General Motors Once Again World's Largest Automaker
DETROIT (WWJ) - General Motors is once again the world's car-selling king. GM sold just over 9 million vehicles in 2011. That's 11 percent more than Volkswagen, which sold 8.1 million.
This win for GM comes just two years following the automaker's historic bankruptcy.
"Chevrolet's impressive growth in both established and developing markets is the result of a strong new product lineup that meets the diverse needs of consumers around the world," said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson in a statement.
"In addition to Chevrolet's record-setting sales, the entire lineup of GM vehicles is meeting customer needs for fuel-efficient cars and work vehicles as well as unmatched luxury," he said.
GM is reporting that more than 15 markets experienced record Chevrolet sales in 2011 with the largest year-over-year increases in Peru (81 percent), Vietnam (79 percent), Thailand (57 percent), South Africa (50 percent) and Israel (46 percent).
"Without doubt the new Chevrolet portfolio has been a catalyst for our success around the world," said Tim Lee, president of GM International Operations. "The launch of the Chevrolet brand in South Korea along with tremendous growth in China and across the rest of our international operations is proof that Chevrolet is becoming a first choice for customers around the globe."
Toyota hasn't reported its yearly totals yet, but its most recent estimates put them just behind VW. Toyota sales were hampered by last March's earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
