General Motors lost its top spot as the as the highest selling automaker in the world when Toyota took the reigns as GM sales plummeted. Despite continued sales slumps and bankruptcy restructuring, GM narrowly missed overtaking Toyota in the first half of this year. Meanwhile, Volkswagen remains very close behind in the number three spot.
In the first six months of 2009, GM trailed Toyota sales by a mere 11,000 units, which has not surprised Dayton car dealers since the Detroit automaker has introduced several all-new models in recent months, including the popular all-new Chevy Camaro. Volkswagen has also done well, closing the gap with Toyota significantly to solidify its third place stance. Toyota was able to sell 463,805 more vehicles than Volkswagen.
Ford is the only other American automaker in the top ten lists, holding steady in the number five spot. Although Ford was able to avoid bankruptcy restructuring, Toyota Service Woodbridge observes that like Toyota, Ford still battles the effects of a sluggish economy, with new car demand stagnate worldwide.
In total, the top ten list for highest auto sales includes three manufacturers from Europe, five from Asian, and two from the U.S. With GM loosing the added sales of Saturn, Pontiac, Saab, and Hummer brands one dealer specializing in used cars in Philadelphia expects GM’s position on this list to change dramatically in the coming months. After holding on to the top spot for nearly 80 years, Toyota became the world’s largest automaker in 2008. Continue reading ‘GM Closes Gap With Toyota for Global Sales’
