General Motors raced past rivals Volkswagen and Toyota to reclaim its title as the world’s biggest automaker — a spot it held for 70 years before losing it to Toyota in 2008.
GM rebounded from bankruptcy and a government bailout to sell 9.03 million vehicles last year, nearly half of them Chevrolet models.
Fast-growing Volkswagen sold 8.15 million vehicles, while Toyota, hurt by Japan’s devastating tsunami and supply shortages, sold 7.9million.
“The title is not just bragging rights,” said auto analyst Kristen Andersson at TrueCar.com, which tracks the industry. “It shows GM is now making products people really want to buy.”
GM shares have risen 30 percent in the last month to close yesterday at $24.82. Paul Tharp