In past years those figures you supply Thinking Out Loud would not be anywheres near acurate at all. As we are in a downturn right now with the fuel prices being what they are all sales are out of kilter for all builders. Many years GM has beaten Ford with the sales of their products just by adding them up. GM has had good reason to have the 2 lines over the years as they are both excellent products.
The numbers were annouced the same day or abouts when I posted them from a national newspaper (can't recall which one). The numbers are accurate as delivered by THE INDUSTRY as at that date. Can't make this stuff up - sorry B1.
Regardless, the point I make, based on those industry figures, is that GM has been asleep at the marketing switch for 10+ years. I can't recall an ad where Ford hasn't boasted about the F150 being NUMBER 1. I do not recall Chevy boasting "WE'RE NUMBER 5! WE'RE NUMBER 5!" and GMC boasting "WE'RE NUMBER 6! WE'RE NUMBER 6!" PLEASE add us up, industry insiders!
At least Chrysler can borrow the old Avis catchphrase 'We're number 2 - We Try Harder!'. GM's is 'We're somewhere in the middle and have incompetants in our marketing department'. Even if they are identical in all other resepcts to the Ford product, splitting their sales in a category driven by sales numbers to satisfy a division is madness.
GM is happy leaving the bragging rights with Ford, I suppose, ad infinitum.