The company that knocked GM off its perch

Toyota was the top-selling brand in the United States in 2021, a first for the company.

General Motors had been in the top spot for the last 90 years. But it appears supply chain shortages held it back, according to reports, and it slipped to second after holding on to No. 1 since 1931.

COVID-19 led to a number of supply chain shortages, notably semi-conductors. Toyota was able to keep its production plants running smoother than its American counterparts, helping it produce and sell more vehicles.

Toyota announced it sold a little more than 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. — that’s a 10 per cent jump compared to last year. GM announced 2.2 million vehicle sales in 2021 — a drop of 13 per cent.

The top seller at Toyota was the Rav4, even though it was down 5 per cent compared to last year. The Japanese automaker saw sales boosts from its Camry, Corolla, Highlander and Tacoma lines.

Toyota also noted hat its hybrid sales hit nearly 600,000 sold, up 73 per cent.