Toyota Still Global Top Seller Amid Boycott

Toyota has shrugged off anti-Japanese sentiment in China to remain the world's top selling carmaker for the first half of this year.

It sold 4.91 million cars and trucks around the world for the January-June period - 26,830 vehicles daily.

Although the sales figure was down 1.2% from the previous year it still outpaced US rival General Motors (GM).

Earlier this month, GM revealed it sold 4.85 million vehicles worldwide in the six months, growing almost 4% as it gained US sales faster than Toyota.

For the second quarter alone, GM had a slight edge, outselling Toyota by about 10,000 vehicles.

GM was the top-selling manufacturer for seven decades before losing that title to the Japanese brand in 2008.

The American carmaker, which owns marques such as Chevrolet, Vauxhall, Opel, Pontiac and Hummer, retook the spot in 2011.

That was at a time when Toyota's plants were slowed by an earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan that wiped out parts suppliers.

Toyota has since recovered and was at the top again last year even as sales in China were hurt by boycotts of Japanese goods over a territorial dispute.

It has also suffered successive vehicle recalls over safety concerns.

The Japanese firm stayed ahead of GM in the first half of 2013 because of solid sales in other regions.

The maker of the Prius hybrid, Yaris and Verso also did better than expected in Japan, where the car market has been stagnant for years.

Volkswagen AG of Germany, which includes Audi, Porsche and Bentley, trailed Toyota and GM in the global race, selling 4.7 million vehicles during the first half of this year.

Yet it is posting strong growth in countries such as China, offsetting a bleak European market, and it is also determined to become the world's premier brand.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda said sales were not the only measure of excellence, and profitability, quality of workers and productivity were also significant.

"What truly defines being number one is an eternal pursuit for which there is never an answer," he said earlier this week.