Toyota first became the world’s largest automaker by sales in 2008.
Toyota overtook General Motors in worldwide vehicle sales during 2008, ending GM’s 77-year run as the industry’s annual sales leader. Toyota’s rise reflected strong global demand for models such as the Corolla, Camry, and Prius, along with expanding production and sales operations across North America, Europe, and Asia.
The timing was historically striking because the global financial crisis damaged vehicle demand during the same year. GM suffered a sharp sales decline, while Toyota also faced falling demand and later reported its first annual loss in decades. Becoming the sales leader therefore marked a high point in Toyota’s international expansion, not the beginning of uninterrupted growth.
Some sources distinguish between the calendar year in which Toyota surpassed GM and later rankings or announcements based on reporting conventions. Nevertheless, 2008 is the standard answer for Toyota’s first annual worldwide-sales lead. The neighboring years in the choices—2007, 2009, and 2010—do not identify the initial takeover year.