VW, GM Lead Global Platform Race

Automotive Industries,  May, 1999  by Marjorie Sorge

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The dream of a "global car" hasn't changed. According to a study by Autofacts, a division of PricewaterhouseCoopers, VW is still the leader in the global platform race. In 1999, the high-volume, or one-million-unit platforms will account for about 14% of total global production.

VW has three one-million-unit global platforms. The biggest is the A4--over 1.8 million vehicles come off that platform, including the Golf, Jetta/Bora, Beetle, Seat Toledo, Skoda Octavia, Audi A3 and Tr. General Motors' GMT800 trucks, Ford's PN96 trucks and Toyota's E-cam each account for one million-unit platform.

By 2004, a third of the vehicles produced in the world will come from one-million-unit global platforms. By then, GM's "three Greeks" -- the Gamma, Delta and Epsilon programs -- will make it the leader in global plafforming, the study says.

Not all the automakers are steering toward global platforming. DaimlerChrysler and the Korean makers aren't really looking there. However, the Autofacts study says "it appears the global platform development strategy will be a fundamental way of cost cutting from now on."

Note: On last month's Statistics page, the color-key to the pie charts showing global platform market share through 2004 was reversed. The charts at left show the correct relationship.

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COPYRIGHT 1999 Cahners Publishing Company
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