GM: once a global giant, now regional player

Back in the early 2000s, General Motors vied for top spot in the global rankings with Toyota. In 2000, both companies produced and sold around 8.5 million vehicles worldwide. Since then Toyota has grown to around ten million in 2023 and more than 9.5 million in 2024. However, GM has fallen back, having sold its Opel/Vauxhall unit in Europe and withdrawn from Australia, India, and South Africa. Having once been a truly global player, it now operates in three regions: namely its home North American market, China (along with a legacy production operation in Korea) and South America, with manufacturing operations in Brazil and Argentina. Production, according to Automotive World data, totalled just 5.4 million in 2023, falling to 5.2 million in 2024.