General Motors Corp. said Wednesday it sold 9,369,524 vehicles worldwide last year, up 3 percent from 2006 and making the global sales race with Toyota Motor Corp. too close to call.

Earlier this month, Toyota reported global sales of 9.37 million vehicles, but the Japanese automaker did not release a number down to the last vehicle sold.

“Great products and value drive a volatile market and put the consumer in the driver’s seat,” said Toyota Motor Sales President Jim Lentz. “Toyota, Lexus and Scion deliver on both.”

Detroit-based GM has held the title of world’s largest automaker for 76 years, but Toyota’s strong U.S. growth and GM’s U.S. sales decline helped Toyota move closer to the top spot in recent years.

“We set a record in China with more than a million vehicles sold. We nearly doubled our sales in Russia to an all-time record of more than 258,000 vehicles delivered. And we set a record in Brazil with nearly a half-million vehicles sold,” said John Middlebrook, GM vice president for Global Sales, Service and Marketing Operations. “This is the kind of emerging market growth that fuels our global performance. Customers are responding to our fuel-efficient and dynamically-designed product lineup around the world.”

The 2007 tally was the second-best global sales total in the GM’s 100-year history and marked the third consecutive and fourth time ever that GM sold more than 9 million vehicles in a calendar year.

North American Car, Truck Of Year Awards Given

The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu and 2008 Mazda CX-9 were voted as the 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The winners were chosen by 45 automotive journalists who represent newspapers, magazines, television, radio and Internet outlets in the United State and Canada.

“This award is the result of our intensive efforts to put a renewed emphasis on design, execution and craftsmanship into our cars and trucks,” said Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman. “We’re honored that both automotive journalists and consumers are recognizing our efforts.”

The Malibu picked up 190 votes, edging out the Cadillac CTS (165 votes) and the Honda Accord’s 95 votes to win top car honors.

The CX-9 had 201 votes, outdistancing the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid’s 140 vortes and the Buick Enclave, with 108 votes.

“This truly is an honor,” said Jim O’Sullivan, president and CEO of Mazda North American Operations, upon receiving the award. “Since we brought CX-9 to market, its been a hit with media, customers and dealers alike. Today’s award is proof that says we just might be on to something special.”

The awards recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year based on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value.

“Our goal with the 2008 Malibu was to give customers a stylish, uncompromising package that can challenge even the most formidable competitors in the midsize segment,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. “Customers are getting that message, because the new Malibus are selling faster than we can put them on dealers’ lots.”

The jurors narrowed the field down to 15 cars and 13 trucks, which were voted on in December. The three finalists in each category were voted on last month.

Last year’s top car was the Saturn Aura, and the truck of the year was the Chevrolet Silverado. The Malibu, which is made by General Motors, is built on the same platfrom as the Aura.

Domestic automakers have won the Car of the Year honors eight times, Japanese automakers three and European automakers four times.

Japanese automakers have won truck of the year four times, compared to nine times for American automakers and twice for European automakers. Hybrids have also won three times.

A new survey said the price of gas has dropped nearly a dime and dipped below the $3 mark over the last two weeks.

Oil industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said the average price of a gallon of regular was $2.98.

The cheapest place to fill up, according to the survey, was Tulsa, Okla., where a gallon cost $2.70 on average.

The most expensive gas was in Honolulu, where prices average $3.35 a gallon.

Used Cars for sale at Volcars.com

Ford Motor Co. said it will offer buyout and early retirement packages to 54,000 U.S. hourly workers in an effort to cut more jobs and replace workers with those making a lower wage.

The new round of buyouts was negotiated with the United Auto Workers union, CEO Alan Mulally said Thursday. The first round will be offered immediately to workers who had been employed at already closed plants in Atlanta, St. Louis, Edison, N.J., and Norfolk, Va.

Ford reported Thursday that it is narrowing its losses in the fourth quarter and for all of last year, but the outlook for sales in the U.S. remains grim.

Ford lost $2.8 billion, or $1.30 per share, in the fourth quarter, narrower than a $5.6 loss in 2006. The full-year loss of $2.7 billion, or $1.35 per share, was also significantly better than in the previous year.

Excluding special items, Ford lost 20 cents per share for the quarter and 19 cents per share for the year, in line with Wall Street’s expectations.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial had predicted a loss of 19 cents per share for the quarter and 17 cents per share for the year.