Toyota tops GM to become no 1 car producer

Toyota Motor Corp overtook General Motors Corp of the United States to become the world's biggest automaker in terms of units produced after GM announced its production figures for 2007 on Friday.
Toyota manufactured 9,497,754 units across the world in 2007--the figure includes vehicles made by subsidiaries such as Daihatsu Motor Co and Hino Motors Ltd--up 5.3 percent on the previous year.
In its announcement, which came early Saturday Japan time, GM said it produced 9,285,000 units last year--up 1.1 percent on 2006.
Toyota's rise to the top of the automobile industry puts an end to GM's 76-year reign as the world's leading producer of automobiles. GM replaced Ford Motor Co as the top automaker in 1931.
It has taken Toyota 70 years since its establishment in 1937 to climb to the top of the production tree. In 1997, Toyota's global production was 4,892,000 vehicles--more than 3 million units behind GM. However, in the years following, Toyota bought out Daihatsu and Hino, and strengthened its local production system by putting factories into operation in such places as France, Russia, Texas and Guangzhou, China.
Toyota expanded its overseas production and now has 53 bases in 27 countries and territories--almost doubling production in the past decade.
In terms of total units sold globally in 2007, GM has maintained a slender lead of just 3,106 vehicles over second-placed Toyota.
With Toyota vehicles selling well, the company has increased production to ensure the company has sufficient stock to meet demand.