TOKYO (AP) — Toyota remained the top-selling automaker
for a second year in a row, beating U.S. rival General Motors by some
270,000 vehicles in 2013, and set an ambitious target to sell more than
10 million vehicles this year.
That would mark a milestone as no automaker has ever topped annual worldwide sales of 10 million.
Toyota
Motor Corp. said Thursday it sold a record 9.98 million vehicles
worldwide last year, up 2 percent from the previous year.
The
Japanese automaker has made an impressive comeback from an earthquake
and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan in 2011, damaging auto
suppliers and hobbling production.
Toyota also outlined plans to sell 10.32 million vehicles and produce 10.43 million vehicles in 2014.
General Motors Co. sold 9.71 million cars and trucks worldwide last year, outselling Volkswagen AG of
Germany at 9.5 million.
Toyota
recaptured the global sales crown in 2012 from GM, which had been the
top-selling carmaker for more than seven decades until being surpassed
by Toyota in 2008.
Toyota, which makes the Camry sedan, Prius
hybrid and Lexus luxury models, had strong sales growth last year in
overseas markets, although sales fell in long stagnant Japan.
Toyota’s
U.S. sales totaled nearly 2.24 million vehicles, up 7 percent from the
previous year. Its China sales were also strong, surging 9 percent to
917,000.
Toyota remained optimistic about prospects this year for
both regions, expecting sales to grow 3 percent in the U.S. to 2.3
million vehicles, while adding 20 percent in China sales to 1.1 million.
The
company was typically low-key about the bragging rights for being No.
1, reiterating its comments from previous years that it was merely
making one car at a time to appeal to global consumers.
GM has
also expressed similar sentiments, but being the top seller is a key
morale booster for the employees and related companies. The healthy
results at the three rivals reflect the momentum of growth in the auto
industry.
Toyota has undergone tough times in recent years, such
as a massive recall fiasco in the U.S. involving more than 14 million
vehicles for sticky gas pedals, faulty floor mats, problematic brakes
and many other defects, spanning several years from 2009.
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