Don't just write off General Motors,not just yet.

With almost every auto analyst predicting doom for GM and glory for Toyota is it really that bad.Can GM never be the company it once was? While everybody may not be totally incorrect ,it would be foolishness to write off GM and predict its end.

Lets begin with Buick,customers are putting as much faith in their Buick as they are in their Lexus and that is something to say considering all the issues GM cars where associated with.Toyota has always been the underdog and GM had the reputation of the bully[big brother],but things are changing even a company like Toyota is having problems and it still is not at the top on par with GM.

In Toyota’s rush to expand, slips are beginning to show. In America last year 500,000 Toyota's were recalled for rectification of faulty components. Toyota has cars for every-man alright but some of its executives worry that regular models lack appeal for younger buyers,the car for everyone tag may just take a hit soon because as each generation os cars passes Toyota's models get more and more pricier and with the Daewoo acquisition GM has an edge over Toyota when it comes to small cheap cars for non-US markets.Somehow Toyota just seems to be over-reliant on the US markets for the moment,also Toyota is giving over-importance to hybrids when even their japanese compatriots[like honda,nissan] are giving importance to diesel engines as well.[diesel engines are as efficient as hybrids and cheaper to produce,more powerful as well].

Another suprising bit is Toyota is not is not a dominant force in the most talked about markets right now,the BRIC countires[Brazil,Russia,China,India] mainly just due to the lack of sufficient car models in these markets and guess what GM just has the first mover advantage here too.Maybe Gm is at the right time in the the right markets as it is enjoying a very good run these markets at present[What's stopping Toyota].In these markets GM is making less cars than what the market demands.

With the sub-prime mess,the US market is supposedly going to go through the worst phase right now and that includes automobiles so GM's strategy of overlooking the US market for the time being might not be that bad.

GM is to use a revolutionary outsourcing model which could be inspirational stuff for the IT majors.

Sales in the Indian Markets continue to grow impressively with new warranty schemes and the low priced car luring buyers towards GM.In August 2007 it grew 114% and GM expects to garner 10% market share by 2010

The Brazilian market is on fire, and GM is reaping the benefits,'' said Michael Robinet, an analyst at CSM Worldwide in Northville, Michigan. ``It's feast or famine down there, and right now it's feast.''

General Motors Corp. may add third shifts at many Latin American vehicle-assembly plants to meet rising sales in a region that accounted for more than 40 percent of the automaker's first-half profit.

``These markets are running very strong,'' said Maureen Kempston Darkes, GM's sales chief for the Latin America, Africa and Middle East region, at a Detroit dinner with reporters yesterday. Third shifts, which would allow plants to operate around the clock, are being considered, she said.

A production boost would reflect Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner's increasing dependence on sales outside the U.S. The CEO is closing U.S. plants while adding factories in places such as South Africa, India and Russia.

`GM has been very successful in the region, particularly in Brazil, because they have a larger lineup in many countries than other manufacturers,'' said Pascual Francisco, an analyst at Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, Massachusett

Revenue in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East will grow by a few billion dollars each year through the rest of the decade, the automaker's president of those regions said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at a dinner, Maureen Kempston Darkes said GM had grown its revenue in those regions to about $15 billion in 2006 from about $5.4 billion in 2003.

After losing more than $10 billion in the past two years, GM is restructuring its North American operations by closing 12 plants and slashing more than 34,000 jobs.

In the second quarter, GM's sales in North America fell 7 percent, but sales in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East rose 20 percent.

Overseas sales accounted for 58 percent of total sales in the second quarter, and GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner has said he expects sales outside the United States to continue surpassing domestic sales in the next few years.

GM in July said it would invest $500 million in Brazil and Argentina to develop smaller vehicles for Latin America and other emerging markets.

Kempston Darkes also said she expects GM's sales in Africa to grow 9 percent to 95,000 units in 2007 and its sales in the Middle East to grow nearly 7 percent to 160,000 units.

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The future still may not look all that bright,but for the die hard GM fan there is still a glimmer of hope.

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