[Durango Dude]

GM is back on top as the world's No: 1 car maker and Cruze has been declared a smash hit. GM sold 9.03 million vehicles in 2011 as compared to VW, which sold 8.16 million, Toyota estimated to have sold 7.9 million (official figures are awaited). Mods merge if thread already exists.
General Motors is the #1 Auto Manufacturer in the world

[RIC.BURNS]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

GM is back on top as the world's No: 1 car maker and Cruze has been declared a smash hit. GM sold 9.03 million vehicles in 2011 as compared to VW, which sold 8.16 million, Toyota estimated to have sold 7.9 million (official figures are awaited). Mods merge if thread already exists.
General Motors is the #1 Auto Manufacturer in the world

But VW and WSJ have questioned that claim, GM has included two of their Chinese partner sales numbers in which GM doesnt have the controlling interest around 1.2mil in the global sales. without them it would drop behind VW.

[tbppjpr]

Its nice gain by GM after their bankrupt stories in last recession. I think Toyota have started loosing ground and they will keep loosing becasue they make some ugliest looking cars in the world. Their car designs feel kiddish compared to other top car manufactures, and other manufactures have started providing services at par with them. Few big players like GM, VW group, Ford etc are also spreading all over the world map. All these factors go will against them.

[RIC.BURNS]

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

Its nice gain by GM after their bankrupt stories in last recession. I think Toyota have started loosing ground and they will keep loosing becasue they make some ugliest looking cars in the world. Their car designs feel kiddish compared to other top car manufactures, and other manufactures have started providing services at par with them. Few big players like GM, VW group, Ford etc are also spreading all over the world map. All these factors go will against them.

Even i dont like much of Toyota's designs, but their all time hit is still rules in US. Its numbers are higher than the total sales of few other brands.

Sales of the Toyota Camry in 2011: 308,510
Sales of all Mazdas in 2011: 250,426
Sales of all BMWs in 2011: 247,907
Date of Tōhoku earthquake: March 11, 2011
Date flooding started in Thailand: July 31, 2011
Minimum number of months Toyota operated below 100% production capacity in North America: 6
Car sales rank of Camry in 2011: 1

Earthquake be damned, the Camry was a juggernaut in 2011. One generation ended and a new Camry was recently launched. Yes, the company relied on incentives—what automaker doesn’t in the mid-size segment?—but even crippled by natural disaster, the Camry outsold every car in the States and every vehicle save the Chevy Silverado and the Ford F-150.

[volkman10]

There seems a dispute in this!

"The Wall Street Journal reported that VW feels it would be the top-seller last year if sales of all of its affiliates were included.

VW's figures don't count sales from truckmakers MAN and Scania, which will be added in a few weeks, a Volkswagen spokesman told the newspaper.

The truckmakers might add 200,000 vehicles to VW's sales total."



http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...301209839/1424

[GTO]

Ranking disputes aside, No.1 or No.2 - BOTH - is a mega feat for GM! I mean, this is a company that went with a begging bowl to Washington just yesterday. Hats off to their bouncing back with some solid, relevant products. At the end of the day, and the Americans never realised this, it all boils down to the competence of the car you have on sale.

Ford's turnaround story is also epic. Again, the single factor helping them has been the product range. You'd think it was obvious, but it sure took an outsider (Alan Mulally - a CEO with a non-automotive background) to tell them that.

[acroback]

I read that now VW is at number 1 followed by Toyota.
When did GM sneak in? Stealth mode... I see. lol

[anjan_c2007]

Shows the resilience of GM to bounce back to the place it held since decades. Especially in an election year, when the US President and the Americans are so touchy about the US economy and the loss of US jobs to overseas markets, it becomes a significant feat for GM.
Earlier it used to be "What is good for GM is good for America". I think 2012 again establishes the fact !
But some pundits are analysing that the elevation of GM to the top is due to Toyota's inability to meet production targets owing to the Japanese natural disasters earlier in 2011 and also the Thai floods.The recalls also played spoilsport for Toyota's image. If natural disasters have taken Toyota's toll, then GM reaches the no. 1 slot by default.
Can only hope that this fact is not true and that GM has really worked hard to reach the top.
If the no 1 slot has been attained by GM by default, then 2012 can show us the real winner as all will most likely have a level play field.
Or else, if GM's ascent is by the hard way, it will most likely remain at # 1 in 2012 and even later.

[RIC.BURNS]

Looks like GM is doing very well even in Iraq.

GM's business in Iraq is booming

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by RIC.BURNS

But VW and WSJ have questioned that claim, GM has included two of their Chinese partner sales numbers in which GM doesnt have the controlling interest around 1.2mil in the global sales. without them it would drop behind VW.

Everybody does. In order to do business in China you have to have local partners.

[ACM]

Good to see GM coming back.

For partnership ventures I feel it is best that in this case GM takes that % of the vehicles in count as the % share it hold. I do know this is not standard accounting practice but then the standard practice definately does not allow for addition of figures from companies that you don't have more than 51% share in.

In that sense the rant from VW does seem valid. Yet both GM & VW have done well and Toyota may indeed have been hit by natural calamities but we will know if that was permanent in nature in another 6 months.

[volkman10]

Toyota extends global sales lead over GM, VW after first half

Toyota global sales rose to 4.97 million during the first half, Javier Moreno, an automaker spokesman in New York, said in a telephone interview. GM sold 4.67 million vehicles during first six months, Jim Cain, a company spokesman, said in an e- mail. VW, based in Wolfsburg, Germany, sold 4.45 million vehicles in 2012’s first half, according to a company statement July 13.

http://www.autonews.com/article/2012...#ixzz21gr1ry3W