LOCAL Toyota Exceeds GM in Sales

from WDIV Detroit TV 4


General Motors, after more than 75 years as the No. 1 automaker in the U.S. and the world, has been surpassed by Toyota. In the first quarter, Toyota sold 2.35 million vehicles, while GM sold 2.26 million.

This is something analysts had predicted but weren't expecting these changes until later on in the year -- not in the first quarter. Toyota has had the No. 1 selling car for the last several years in the Toyota Camry. And Toyota has built a reputation for quality and for building better fuel efficient vehicles.

GM announced a restructuring plan in November of 2005 that called for closing 12 plants by 2008, slashing its workforce, reducing capacity and cutting costs.