For the first time in 77 years, United States and General Motors lost its first position in passenger cars as Japan's Toyota surpasses GM in global sales.

General Motors said Wednesday it sold 8,355,947 cars and trucks around the world in 2008, falling about 616,000 vehicles short of the 8.972 million Toyota announced Tuesday.

General Motors sales plunged 11% in 2008 compared to 4% drop in Toyota sales due to global financial crisis.

GM's financial troubles almost took the company to the brink of bankruptcy late last year, when it received $13.4 billion in loans from the federal government. Also GM laid off many staffs and closed many plants to survive the crisis.

Toyota warned investors last month that it expected to report a $1.7 billion operating loss for the fiscal year ending on March 31, first time in its 71 year old history.

Many industry analysts had expected Toyota to take the top sales spot from GM in 2007, which it missed by 3,524 vehicles.