DETROIT, Mich. - Despite posting its strongest third quarter since 1980, General Motors appears to have given up its spot at second place in global sales to Volkswagen for the first nine months of 2014, reported Michigan Live.

GM's global sales were up 2 percent to 7,371,743 vehicles through September, but VW said it sold 7.4 million cars during the same period, the Associated Press reports.

The AP notes that Toyota, which led all automakers after the first half of the year with nearly 5.1 million units sold, doesn't plan to release its nine-month sales totals until later this month.

GM's sales growth this year has been driven by increases in the U.S. and China, its two larges markets. In the third quarter, GM's sales were up 8 percent in the U.S. and rose 14 percent in China.