Japan's Toyota has overtaken US rival General Motors to become the world's biggest carmaker, a spokesman for the company has said.

According to company figures, Toyota sold 2.348 million vehicles in the first three months of 2007. That compares with General Motors (GM)' sales of 2.26 million cars and small trucks during the same period.
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Toyota has enjoyed strong sales on the back of the success of its pioneering hybrid, the Prius, and new models such as the Camry Sedan.

BBC News

...But as Toyota rolls on, its executives are growing concerned about a possible political backlash in the U.S., even though American consumers continue to flock to Toyota dealerships. U.S. lawmakers from manufacturing states charge that the Japanese government has kept the yen artificially low, giving Japanese automakers an advantage.
"We are certainly concerned," Toyota Senior Adviser Hiroshi Okuda said earlier this year, adding that Toyota needed to "significantly" increase the number of foreigners on its board.

Associated Press (Yahoo! biz news)

Edit: added link to same news on Yahoo!