Toyota to Reign in 2007

According to Autopia, for the first time ever, the top selling car company in the world won't be headquartered in the U.S. While GM and Ford are cutting production, Toyota will zoom past GM and produce 9.42 million vehicles across the globe in 2007. GM plans to build 9.181 million vehicles this year. (According to the BBC analysts do not expect GM to increase production significantly in 2007). .... more from Autopia

Toyota becoming number one in the auto industry is not only a blow to GM but to America who has been the leader in car sales for 81 years according to one source. The two rival car giants are now going in opposite directions, with Toyota expecting to add a half million in vehicle sales in 2007, while GM and other American car companies are closing plants and laying off workers. Toyota's rise would also be a victory for its unique corporate culture, the so-called Toyota Way, which is based on an obsession with craftsmanship and constant improvement. It is also a victory for keeping in touch with consumer demands, especially more energy efficient cars, which until this year, perhaps too late, American car companies have chose to ignore, instead offering its gas guzzling models.