GM passes Toyota for Q2

GM has surpassed Toyota in global sales for the second quarter of the year but still remains in the number two spot for the first six months. GM managed to regain the top spot despite falling demand for its products in its largest market, the US, and its global sales were up overall by 10,000 units over last year's result for the same period, an increase of 1.7%. Toyota has sold a total of 4.716 million vehicles for the first six months compared with GM's tally of 4.674 million units, but the gap between each carmaker's results has narrowed in the second quarter to just 42,000 units.

Toyota ranked in as the largest carmaker in the world in terms of sales last year and is on track to be in the number one position again this year, Reuters reports.

GM's second quarter sales rise can be accounted for by the rising demand in every other market except its home turf, which dropped 7% for the period. Sales outside of the US totaled 1.39 million units and this and the yearly tally should increase by roughly 400,000 to 500,000 cars according to GM's chief sales analyst Paul Ballew.