Earlier this week, news broke that the Volkswagen Auto Group would be passing Toyota to become the world's largest automaker. It wasn't that long ago when Toyota passed General Motors for the same honor. My question is: Do car buyers care which automaker is number one?

I personally think that the automotive press is much more interested than the general public is, although there is one exception: When GM lost the crown to Toyota. That made news because GM had been number one for so long, because Toyota had long been ascending towards the sales crown, and because GM was struggling mightily and sliding towards its eventually bankruptcy. But I don't think the news about Volkswagen outpacing Toyota resonates nearly as much.

Of course, that's just one journalist's opinion. We in the media love "horse-race" coverage. But does the general car-buying public notice? I ask the Zazhub community, particularly those who may be buying a new vehicle soon, to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Labels: GM, Toyota, VW