There may still be two months to go, but General Motors is all but certain to reclaim the title of World’s Largest Automaker for 2011. GM last held claim to producing the most vehicles back in 2007, and for the 76 years before that, before being ousted by Toyota in 2008. Toyota has since retained that position for two more years, with Volkswagen emerging onto the scene to be a major player.

In fact, success by VW and GM, along with faltering sales by Toyota (with a number of factors including this year’s earthquake and tsunami) will mean Volkswagen will most likely finish second, with Toyota slipping to third.

So far this year, GM’s sales total 6.79 million, a million ahead of Toyota’s 5.77 million units, with VW selling 6.17 million units.

Further down the list in fourth place is the combined totals of Nissan and Renault with 4.93 units, while the growing Korean juggernaut of Hyundai and Kia has amassed 4.73 million. In sixth place is Ford at 4.27 million units.

[Source: Bloomberg]

In the past, unrestricted vehicle sales were only limited to cars built before the Cuban revolution of 1959, giving the streets of Cuba a unique backdrop of Chevrolet Bel Airs, Chrysler Imperials and Studebaker Commanders. Decades under Cuba’s communist regime had prevented its people from purchasing land or new automobiles but finally, a new law legalizing the sale and purchase of any model and any year of cars for all citizens will take effect this Sunday. Cubans will also be allowed ownership of more than one car.

The new laws are passed in hopes to shift a free-market reform, allowing citizens to perform some private enterprise and to rent out rooms or hire employees as well.

In accordance to the new law for vehicle purchases, cars that the state could once seize from Cubans who decide to emigrate can now be transferred to a relative or sold outright. Now, any transaction between a buyer and seller require both parties to pay a 4 percent tax. Moreover, the buyer must be able to show that the money used for the purchase was obtained legally. What this means is the buyers will go to a state-owned dealership to prove that the money used for the purchase of the vehicle was salary earned from an approved field. Money given to the buyer by relatives abroad do not apply.

While this makes it easier than the past, the number of citizens that can actually make enough money to take advantage of the law are wealthy doctors, sponsored athletes, and individuals that have traveled abroad and were eligible to import a car.

The latest trend driving auto sales growth is focusing on women from a diverse set of ethnicities. In studies done by R. L. Polk & Co., African-American, Asian and Hispanic women are making headway when it comes to making vehicle purchases for their families.

Polk’s findings show that vehicles purchased by these groups have increased 4.7 percent – 40.7% in 2006 to 45.4% in 2010. The studies the company conducted look at a five-year period (2006-2010) and their findings show that African American women have led the way since 2006. In fact, they are nearly on par with their male counterparts, constituting an average of 47.5% of the African-American community auto purchases.

Another interesting fact that the findings revealed was the auto purchases made by Asian women since 2008. Between 2006 and 2010, these women count for more than 14 percent of the Asian auto buys from their male peers. This puts them ahead of African American women, as they control 49 percent of the Asian light vehicle market. Coming in third is Hispanic women, with a current 41.6% share. Women who are not classified as non-African American, non-Asian or non-Hispanic Women gained two percentage points to bring them to a 36.9 percent share.

So what kinds of cars are these women buying? Find out the top five brands after the jump.

[Source: Polk]

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