Toyota’s Global Output Tops GM in 2007; Japanese Market Contracts

Toyota Motor Corp. says its global production reached 9,497,754 vehicles in 2007, besting General Motors Corp. with 9.284 million.

Toyota’s result, which includes the Toyota, Daihatsu and Hino brands, represent a 5.3% increase over 2006.

Last week, GM said it had maintained its lead over Toyota in 2007 global sales, albeit by a slim margin, with 9,369,524 deliveries vs. Toyota’s official figure of 9,366,418 released late last week.

Toyota’s worldwide production represents a record, with overseas output seeing gains for the 16th straight year to 4,378,123 units, an 11.3% increase over 2006.

Toyota exported 2,878,662 vehicles in 2007, up 6.1% from prior-year. In Japan, domestic output also set a record, although basically remaining flat, up just 0.7% to 5,119,631.

Rival Honda Motor Co. Ltd. says its global output in 2007 set a record, despite a slump in Japan (Honda’s first since 2003), with 3,911,813 units, for a 7.7% gain over 2006. In North America, the auto maker set an all-time production record of 1,432,731 units, up 3.4% from prior-year.

Production in all other regions grew as well, with Honda’s Chinese builds soaring 31.6% to 468,998 units. The auto maker’s total overseas production in 2007 rose 12.1% to 2,579,969 vehicles, a record tally.

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. says its global production in 2007 climbed 6.2% to 3,431,398 units.

While its U.S. production fell 5.4% last year, overseas output of 2,252,318 vehicles represented a record, marking the first time Nissan has built more than 2 million units outside Japan.

All three Japanese auto makers released December results today as well, with each suffering a drop in domestic sales.

Toyota’s December production in Japan was down for the first time in five months, while sales fell for the first time in three months. Lexus deliveries tumbled 34.5% in Japan compared with year-ago.

As with Toyota, Honda’s December results declined in Japan, with production down for a fourth straight month and sales slipped for the 12th consecutive month.

Nissan was the only one of the Japan Three to see an uptick in production at home last month, thanks to demand for its new small CUVs in the U.S., the Nissan Rogue and Infiniti EX. However, sales dipped 2.7% compared with year-ago, albeit the smallest decrease among the top auto makers.