Akio Toyoda, grandson of Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda, is more than just a businessman. The 66-year-old president is a true enthusiast, with cars like the Yaris, Supra and Corolla created under him. At the same time, Akio Toyoda is an avid racing driver and has competed in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring several times.
When he’s not on the track, like any head of the automaker, he keeps track of sales. And recently Akio Toyoda said that after learning that Toyota surpassed General Motors in the United States last year, he “danced a bit of happiness” in his office.
Indeed, in 2021 Toyota sold 2,332,262 vehicles in the US, while GM sold 2,218,228. Of course, 114,034 isn’t much of a difference with such volumes, nevertheless, the win over GM in their home field is impressive.
When the numbers were released in early 2022, GM spokesman Jim Caine told Reuters, “I wouldn’t rush if I [Toyota]and wouldn’t have tattooed “We are No. 1” yet.
This year, Toyota also outperformed GM in the first quarter, but the North American automaker recovered in the second quarter. Both companies faced a shortage of parts, and they had to set up production and assemble cars waiting for the missing parts.
Speaking to CNBC earlier this year, Jack Hollis, Toyota North America’s Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations, said the company’s goal was not to beat GM’s sales. He went on to admit that such a situation is unlikely to happen again: “Yeah, we’ve really outdone General Motors in sales. But just to be clear, this is not our goal and we don’t see it as sustainable.”
A picture: AP/TAS