Toyota's sales edge widens

TORRANCE, Calif., July 23 (UPI) -- Toyota Motor Corp. has a slim, but widening lead in the race to beat U.S. auto giant General Motors Corp. in total vehicle sales for the year, sources said.

Toyota led GM by 160,000 vehicles after the first quarter of the year, a spread that increased to 260,000 vehicles by June 30, the Detroit News reported Wednesday.

GM sold more than 2.28 million vehicles in the second quarter, boosted by a 10 percent gain in foreign sales.

GM's North American sales are down 15.3 percent for the first half of the year, the News reported.

Toyota's sales gained 2 percent in the second quarter, to 2.406 million from 2.36 million vehicles in the first quarter, the company said.