Toyota rallied back from a difficult 2011 to become the top global car manufacturer in 2012, besting General Motors (GM) for the number one spot.
The automaker faced many obstacles in 2011, ranging from the declining global economy to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami that hindered production. But it returned to the top in 2012, selling an estimated 9.7 million vehicles to drivers around the world.
According to The Washington Post, rebounding from the natural disasters that struck Toyota's Japanese headquarters was only part of the comeback. The company also performed vehicle maintenance on some of its offerings, including the Camry, which is the top-selling car in the U.S.
In contrast, GM sold approximately 9.2 million models in the past 12 months, which is almost a 3 percent increase in the number of vehicles sold compared to 2011 but not enough to retain the title of the number one global manufacturer. It was boosted by strong sales of Chevrolet cars, and the success of the brand has moved its models to the forefront of GM's worldwide campaigns, The Detroit Free Press reports. Chevrolet will be releasing 13 new cars in the U.S. in 2013 and 12 in other international markets, in addition to revamping their slogan and advertisements.