, an automotive market research firm in Marina del Rey.

Bad Car Credit Guide Loan In the U.S., Toyota now ranks fourth in passenger vehicle sales and is close to overtaking Chrysler Group for the third spot.

Bad Credit Loan Last year, Toyota captured a company record of 11.2% of the U.S. auto market, where it has been the top-selling import brand since 1975. The Toyota Camry sedan was the top-selling passenger car in the U.S. in 2003 for the sixth time in seven years while the company's Lexus line was the most popular luxury brand for the fourth consecutive year.

Credit Definition Derivative It is because of this rapid growth that Wall Street now pegs Toyota's total stock value higher than GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler combined.

Bad Credit Mortgage Despite all that, Toyota contends it is not engaged in a race with the domestic brands.

The Insider Guide To Credit "Our focus is on customer satisfaction," said Xavier Dominicis, a spokesman for Toyota's import, distribution and marketing arm, Toyota Motor Sales USA, in Torrance. No parties are planned at Toyota's U.S. headquarters for the official announcement Monday of the global sales figures, he said.

Business Credit Card In recent decades, Toyota has expanded into all major auto markets and now sells cars in 160 countries, with manufacturing plants in 27 nations. Toyota's sales figures include those of its subsidiaries Hino Motors and Daihatsu Motor Co.

Banker Complete Credit Guide All told, Toyota sold 1.87 million cars and pickup trucks in the U.S. in 2003, just under the 2 million units it sold in Japan. But the U.S. auto market the world's largest is the most important for Toyota because it accounts for about 70% of the company's profit.

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Credit Guide Managing Chief Executive William Clay Ford Jr., great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, said his company's new focus was on regaining profitability, not hanging on to market share. Last year, Ford posted a $495-million profit after racking up $6.4 billion in losses in 2001 and 2002. Ford's sales figures include its foreign brands Volvo, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin.

Credit Card Offer Although Ford's pickup truck sales, led by the F-150, are strong, the company's passenger car sales continue to slip. As a result, Ford finished the year with a 19.5% U.S. market share, its lowest since Henry Ford was running the company in 1929.

Merchant Credit Guide Company Ford and GM are now refocusing their efforts on passenger cars, a market that Toyota and Honda have dominated in recent years. Meanwhile, the big European and Japanese automakers Toyota among them have begun attacking the domestics' hold on the profitable pickup and SUV markets.

Bad Credit Toyota also has taken a leadership position in the so-called green car market with its innovative Prius sedan and a pair of upcoming SUVs, all powered by a hybrid electric-and-gas engine with dramatically improved fuel economy.

Collection Collection Complete The carmaker's unlikely start dates to 1933, when Kiichiro Toyoda set up a small auto manufacturing unit in his father's Toyoda Automatic Loom Works.

Credit Counseling Although the family's name is Toyoda, the company's was changed to Toyota for simplified pronunciation and because, in Japan, eight is a lucky number and it takes eight strokes of a calligrapher's pen to write "Toyota" in one popular form of Japanese script.

Complete Credit Guide Higher Until the end of World War II, Toyota Motor Co. primarily built trucks for the Japanese Imperial Army. The firm survived the war with its major manufacturing facilities intact Japan surrendered just before a scheduled U.S. bombing raid on the Toyota factory complex and began producing civilian cars again in 1947.

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Complete Credit Guide Hedging In 1957, the firm set up its most ambitious overseas operation, Toyota Motor Sales USA, in an abandoned Rambler dealership in Hollywood. The first car it sold in the U.S. was a pokey, boxy, four-door Toyopet Crown sedan in the summer of 1958.

Bad Credit Home Loan The early Toyotas sold here handled poorly when driven more than 60 mph and tended to overheat in the mountains and deserts. Toyotas were derided by American automakers as cheap and poorly designed imitations of real cars.

Bad Credit Personal Loan But Toyota's prices were right. And over time, it improved efficiency at its factories to the point that they became models for modern industry.

Credit Score Guide "They are the best in the world at auto manufacturing," said Wangers of AMCI, the research firm. "Their production system is the one all others try to emulate."

Online Credit Report The 1973 OPEC oil crisis gave Toyota and other import brands a big boost because they specialized in fuel-efficient cars at a time when domestic automakers were engaged in a gas-guzzling horsepower war.

Credit Guide By 1990, Toyota was selling 1 million vehicles annually in the United States. Then in 1999, Toyota shocked Detroit when it launched the first Japanese-made large pickup truck, the Tundra, and immediately bested Ford and GM trucks in various quality and buyer satisfaction awards.

Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Toyota also has made enormous investments in manufacturing and distribution facilities in the U.S., Wangers pointed out, with eight factories in the U.S. and a ninth under construction. It employs about 35,000 employees here.

Credit Guide Process As a result, Toyota is "more politically comfortable about challenging the domestics," Wangers said. "There's a good chance that in my lifetime and I'm 46 they'll surpass GM in global sales too."

Online Credit Card Application Toyota timeline

Boston Credit First Guide 1933: Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, a Japanese manufacturer of weaving machinery, starts an automobile manufacturing division.

Credit Card Debt 1937: Spins off the unit as Toyota Motor Co.

Back Credit Foreclosure 1947: After World War II, begins producing cars again.

Credit Card Processing 1950s: The company introduces a just-in-time delivery system.

Beat Bureau Consumer Credit 1957: Opens its first sales office in the United States.

Credit Check 1958: Sells its first car in the U.S., a four-door sedan called the Toyopet Crown.

Credit Guide Idiot Pocket 1959: Toyota opens a plant in Brazil, its first plant outside of Japan.

Credit Card Consolidation 1968: The economy-size Corolla debuts in the U.S.

Credit Scoring Guide 1973: A surge in gas prices during the OPEC oil crisis boosts the popularity of Japanese economy cars.

Apr Credit Card 1975: Toyota surpasses Volkswagen to become the bestselling foreign import brand in the U.S.

The Complete Guide To Credit 1983: The Camry is launched.

Navy Federal Credit Union 1984: Opens its first U.S. assembly plant in Fremont, Calif., a joint venture with General Motors Corp.

Guerrilla Guide Credit Repair 1989: Opens its first wholly owned major American plant, in Georgetown, Ky. Introduces the Lexus luxury line.

Free Credit Score 2000: The gasoline-electric hybrid Prius sedan is introduced in the U.S.

Complete Guide To Credit And 2002: Toyota produces its

Bad Credit Credit Card 10 millionth vehicle in North America.

Free Credit Repair Guide 2003: Toyota becomes the world's second-biggest automaker, with 6.78 million vehicles sold.

Low Apr Credit Card Sources: Toyota Motor Corp., International Directory of Company Histories,

Developer Guide To The Low Times research **

Earned Income Credit Ford timeline

Card Credit Debt Guide Reduce 1903: Henry Ford starts Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Mich.

No Credit Check Loan 1908: Ford introduces the affordable Model T to U.S. drivers.

Earned Income Credit Guide 1922: The company acquires Lincoln Motor Co.

Free Credit Report Online 1927: General Motors surpasses Ford's annual sales for the first time.

Annual Credit Report 1938: Ford launches the Mercury line.

Credit Check Collection Agency 1945: Henry Ford II takes over the company after his father's death.

The Best Credit Card 1955: Ford introduces the popular Thunderbird.

Business To Business Credit 1958: Produces the Edsel, which becomes one of the auto industry's most notorious flops.

Credit Card Debt Consolidation 1964: Introduces the Mustang, which in months becomes one of America's most popular cars.

Travel Reward Credit Card 1970s: Despite strong growth in its European subsidiaries, Ford and other domestic automakers' sales drop as U.S. consumers seek out more economically sized imports.

Credit Bureau 1980: Loses $1.54 billion after having to meet new clean-air standards for its vehicles.

Bad Credit Car Loan 1985: Introduces the Ford Taurus.

Consumer Credit Counseling 1989: Buys British carmaker Jaguar.

Low Interest Credit Card 1999: Purchases Volvo's car manufacturing division.

Credit Card Company Chief Executive Jacques Nasser announces he wants to move Ford from being an automaker to a major consumer services company that also makes cars.

Free Annual Credit Report 2000: Buys Land Rover.

Bad Credit Loan Mortgage 2001: Nasser is ousted. Henry Ford's great-grandson, William Clay Ford Jr., takes over as chairman and CEO.

Student Credit Card Ford sales plummet, and the company loses $5.45 billion.

Credit Card Deal 2003: Ford sells an estimated 6.4 million vehicles.

Free Credit Check Sources: Ford Motor Co., International Directory of Company Histories,

Bad Credit Auto Loan Global Insight, Times Research

Secured Credit Card By John O'Dell
Los Angeles Times - 1/24/2004

Topic: Transportation

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