Cartoon: Toyotas and Social Security

Toyota Catches General Motors

After more than seven decades as the world's biggest automaker, General Motors Corp. now has to share the title with Toyota Motor Corp., at least until the Japanese giant offers further clarity on its 2007 sales totals.

GM said Wednesday that worldwide sales rose 3% to 9,369,524 million cars and trucks in 2007 -- the second-best global sales total in company history.

Toyota earlier this month posted sales of 9.37 million, but hasn't given a final number down to the last vehicle sold. It may never release that figure.

"[Toyota's] consistent practice in years past has been to report out to two decimal places only," company spokesman Mike Michels said. "It is unlikely that this will change. It would seem that the so-called sales race is a tie."

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It was a good run for GM.