The list of 10 top car makers of the world is compiled by the Automotive News Data Center as per the global units sales in the first half of 2009.
- Toyota : Toyota Motor Corporation is the world's largest car manufacturer. It has sold 3,564,105 units in the first half of 2009 compared to 4,815,442 units in the first half of 2008. Though Toyota reported an annual net loss of US$4.4 billion on May 8, 2009, it could still emerge as the world's largest car maker.
- General Motors : General Motors is the world's second-largest car maker. General Motors could sell 3,552,722 units compared to last year's 4,541,125 units. General Motors was world's number one car company for consecutive 77 years from 1931 to 2007.
- Volkswagen : The Volkswagen Group is the world's third largest car maker. It sold 3,100.300 units this year compared to 3,265,200 units of previous year's. The German luxury car company was founded on May 28, 1937 under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler wanted a "people's car". Volkswagen literally means "people's car" in German.
- Hyundai-Kia : Hyundai-Kia has emerged as the world's fourth largest car manufacturer. The car company showed global sales for the first half of 2009 at 2,153,000 units. Hyundai Motor Company was established in 1967. It became the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group when Hyundai Motor Company purchased 51% of Kia Motors in 1998.
- Ford : Presently, Ford Motor Company is world's fifth largest car manufacturer with 2,145,000 units of global sales. This year, Hyundai-Kia edged out Ford of the fourth position. In 2007, Ford fell from second to third-ranked car maker for the first time in 56 years, behind only General Motors and Toyota.
- PSA Peugeot-Citroen : The French car company sold 1,586,900 units in 2009. Last year it showed a sale of 1,844,700 units.
- Honda : The Honda Motor Company secures the seventh place with sales units of 1,586,000 compared to last year's 2,022,00 units. Honda is the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines..
- Nissan : Nissan Motors is in the eight position with 1,545,976 units. Last year it sold 2,013,611 units in the first half. Due to poor financial condition, Nissan entered an alliance with Renault S.A. of France in 1999.
- Suzuki : Suzuki Motor Corporation is the ninth largest car manufacturer in the world. The car company sold 1.152,000 units this year compared to 2008's 1,283,000 units.
- Renault : Renault is the world's tenth largest car maker with 1,106,989 units this year. Last year, it sold 1.326,164 units.The Nissan-Renault Alliance is world's fourth largest car maker if their individual units were taken together. Nissan-Renault Alliance sold 2,652,965 units this year.
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