Toyota: 2011 sales under 8 million, lost the world record

Toyota announced a steep drop in auto sales in 2011. The data is fell below the threshold of 8 million, to 7,95 millionthus making it official the loss of the world record by the Japanese company after 3 years of domination. The Japanese automaker has seen itself overtaken not only by the Americans by General Motors (9,03 million sales), but also by the German Volkswagen (8,16 million) and the Japanese-French alliance Nissan-Renault (8,03 million). The reasons for the contraction, -6% compared to the 8,42 million units sold in 2010, are to be found above all in the natural catastrophes (earthquake and tsunami) which have devastated Japan and Thailand.