Does any one know why Toyota changes model styles every two years?? Toyota always seems to be a step ahead of the game. I own a parts company and for years the Toyota models have changed for almost every model for every two year periods. For instance almost every Camry model made the headlights will only work in two year increments. This being said almost every part changes (example: fenders, bumpers, and the way the hood would line up with the lights) I sometimes wander if they do this for keep the parts ever changing to keep the junk yards out of business. I come up with this because to many junkyards they purchase american cars for the reason one Ford Taurus hood can fit for six years for a model, or a Chevy Truck fender for instance 1888-2000 is the same fender. So again the question remains. Why does Toyota constantly chage every two years for all models?? Also is this the change that keeps the company growing every year closer to the #1 spot??
When you are rolling in cash as # 1, you can afford to change every two years. Toyota has perfect the art of incremental improvements. So two years is the right amount of time to identify, design and implement a change. While improving the product, its also time to freshen up the product line up. People always want 'the new', so Toyota is giving them just that.
Not to say US auto makers haven't done this in the past. Look at Ford and the history of the Mustang. !964 to 1966 no change in body. 1967 and 1968, new body. 1969 and 1970 same body. 1971 to 1973 (age of the large Mustang) the same body.
Which is right? GM history is running long of body. Example 1970 to
1981 the Firebirds didn't change (there was a switch over in radator support in 1973 that resulted in a change to the front fender stamping but from 1973 to 1981 the finders are interchangeable.) Now options, motors, fabrics did ajust over the 11 years, but for the discussion here it the same car body.
While I am the kind of guy that doesn't like a whole lot of change, I'm not the average car buyer (replace a car about every 11 years.)
Toyota has found the fountain of youth in its two year change over. Plus has the cash/market share to pull it off. However, GM is trying to over come decades of non-car guy, bean counter, MBA textbook managers (just for the record I do have my MBA.) Can they do it? Ya, think they will make it. Will they do it with a car line call Pontiac? Its going to depend on if the market wants a performance car line from the General. Autoweek in early Feb. 08 stated the Firebird is dead while the Camaro is a rocket ready for take-off. Cross-over vehicals are being rebadged under the GMC line. I am afraid with oil hitting $ 101/barrel the business case for Pontiac with a RWD/V-8 line- up doesn't look to good.
Bottom line is Toyota has figured out the market and is nailing it with new products. GM lost the market due to poor management going back to the decisions made in the early 1980's. Its easiler to keep on building on 28 years of improvements vs. playing catch up on 28 years of errors.
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Much newer factories built by US taxpayer dolllars ater the war. Some were still being built in the 70s and 80s. They have more investment dollars than US companies.
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