GM: 76 years in a row as being top automaker likely to end

The Detroit Free News reported that with Toyota's announcement that they sold 9.37 Million cars in 2007, a substantial and robust 6% increase over 2006 totals, that it will likely unseat General Motors as the world's top automaker, a title that GM has held for 76 straight years--yes, that's right, over 3/4 of a century.

However, both sides have not been either gloating or wallowing about the potential changing of the guard, and this is surprising considering how competitive the industry is, but it's also something to note because of the changes that have happened over 2007. With GM facing a potential credit crisis and some big worries on the horizon, it has quelled those fears with the Malibu and Caddy CTS sales performing nicely. I can see where aggressive marketing and some innovation over the next year could really push GM back to the top.

But Toyota isn't about to bow down at all and is looking forward--projecting that their number of sales should go from that huge 9.37M to 9.85 million by the end of 2008. While GM may not be able to make up that much ground, I can see where the company will once again put themselves in a position to get much closer than what is anticipated and then look for them to regain the leading seller's title in the long-term. For now, though, it's a tribute to Toyota's sticktuitiveness and a footnote to the sagging American economy. Stay tuned.

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GM: 76 years in a row as being top automaker likely to end

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