STEVE INSKEEP, host:
Let's check in now on the old economy - the auto industry. Toyota has been creeping up on General Motors with many people predicting the Japanese automaker would overtake GM as the world's number one in terms of sales. Hasn't happened yet. The latest numbers are out and GM is still ahead - just barely. Analysts are calling it a virtual tie.
NPR's Anthony Brooks has more.
ANTHONY BROOKS: If this were an election, the results would be contested and would probably have to be settled in court. That's how close the competition is between General Motors, which has held the title of world's largest automaker for the past 76 years, and Toyota, whose share of the U.S. market has more than doubled since 1990.
Here are the numbers. GM says it sold just over 9,369,000 vehicles last year. Toyota says it sold roughly 9.37 million vehicles. In other words, the global sales race is too close to call. But Paul Eisenstein, publisher of the CarConnection.com, says the numbers show that Toyota is poised to take the lead.
Mr. PAUL EISENSTEIN (CarConnection.com): Barring some unforeseen setback, it almost certainly will take the title as the number one automaker in the world come 2008. The big question is, what does that mean? Does it really matter?
BROOKS: The answer is yes and no. Being number one certainly gives a company bragging rights. But more important is profitability, and on that front Toyota has been ahead of GM for some time. But the new sales numbers show encouraging news for GM as well. It sold more than a million vehicles in China last year and sales are booming in Latin America and Russia.
Anthony Brooks, NPR News, Boston.