mmarshall

In terms of world-sales, even after bankrupcy and 4 of its divisions lost a couple of years ago, GM is now back on top again. Buick's huge popularity in China, of course, helps, but, in general, their vehicles are just becoming more competitive now. Buick's new Verano, for instance, despite my admitted like for Subarus, has (almost) made a convert out of me.

VW has also seen a lot of success lately. They are now in the #2 spot worldwide.

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...st-automaker/1

Roaring back from bankruptcy reorganization, General Motors has retaken the title of world's top-selling automaker. Volkswagen was second and Toyota, which had been No. 1, in previous years, fell to third.

General Motors took the top spot by selling just over 9 million cars and trucks across the globe, the Associated Press reports. Fast-growing Volkswagen had 8.2 million and Toyota, devastated by Japan's earthquake and tsunami in March, sold 7.9 million.

The AP notes that GM had held the global sales crown for more than seven decades before losing it to Toyota as GM's sales tanked while it headed toward financial ruin. In 2009, GM filed for bankruptcy protection, needing a U.S. government bailout to survive.

GM's comeback has been powered by well-regarded models that sell around the world, like the Chevrolet Cruze. Not only did GM sell a lot of cars, it also made some good money doing it -- in constrast to past year when big sales didn't necessarily translate to healthy profits. The company reported net income of $7.1 billion for the first three quarters of last year. It reports the fourth quarter next month.

Toyota is aiming for a comeback this year and has predicted that it will sell 8.48 million vehicles in 2012.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

GM retakes global sales crown with over 9M units shifted in 2011

Look who's back on top again? Just 30 months since General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, the Detroit-based automaker can once again call itself the world's largest. GM sold just over 9 million vehicles globally in 2011, its highest sales total ever, while chief rival Toyota may slip as far as third place, according to TheDetroitBureau.com, which reports that Volkswagen will pass Toyota to claim the runner-up spot.

Led by a record-setting 4.76 million sales year from Chevrolet, GM saw sales rise in all four of its reporting regions. The company says it now claims 11.9 percent of the global market. Sales in the U.S. were up 13 percent with 1.7 million vehicles sold.

It wasn't a good year for Toyota, the largest carmaker by sales volume for the past three years, since unseating GM in 2008. The Japanese manufacturer experienced production interruptions from the earthquake and resultant tsunami in Japan in early 2011, and then again when Thailand experienced widespread flooding later in the year.

While GM's legion of critics will no doubt point to the natural disasters in an attempt to diminish the significance of GM reclaiming the top spot, the company has to be feeling pretty good about its accomplishments last year. Not that being number one matters that much. As analyst Aaron Bragman of IHS Automotive tells The Bureau, "Being biggest in the world is not necessarily an advantage to anyone."

But it's certainly good for bragging rights and positive morale. As they say in sports, "scoreboard, baby."

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/19/g...ifted-in-2011/

mmarshall

To be honest, though, there are still some of what I would call unimpressive GM products, at least here in America, with lackluster build-quality and some sub-standard parts in them. But there is no question that the very latest models (the overpriced Volt, perhaps, being an exception) are showing a lot of promise. And, IMO one of GM's currently-best products, the existing Chevy Malibu, is actually several years old now. And the Cadillac CTS Sportwagon, despite its worse-than-average repair record, is, IMO, a dynamite vehicle inside and out.

I8ABMR

They were the biggest before and still produced garbage. They are better now, but I am more into the quality not just the numbers.

Fizzboy7

I'm a bit worried for Toyota and Honda. From early indications, the new Camry is not selling wildly like the previous model's debut and the recently shown Accord Coupe displays nothing new or different from the current model. If ever there was a chance for the American companies to hopscotch up, it's now.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

this is in part due to the Camry's competitors being competitive in today's segment. Something many of them lacked even 5 years ago

Fizzboy7

Maybe. What got me worried was reading the numbers in the article. Apparently the new model is selling as well as the old model, when an all new model should be selling much higher. If the numbers are that way now, the Camry is in for trouble once the newness wears off and it's just another car in it's class for sale.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

vehicle sales go up and down like the stock market. Consumer taste, social trends, government mandates all dictate yearly results. In this case styling aside, I think the Camry has a little something for everyone (sans AWD), 4 cylinder, 6 cylinder, and hybrid guise's. Then their's those bucking the trend such as the current Sonata, 2013 Fusion, and 2013 Malibu which will all be 4 cylinder. That said things are changing. The Camry won't always be the best selling sedan, nor with the F-Series (eventually) be the best selling vehicle. Nothing lasts forever. The Ford Mustang is better than its Chevy Camaro counterpart in nearly every way yet the Camaro sold more units in 2011. Change is happening to this industry every day, buckle up!

Blackraven

Most of what General Motors makes are mostly hits.

Though yeah
There are some GM cars that I think are ****ty and definitely down there (like the rent-a-car looking Orlando MPV or the POS known as the Escalade).

P.S.
I'm the opposite. Atm, I'd rather get a Camaro ZL1 over a Ford Mustang (even if the latter is a superb vehicle).

The deciding factor: Lack of automatic transmission is a deal-breaker for me.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

That's true in my NYC metro area too.
Not seeing many on the road.

I've owned a '07 loaded XLE and a '11 loaded Hybrid Camry( dumped after bad rear end hit) but I don't like the new '12 exterior design at all.

mmarshall

One thing, IMO, that Toyota needs to consider with the new Camry, that it hasn't done yet, is to bring back the AWD All-Trac version to America, which we haven't seen for almost 20 years. They would give some competition to the Ford Fusion AWD.

I8ABMR

I think what hanging the camry is the fact that it barely looks different from the last generation. When you have cars like the KIA optima next to the camry it just looks boring and dull. The KIA looks like a european car and is fresh and new. Also the camry is so played out. I can only imagine being in traffic and seeing your car 50 million times a day. Makes the car that much less special in my book

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

VW takes issue with claim that GM is world's largest automaker

We hope General Motors hasn't started planning that ticker-tape parade down Jefferson Avenue yet, as Volkswagen has apparently taken issue with the notion that GM might again be the world's largest automaker.

According to The Wall Street Journal, VW has said it will be adding some 200,000 units to its previously released sales total, contributions from some commercial truck manufacturers that are subsidiaries. Moreover, the WSJ has called into question GM's practice of counting the vehicles sold by two Chinese partners in which GM does not have a controlling interest. Liuzhou Wuling Motors sold 1.2 million vehicles in China last year, according to the report, which the Journal says some analysts don't count in tabulating their numbers. If those vehicles were excluded from GM's nine million vehicle sales total, it would drop behind VW.

Further controversy may cloud third place on the list, as the Nissan-Renault partnership may have passed Toyota in the rankings, according to the report. That is, if you accept the notion that Nissan and Renault are one company and that Renault's AvtoVAZ subsidiary should have its sales numbers count. Renault has a 25-percent state in the Russian company, notes the report.

Since there's little agreement about what rules should govern the accounting, until one of the top four really separates itself from the rest and pushes its total sales over 10 million vehicles, we will likely continue to see the annual global sales championship end in argument. VW, for what it's worth, seems hell-bent on becoming the undisputed largest car company, having repeatedly stated its intention to top 10 million sales.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/20/v...est-automaker/
____

Lol VW is at it AGAIN

jimbosr1

i will not buy a gm product untill they pay there debt off.they still owe us 50 billion dollars!

L3XOTIC

GM quality is alot better then Ford and forget Dodge. Period.