RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: NPR's Sonari Glinton reports on what being number one could mean for GM.</s>SONARI GLINTON: Unidentified Group: (Chanting) We're number one. We're number one. We're number one.</s>GM: Go GM.</s>SONARI GLINTON: That's not how GM is handling the news this time. Alan Adler is a GM spokesman, and he's more like, meh.</s>ALAN ADLER: We don't run the business based on being the number-one sales company. We had that for 77 years.</s>SONARI GLINTON: Adler says he'd rather GM be profitable and valuable to its shareholders.</s>ALAN ADLER: We run the business based on designing - building and selling the world's best vehicles. Now, if that works out to make you number one, then that's a great thing.</s>REBECCA LINDLAND: The automaker will always deny that they care.</s>SONARI GLINTON: Rebecca Lindland is an analyst with IHS Automotive. She says being number one for GM does come with some upsides.</s>REBECCA LINDLAND: You know, the number one automaker in the world has a nice ring to it, especially the way that they're doing it now, where they would be profitable and be able to make that claim.</s>SONARI GLINTON: Sonari Glinton, NPR News.
General Motors is about to surpass Toyota in sales. That's after Toyota cut its sales projections following supply chain disruption because of this year's earthquake and tsunami. The last time GM beat Toyota worldwide was in 2008.