GM returns to the lead.
Earthquake and recall shake the credibility and sales of Japanese giant Toyota and benefit its American rival.
247, with information from international agencies - The tragic earthquake that shook Japan also shook the Japanese automotive giant, Toyota. Accustomed to occupying the pole position in the world ranking, the company lost first place to its American arch-rival, General Motors. Toyota's image and credibility were already compromised by the massive recall of 14 million vehicles it had to carry out last year.
Following the tragedy, company executives announced that the industry will only resume normal production in November or December. So far, Toyota has seen a decrease in its production of 260 vehicles. Last year, GM sold 8,39 million cars worldwide, compared to Toyota's 8,42 million. The improvement in GM's sales occurred in the world's main markets, China and the US, and should put it back in the position of world leader in the sector.