Skip advert
Advertisement

GM back on top

Posting some impressive international sales figures, General Motors once again becomes the worlds largest car company

General Motors re-overtakes Toyota to become the world's best-selling car company once again, shifting over 9 million vehicles worldwide, the Detroit-manufacturer's best ever result.

The biggest driver for this victory has been Chevrolet's worldwide sales-effort, accounting for 4.76 million of GM's result, with some big increases in sales in both emerging and developed markets. 15 countries have the biggest year-on-year increase ever, including Peru (81 percent), Vietnam (79 percent), Thailand (57 percent), South Africa (50 percent) and Israel (46 percent).

Advertisement - Article continues below

Chevrolet's biggest seller was the Cruze, with over 670,000 sold internationally in 2011 alone. GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson was incredibly happy about the result, and said: 'Chevrolet's impressive growth in both established and developing markets is the result of a strong new product lineup that meets the diverse needs of consumers around the world. In addition to Chevrolet's record-setting sales, the entire lineup of GM vehicles is meeting customer needs for fuel-efficient cars and work vehicles as well as unmatched luxury.'

Previous world leader, Toyota, has been very badly affected throughout the year by the Japanese Tsunami and aftermath, which will have undoubtedly had an impact on sales. The Japanese giant suffered parts shortages and production problems throughout the year, also affected badly by the Thailand floods. 

Market Total 2011 Sales

United States

Brazil

China

Russia

Mexico

Canada

Argentina

Uzbekistan

India

Colombia

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Yangwang’s U9X breaks the 500km/h barrier, but SSC’s record still stands
Yangwang U9 Xtreme
News

Yangwang’s U9X breaks the 500km/h barrier, but SSC’s record still stands

The Yangwang U9 Xtreme is now the world’s first car to go faster than 500km/h, though not over a two-way run average
6 Nov 2026
900 miles in the Maserati MCPura – daily driving Italy’s underrated supercar
Maserati MCPura Cielo
Long term tests

900 miles in the Maserati MCPura – daily driving Italy’s underrated supercar

Maserati’s MCPura is as pricey as it is imperfect, but never let it be said it’s a supercar you can’t enjoy every day
8 Nov 2026
Why 2020 supercars are destined to be the next icons – car pictures of the week
Eras supercars 2020s
Features

Why 2020 supercars are destined to be the next icons – car pictures of the week

More hybridisation, turbocharging, increasing performance and tightening regulations. Did the 2020s stifle the supercar? Not one bit
7 Nov 2026