VW aims for the top spot: Watch out Toyota and GM - the VW Group now has plans to be the world's biggest car maker

摘要

One of last year's most heavily speculated-upon topics in the global car industry was whether Toyota would overtake GM for the position of world's biggest car company and, when it did, if GM would be able to regain the top spot. The two companies have been trading the number one position for the past 12 months. But there is a dogfight brewing for third. The Volkswagen Group intends to build eight million vehicles a year by 2011 from its current figure of just over six million. If it succeeds it will pass Ford, which is still shutting US factories rather than growing. Ford made 6.6m vehicles last year; Volkswagen made 6,2m. But Volkswagen's intention, referred to at its recent AGM, is not to stay put at third but to go to the top.