After recently being knocked from top spot by Toyota – a position General Motors held for 76 years – it seems likely the United States’ largest car manufacturer will again slip later this year with Volkswagen expected to jump up a spot from third.
According to R.L. Polk, Germany, global new car sales are expected to fall by 19 percent this year, totaling just 52.8 million units, with GM expected to bear more of that burden than VW because of its exposure to the US market.
The US market alone is expected to be down more than 34 per cent this year (as compared to 2008) with some analysts expecting GM’s production to decrease some 31 per cent by the year’s end.
However, VW is much less susceptible to fluctuations in the US market, resulting in a predicted 15 per cent decline in new vehicle production this year. Accordingly, VW will pass GM to become the world’s second largest automaker.
VW has its sights set on becoming number one by early next decade and having just last year displaced Ford’s number three spot, it would seem the German manufacturer is well on its way.
