Here we go again: Toyota sells more cars worldwide in first half than GM

Here we go again: Toyota sells more cars worldwide in first half than GM

Filed under: Car Buying, GM, Toyota



The seesaw battle between GM and Toyota for the title of world's largest automaker is still being waged, and after tallying up global sales for the first half of the year, Toyota has opened up a pretty big lead. The Japanese automaker totaled 4.82m units told, with GM trailing with sales of 4.54m cars and trucks. While Toyota's sales are impressive, they're still off the pace of the 9.85m units the automaker expects to sell throughout 2008. The US and Japan have been the source of Toyota's pain this year, as both markets are in a downturn. In spite of record sales in Asia, Latin America, and Europe, GM had a 3% sales decline in the first half of the year. The entire problem rests solely with the General's performance at home, where sales are down a staggering 16% for the year. The news isn't expected to get much better in the States, as last month was the worst June in 17 years, and sales don't look any more promising in July.

While both GM and Toyota have been shrugging off talk of global sales battles, we're inclined to believe selling the most vehicles on the planet is important to both automakers. And since GM has held the sales lead for 77 years, the Detroit automaker won't feel good if it loses its title. Down nearly 300k units through June, though, it'd almost take a miracle for the General to come out on top in 2008.

[Source: Reuters]

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there are...the engines all have toyota badges, as well as next to the vacuum hose diagram there is an imprint in the hood.

i wonder if the difference is that scion is sold in toyota dealerships and not as a separate dealer? i do think if you are counting units sold, it should be the brand as a whole (ie. everything gm sells)

Last time I checked, GM counted all their badges. Buick, Pontiac, Hummer, GMC, Chevrolet, Saturn, Cadillac and maybe even Saab...and they are all sold at separate dealerships. Not counting all these brands would mean that they were only relying on General Motors Corporation(or GMC Trucks) vehicles. GMCs are barely represented worldwide.

Toyota counts Lexus and Toyota as they are all TMC brands. Besides, a Scion is only a Scion in the US. They are Toyotas elsewhere in the world. Hell, even some of the cars that come here as a Lexus are just a regular ass Toyota offerings everywhere else.

to bring this up...again....scions and lexus both have a toyota symbol on every body panel that has a vin, and on every vin number....so they are toyotas....

chevy, caddy, hummer, pontiac, buick, gmc, saturn, saab, and gmc are jsut the main ones, dont forget the overseas ones they have like, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel and Vauxhall