Drive On: Toyota building global sales lead over GM

Toyota executives say they don't care about being the world's top selling automaker, but we suspect they do.

Toyota is widening its lead over General Motors when it comes to global auto sales, putting it squarely on the comeback after its quality debacle in the U.S. and the earthquake and tsunami that several damaged factories in Japan in March 2010, various news sources reported last week.

Toyota's sales are up 28% this year while GM's are almost flat by comparison, up 2.5%, the Associated Press points out. It's on track to win back its world sales leader crown that it lost to GM. Of course, the reason Toyota argues that being the world's top sales leader doesn't really matter is because it would much rather be the world's most profitable automaker. Who are we to argue?

Toyota reported selling 7.4 million vehicles globally during the first nine months of the year, which is 450,000 more than General Motors, the AP reports.

GM won't be happy about being No. 2, because it might stay there very long. Volkswagen had indicated it would just love to be the world's top sales leader, and it could displace GM in the second spot in the next few years.