GM Sales Fall; Toyota Now No. 1
2008年04月24日14:15
通用汽车公司(General Motors Corp.)第一季度全球汽车销量略有下降，因北美市场销量的大幅下滑抵消了全球其他市场销量的持续增长。
General Motors Corp.'s global vehicle sales fell slightly in the first quarter as a big drop in North America negated continued growth in other regions of the world.
与此同时，丰田汽车公司(Toyota Motor Corp.)却实现了全球销量的增长。丰田汽车宣布今年第一季度销量较上年同期增长了2.7%，至241万辆。经过这番此消彼长，丰田汽车将通用汽车挤下了销量头把交椅的宝座。
GM's decline came as Toyota Motor Corp. reported global vehicle sales in the same period rose 2.7% to 2.41 million, edging the company past GM as the world's largest auto maker.
2007年第一季度时丰田汽车的销量也一度超过通用汽车，但截至年底时，通用汽车仍以微弱优势胜出。
In 2007, Toyota outsold GM in the first quarter, but at the end of the year, GM held the lead by a tiny margin.
通用汽车表示，今年第一季度共销售汽车225万辆，较上年同期减少了0.6%。在公司一直全力避免继续产生巨额亏损的北美市场，销量减少了10%，而在拉美、非洲及中东市场的销量则增长了20%，在亚洲和欧洲的销量也分别增长了6%和3%。
GM said it sold 2.25 million vehicles in the first three months of the year, down 0.6% from the first quarter of 2007. Sales in North America, where GM is struggling to stop substantial losses, declined 10%, while sales rose 6% in Asia, 20% in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East and 3% in Europe.
在过去长达76年的时间里，通用汽车一直是全球销量最大的汽车生产商。周三发布的销量数据显示，该公司在持续扩张且利润颇丰的豪华车市场的表现不尽人意。市场也预计再过大约一周时间出炉的公司第一财季业绩情况也将较为疲弱。
GM has been the world's largest auto maker by sales volume for the past 76 years. Its 2008 first-quarter sales total, which was released about a week before the company is expected to report weak first-quarter earnings, revealed that the auto maker is sputtering in a growing and highly profitable segment: luxury vehicles.
通用旗下有三个豪华车品牌：凯迪拉克(Cadillac)、悍马(Hummer)和萨博(Saab)。公司第一季度共交付了93,843辆豪华车，较上年同期减少6%。虽然国际市场对豪华车的需求有所增长，而且通用汽车也有意在许多发展中国家扩大业务，但这第一季度的销售业绩仍不理想。
GM sells three luxury brands: Cadillac, Hummer and Saab. During the first quarter, the company delivered 93,843 luxury vehicles, or 6% fewer than in the same period in 2007. This comes despite a growing appetite for luxury vehicles in international markets, including many developing countries where GM is looking to lead the way.
许多汽车厂家都用知名豪华车品牌在汽车市场上赚取高额利润。以丰田为例，它为自己的品牌开发了很多车型，并给它们加装了丰富的功能以及精妙的设计，并将这些车型都归入豪华车雷克萨斯(Lexus)系列。
Many auto makers have used strong luxury brands to bank big profits in automotive operations. Toyota, for instance, takes many vehicles it develops for its Toyota brand and dresses them up with features and refined designs to fit them into the Lexus portfolio.
通用汽车销售分析经理迈克?迪吉奥瓦尼(Mike DiGiovanni)在一个电话会议上表示，公司正在调整其豪华车产品系列，以更好地满足全球不同市场中买家的需求。
During a conference call, GM sales-analysis manager Mike DiGiovanni said the company is remodeling its portfolio to better meet demands of luxury buyers in an array of global markets.
通用汽车仍在努力实现让北美业务扭亏为盈的计划。公司在北美的零售市场（通过经销商向个人售车）中仍能保持份额，但卡车和运动型多用途车(SUV)等高利润率产品的销售出现了大幅下降。
GM is struggling in its attempt to turn around core North American operations. It has maintained its share of U.S. retail sales, or cars sold to individuals through dealerships, but sales of high-margin products such as trucks and sports-utility vehicles have plummeted.
迪吉奥瓦尼表示，通用汽车在四大市场中的三个市场都创下了销售纪录，但在北美、特别是美国市场仍面临着挑战。
'We are setting records in three of our four regions,' Mr. DiGiovanni said. 'North America, and more specifically the U.S. market, continues to be challenging.'
尽管如此，通用仍坚持认为今年下半年美国市场将会回暖。迪吉奥瓦尼称第一季度美国工业车辆的销售情况要好于预期。
Regardless, GM is sticking with its forecast for a U.S. recovery in the second half of 2008. Mr. DiGiovanni said first-quarter U.S. industry vehicle sales came in better than expected.
居高不下的油价和不断下降的房产价值，以及对信用状况的担心均令美国消费者承受压力。由于油价超出通用汽车此前的预期，迪吉奥瓦尼预计第二季度北美市场工业车辆的销售将出现下滑。
High fuel prices, lower home values and concerns about credit availability have pressured U.S. consumers. Fuel prices are higher than GM had expected, leading Mr. DiGiovanni to speculate that second-quarter North American industry sales might decline.
另一个隐患是新一轮的工人抗议活动。在通用汽车一家位于密歇根州生产畅销的混合型多用途车(CUV)的工厂中，对一份内部协议深感不满的工人正在进行罢工。在堪萨斯州一家生产新款雪佛兰(Chevrolet) Malibu车的工厂中，工会也警告资方他们可能会罢工。
Another potential problem is a new round of labor strife. Workers at a Michigan plant building hot-selling crossover utility vehicles are on strike over a local factory agreement. A union local at a Kansas plant that builds the newly redesigned Chevrolet Malibu has warned the auto maker it may strike.
通用汽车主要供应商American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc.持续了近两个月的罢工事件已令这家汽车企业深感头疼，小型货车和SUV的生产也随之下降。迪吉奥瓦尼称Axle的罢工影响了公司的部分批量销售业务，涉及车辆约有7,000至10,000辆。
GM already is dealing with a nearly two-month-old strike at supplier American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc., which has cut into pickup truck and SUV production. Mr. DiGiovanni said the American Axle strike has cost GM some fleet sales, which amount to about 7,000 to 10,000 vehicles.
迪吉奥瓦尼表示，虽然密歇根州CUV工厂的罢工还没有影响销售，但这一点确实令人担心。他指出通用CUV的库存量不大，小型货车和SUV的库存较多。
While the strike at the crossover-vehicle plant in Delta Township, Mich., hasn't cost GM any sales yet, it is a concern, he said. GM doesn't have a large inventory of crossover vehicles; it does with pickups and SUVs.
Terry Kosdrosky / John D. Stoll
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