Toyota, GM, Volkswagen Fight for World Sales – Record Year

As the final days of 2012 pass by, automakers globally are calculating their sales figures and presenting preliminary data to see who has bragging rights, and to determine who will have a happier new year. We’ve all heard how tough it’s been for the auto industry worldwide since the recession in 2008/2009, but it seems that world markets are finally on the jump again (except Europe). The North American and Asian markets have showed continuous growth in the past few years, and the battle for the top spot is getting hotter by the minute.

After suffering enormous sales losses in 2011 due to the Earthquake & Tsunami in Japan, Toyota has rebounded worldwide. Despite Japan’s recently ignited tensions with China (which saw Toyota’s dealerships get vandalized), the automaker is still poised to take the first spot away from America’s General Motors. GM initially lost it`s top-spot a couple of years ago to Toyota, but after the damage to supply routes and factory infrastructure in Japan in 2011, GM regained the number one spot.

Now, not only is GM not in the first spot, it is fighting a tooth and nail battle for second place with Volkswagen, Europe`s and Germany`s leading car maker. With 80 million+ vehicles being sold worldwide this year (for the first time ever), GM and Volkswagen enter the final weeks with less than a 1% difference in their sales figures. It`s too close a race to call right now, but the top-spot should be revealed in early 2013, and the winner will take the crown.