January 18, 2007:
General Motors Corp.'s global sales in 2006 fell slightly from a year earlier as the Detroit auto maker moved to offset sales losses in the U.S. with growth in emerging regions such as China. GM, which is in the midst of a massive restructuring of its unprofitable North American operations, sold 9.09 million vehicles world-wide in 2006, compared with 9.17 million in 2005. GM will be in a tight race with Toyota Motor Corp. this year to retain its status as the world's top-selling auto maker.
GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner has said he isn't ready to cede the top spot to the Japanese auto maker without a fight, despite projections showing Toyota might take the lead.
GM's U.S. sales were down 8.7% in 2006 at 4.12 million vehicles. Some of the drop in U.S. sales was planned, as GM sold 75,000 fewer vehicles to rental-car companies in 2006 as it focuses on more-profitable sales to retail customers.
Though GM has struggled in its home market, the auto maker had an 18% sales increase in the Asia/Pacific region and 17% growth in its Latin America, Africa and Middle East business. In China, GM had a 32% gain from 2005 and was the top-selling car maker in that country, with sales of 877,000.
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