DETROIT (Reuters) – General Motors Corp vice chairman and product chief Bob Lutz said on Wednesday he wouldrather see a strong GM even if it were No. 2 in worldwide sales than aless profitable No. 1 automaker.
"I would rather be a highly profitable, great shareholder value,great reputation, growing No. 2 than a struggling No. 1," Lutz toldreporters after a speech at the Automotive News World Congress.
GM released final 2007 global sales figures on Wednesday of 9.37 million vehicles. Toyota Motor Corp’s preliminary figures came in about the same, with a source disclosing toReuters a Toyota figure that left GM as the world’s largest automaker.
"I would almost say that being No. 2 for a while if it happens, andit well may because they are in a lot of areas that are growing fasterthan we are, it may be a powerful motivator for GM employees," Lutzsaid.
(Reporting by David Bailey; Editing by Gary Hill)
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