Toyota logoTOKYO (AP) – Toyota sold 4.97 million vehicles globally in the first six months of this year, a strong result that could see the Japanese automaker regain its crown as the world’s top automaker from General Motors Co.
The number, released Wednesday, underlines Toyota Motor Corp.’s powerful rebound from a period of dismal sales, and the resilience of its brand as it gains traction in new markets such as China and Southeast Asia while clawing back lost market share in the U.S.
Toyota’s production was hit by the quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan last year and then by flooding in Thailand, which is an important production base for the automaker. Before those disasters, its sales were dented by massive U.S. recalls, totaling more than 14 million vehicles since the quality control problems emerged three years ago.
GM, which was No. 1 in world auto sales last year, plans to release first-half global sales Aug. 2. Its vehicle sales will total 4.56 million, even if it merely matches the first-quarter pace, and will likely approach 4.7 million vehicles, given its strong performance in China and the U.S., its two largest markets.
GM had held the global sales crown for more than seven decades before losing it to Toyota in 2008 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.