Toyota Surpasses GM In Sales For First Time

LOS ANGELES - APRIL 24: Rows of Toyotas are parked in a line at the world's largest auto dealership, Longo Toyota, which enjoys continued strong sales after a record quarterly report for Toyota April 24, 2007 in El Monte, California. Japan-based Toyota has announced that it has overtaken American auto giant General Motors (GM) with worldwide sales reaching 2.35 million cars and trucks in the first quarter of 2007. GM announced its total for the same period was 2.26 million. As Toyota increased sales in every major market, GM gained market share in China but continued to struggle at home and in Europe and has never penetrated far into Japanese market. Toyota's achievement marks another milestone in the long decline of industrial dominance by U.S. car makers. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)