Detroit Free Press (Tokyo) - Toyota reclaimed bragging rights as the world's largest automaker in the first half of the year, outselling General Motors by 4.97 million to 4.67 million.
Both companies released their numbers Wednesday.
For Toyota, the numbers underline a powerful rebound from a period of dismal sales, and the resilience of its brand as it gains traction in new markets such as China and southeast Asia while clawing back lost market share in the U.S.
Both companies have said that they don't care about the global sales leadership and are focusing on making profits. But the crown is a matter of corporate pride for both automakers.
GM doesn't plan to drop out of the race, though. The company's sales and market share grew in China, and Chevrolet, its largest brand, has seen record growth for seven straight quarters, spokesman Jim Cain said. GM sales should rise because 70% of its U.S. models will be refurbished or all-new in the next two years, Cain said.
"We are in the early days of the most aggressive rollout of new products in our history, which will help us press our advantage in the U.S. and China and grow profitably around the world," he said.
Toyota's production was cut last year by the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan and then by flooding in Thailand.
GM is more dependent than Toyota on Europe, where auto sales are falling to their lowest level since 1995.
GM was largest global automaker last year, based on growth in the U.S. and China, its two biggest markets. The Detroit company held the global sales crown for more than seven decades before losing it to Toyota in 2008.
