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GM Poised To Reclaim World's No. 1 Automaker Title

RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:

NPR's Sonari Glinton reports on what being number one could mean for GM.

SONARI GLINTON: Unidentified Group: (Chanting) We're number one. We're number one. We're number one.

GM: Go GM.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)

GLINTON: That's not how GM is handling the news this time. Alan Adler is a GM spokesman, and he's more like, meh.

ALAN ADLER: We don't run the business based on being the number-one sales company. We had that for 77 years.

GLINTON: Adler says he'd rather GM be profitable and valuable to its shareholders.

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.

REBECCA LINDLAND: The automaker will always deny that they care.

(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)

GLINTON: Rebecca Lindland is an analyst with IHS Automotive. She says being number one for GM does come with some upsides.

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.

GLINTON: Sonari Glinton, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Sonari Glinton is a NPR Business Desk Correspondent based at our NPR West bureau. He covers the auto industry, consumer goods, and consumer behavior, as well as marketing and advertising for NPR and Planet Money.