The GM Empire is striking back.

General Motors boss Rick Wagoner insists the US company will not give up its position as the world’s top automaker without a fight.

“I like being number one, and I think our people take pride in it. So it’s not something we’re going to sit back and let somebody else pass us,” Wagoner told reporters on Friday.

“We’re going to have to fight for every sale and do it in way that is consistent with building the enterprise,” he said.

Last month, Toyota said it planned to make 9.42 million vehicles worldwide this year. That would exceed the 9.18 million GM expected to have made in 2006.

One thing that I’ve noted is that in my life US manufactured cars have gotten better year after year.  Of course that was necessary because the Japanese cars also were getting better year after year. 

It’s been my opinion that Japanese cars have never been as good as they’ve been made out to be.  (Maybe I’m the only one that ever had a lemon Honda.) But the competition in quality has had one beneficiary, the consumer. 

Today’s problem with US automakers?  Simple, gasoline that costs over two dollars.  Toyota is better positioned to capture the market in developing countries. 

What should we do about the problem.  We should eliminate government barriers (corporate taxes) to level the playing field with our competition.  Aside from that anything we do is going to be counterproductive.