Both General Motors and Toyota have released their global sales figures for the first quarter of 2008, and for those who like to keep tabs on which automaker is the biggest in the world when it comes to sales, we have new news. The last time we convened for this discussion, both GM and Toyota were in a dead heat for the title of World’s Best-Selling Automaker in 2007, though GM was eventually found to have sold more by the slimmest of margins. It seems that this time Toyota has firmly taken the lead in Q1 2008, selling 2.41 million vehicles worldwide to GM’s 2.25 million. The Detroit News notes that Toyota also outsold GM in Q1 2007 before GM went on to win the year outright, which just goes to show that things can change over the next nine months. GM is actually enjoying record sales outside of the U.S. in the Asia Pacific region, Europe and Latin American, Africa and the Middle East. Its own domestic market is what continues to drag down GM’s numbers, with sales off 10% in the U.S. through March. Sales in the U.S. for Toyota through March were also down, but only by 4.4%. We reiterate like we always do when talk of this global sales crown comes up – it means very little in the grand scheme of things who sells more cars globally. But titles like this can be used to good effect in marketing and for bolstering an automaker’s internal morale, so don’t expect either one to admit they don’t want the mantle of World’s Best-Selling Automaker.

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Porsche is embarking on a collision course with the government of Lower Saxony. The German state in which Wolfsburg, where VW is based, holds a 20.1% interest in the Volkswagen Group. But Porsche, which currently holds 31% of the company and is aiming to acquire majority interest, is on a campaign to reduce the influence of the state government on the auto giant’s governance.

While most decisions at most companies require a 50% plus one majority, or possible a two-thirds majority for major issues, Volkswagen’s regulations stipulate that “significant decisions” need to be approved by an overwhelming 80% +1 in order to pass, essentially giving the state government a veto over any major decisions to be undertaken by the company’s shareholders. While a ruling handed down by the European Court of Justice mandated that certain laws put in place to protect Volkswagen from a hostile take-over were illegal, the governor of Lower Saxony insists that its 20% +1 blocking power was perfectly legal and that his government would oppose Porsche’s proposal to amend the regulations.

(source: detroitnews)

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 Daimler will take the next two years to decide whether to invest more in its failing Maybach flagship marque or else shut it down. This comes from the mouth of Daimler and Mercedes chief Dr. Dieter Zetsche, who inherited the problem-child brand from his predecessor, ex-CEO Juergen Schrempp.

After ditching Chrysler, another deal that was orchestrated by Schrempp, Dr. Z may be inclined to shut down Maybach, too. By all accounts the ultra-premium brand has not been a sales success, barely reaching ten percent of its original sales forecast. In speaking with TheCarConnection.com, however, Zetsche insisted that Maybach’s profitability “does not matter” in the face of demonstrating Mercedes’ capability of competing with archrival BMW’s pinnacle Rolls-Royce (and Volkswagen’s Bentley), but that may prove to be all talk if Maybach doesn’t present a solid business case. Zetsche confirmed that there are currently no plans on the table for new Maybach products – cutting short speculation over a new baby Maybach positioned between the current 57 and the Mercedes S-Class – and that even the outrageously-priced 62 Landaulet was unlikely to make much headway in turning the brand’s fortunes around. We guess P.Diddy and his crew will have to find another ride.

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