Toyota Bypasses Ford to Become World's No.2 Automaker

Of course, a common complaint years ago was that U.S. money built up the Japanese (and German) manufacturing industry with new state-of-the-art machinery for the

President Fujio Cho previously stated that Toyota had no intention of overtaking anybody in Detroit. (Photo: Toyota Canada)

time, allowing its revitalized economy to win the economic war fought in the second half of the century. But this and Scheele's comments are old news.

Complaints of what many see as unfair bilateral trading practices in the current market aren't though. Scheele added, "Let's be honest about it. We can't sell in the Japanese market. They sell two million units in the Japanese market. Let's take that out and then see where we are."

Toyota is taking its newfound market leadership in stride mind you. TMC President Fujio Cho has previously stated that

With GM looking over their shoulder, many automotive analysts believe it isn't a matter of if, but when Toyota will grab the number one spot. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

Detroit's "Big Three" are a "presence beyond the clouds in the sky," further saying that Toyota had no intention of overtaking anybody in Detroit.

The global industry leader General Motors is no doubt looking disconcertingly over its shoulder as a very fit Toyota steadily moves up the sales charts, with on end to its progression in sight.

While Toyota's latest achievement gets major news headlines for the shear magnitude of upsetting a 70 year Ford applecart, there isn't an automotive analyst in the world that would consider Toyota's rise up the ladder of success anything but inevitable, it was just a matter of when.