General Motors again took the top spot in the automobile industry as the number one global auto company, in terms of autos sold. In 2009, Toyota stripped GM of the title it previously held for years (1). Toyota took the number two spot in the wake of its recalling of 8.1 million cars and its slashing of production due to the March earthquake in Japan. However, it wasn't just the misfortune of another firm that put GM on the top. One of the driving forces behind GM's position is its sales in emerging markets, specifically those in China. General Motors alone sold 1.27 million autos in the China in the first half of 2011. Bolstering sales in China is GM's Buick brand, one that was nearly on the chopping block due to lagging sales in the U.S. In 2009, GM sold four times as many Buicks in China than they did in the U.S. In fact, the Buick brand and its developments within the industry helped GM convince the federal government that with the bailout funds they received the company could eventually turn a corner (2). China now stands as the premier market for the Buick brand. Buick models and new technology within current models often appear in China before they appear in the U.S. market (3). Expanding the Buick brand in China and its other brands in emerging markets have helped put GM on top.
While GM leads in sales worldwide, there is a different leader in terms of brand equity. Toyota, despite its hardships that caused it to drop to number two in terms of sales, holds the highest brand value of any global auto maker. The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study ranked car makers by combining financial reports with consumer opinions. BMW previously had the most valuable car brand in 2010. Toyota's brand value in 2011 is estimated at $24.2 million (4). General Motors was not within the world's 10 most valuable car brands, according to the BrandZ study (5).
Sources
(1) http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/08/05/gm-reclaims-crown-as-no-1-global-car-company/
(2) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37361381/ns/business-autos/t/buick-may-owe-its-survival-china/#.TpzarGb_kcg
(3) http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/05/gm-sells-3-millionth-buick-in-china/1
(4) http://www.egmcartech.com/2011/05/09/toyota-overtakes-bmw-as-most-valuable-global-car-brand-in-2011-brandz-ranking/
(5) http://www.millwardbrown.com/BrandZ/Default/Categories/cars.aspx
(Image) http://www.automotorblog.com/gm-china-stands-to-sell-more-than-gm-usa/
