The line graph compares the average number of hours required by four major car manufacturers – General Motors, Ford, Toyota, and Honda – to produce vehicles in the United States between 1998 and 2005.
Overall, all companies became more efficient over the period, as indicated by declining production times. General Motors and Ford consistently recorded higher figures than the two Japanese manufacturers. By contrast, Toyota and Honda maintained the lowest and most stable production hours, converging at around 20 hours by the end of the period.
General Motors began as the least efficient producer, taking approximately 32 hours per vehicle in 1998. Its figure then fell steadily throughout the period, reaching around 22 hours by 2005. Ford, at about 28 hours in 1998, experienced a rise to a peak of just over 31 hours in 2001 before production time declined sharply, ending slightly above 21 hours in the final year.
In comparison, the two Japanese companies consistently achieved shorter production times. Toyota started at roughly 22 hours and showed a gradual downward trend, reaching 20 hours by 2005. Honda followed a similar pattern, beginning at just over 22 hours, fluctuating between 20 and 24 hours in the middle years, and ultimately aligning with Toyota at 20 hours in the final year.