G.M. Back On Top In The Sales Race, Volkswagen Second

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

General Motors reclaimed the worldwide sales crown in 2011, as sales growth and a crippled Toyota helped the General climb back to the top.

General Motors sold 9,025,942 worldwide in 2011, a 7.6 percent gain. Volkswagen was second with 8,156,000 million units, a 14 percent gain. Toyota ranked third, though exact figures have yet to be released. Estimated peg Toyota sales at 7.9 million units, a 6 percent drop. Toyota sales were no doubt impacted by March 2011’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan. With Toyota back at full production capacity, 2012 should see increased competition, with Volkswagen still trying to snatch the overall sales crown.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Highdesertcat Highdesertcat on Jan 19, 2012

    Good deal! Now let's see GM pay back some of those bail-out bucks to we, the people.

  • Niky Niky on Jan 20, 2012

    A Fiat of earthquake is all. Despite the Thai flooding, Toyota should be back at GM's heels again by the end of 2012.

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    • LectroByte LectroByte on Jan 20, 2012

      @carbiz Sounds right to me, then, they were about tied in 2010, so they should be about tied in the future.

  • Rod Panhard Rod Panhard on Jan 20, 2012

    From the NYTimes..."G.M., whose sales figures include its joint ventures in China," From my perspective, each one of those joint venture car sales doesn't count as a whole car. They're only 49 percent of the car. So I can't imagine the gross profit on a $4000 Wuling that is 49 percent GM is going to be much larger than the gross profit of an appetizer platter for eight at P.F. Chang's.

    • Carbiz Carbiz on Jan 20, 2012

      ... and neither do the 1.5 million sales that Toyota is 'entitled' to every year in Japan....fair is fair, right?

  • LeMansteve LeMansteve on Jan 20, 2012

    Ah, the good ol' annual BIG-ANVS (Best International Group - Automotive New Vehicle Sales) Award winner. Congratulations to GM for being this year's BIG-ANVS!

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