World's 20 largest producers of cars; India 7th!

India: 2,632,694 units

With an annual production of about 2,632,694 cars in 2009, India is now the seventh largest vehicle producing nation in the world. It is a milestone the country achieved six years ahead of the set target.

The Indian automobile sector is also one of the fastest growing markets globally. India aims to become the small car hub of the world by dethroning Japan, the biggest maker of compact cars, a majority of which is consumed domestically.

Last year, India pipped Brazil to become the second-largest producer of small cars.

India also aims to be among the top five vehicle producers by 2020.

According to Wikipedia, India was home to 40 million passenger vehicles by the end of 2009, with auto sales of over 1.5 million cars. This rapid pace of growth has made India the world's second fastest growing automobile market.

India is projected to have the largest number of cars in the world -- 611 million to be precise -- by 2050. According to the third BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) report by investment banking firm Goldman Sachs.

Click NEXT to find out which are the world's largest producers of automobiles . . . 

1. China: 13,790,994 units

China is the largest vehicle producer of the world.

In November 2009, China became the largest automobile market on earth. In 2009, China manufactured 13,790,994 units of various types of cars, including sedans, sport utility vehicles, multi-purpose vehicles, small cars, buses, trucks, etc.

Close to half of all the vehicles produced in China are by domestic companies like BYD, Geely, Chery, Roewe, Martin Motors, Lifan, etc.

The rest are produced by joint ventures that local firms have with foreign car companies like General Motors, Hyundai, Nissan, Volkswagen, Honda, Toyota, etc.

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2. Japan: 7,934,516 units

The Japanese automotive industry is the second largest in the world. The nation produced 7,934,516 units of automobiles in 2009.

However, the country was the world's leading car maker till China overtook it in 2009.

Japan is home to auto giants like Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Isuzu, Kawasaki, etc.

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3. United States: 5,711,823 units

In 2009, 5,711,823 automobiles were manufactured in the United States of America, making it the world's third largest car producer, behind China and Japan.

America's automobile production is dominated by General Motors, Chrysler and Ford Motor, collectively called the Big Three.

The largest foreign car makers in the United States market are Toyota and Honda.

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4. Germany: 5,209,857 units

Germany, with a 2009 car production of 5,209,857 units, is the world's fourth largest car maker.

Home to great car firms like Mercedes Benz, Daimler, and BMW, German cars have for long blazed a trail when it comes to quality and build of cars. The extraordinary German auto engineering prowess has wowed the entire world and continues to be the darling of car enthusiasts globally.

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5. South Korea: 3,512,916 units

With a production volume of 3,512,916 units in 2009, the automobile industry of South Korea is the fifth largest in the world.

Home to Hyundai, Kia and other auto makers, South Korea produces some of the best cars in the world.

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6. Brazil: 3,182,617 units

Brazil is the world's 6th largest producers of cars. It produced 3,182,617 cars in 2009.

Car majors like Toyota, GM, Ford, Fiat, Mercedes Benz et cetera began to produce cars in Brazil a long time ago. This has led to foreign companies grabbing the lion's share in the Brazilian auto market, with only Brazilian auto maker Troller making some name for itself.

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8. Spain: 2,170,078 units

Spain is the world's 8th largest producer of automobiles. In 2009, it produced 2,170,078 cars, accounting for almost 4 per cent of the nation's GDP.

The auto sector in Spain also provides employment to over 9 per cent of the working population, according to Wikipedia.

Some of the Spanish car makers include Abadal, Authi Car Company, Barreiros, Biscuter, Elizalde, Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A., Eucort, Hispano-Suiza, etc. Apart from these, most other top global brands too have a big market in the country.

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9. France: 2,049,762 units

France produced 2,049,762 cars in 2009. It is the world's 9th largest car maker.

France's car market is dominated by domestic brands like Renault, Peugeot and Citroen which account for over 60 per cent of the total automobile sales in the country.

France, however, does not have the variety in terms of number of manufacturers like other European nations like German or Spain.

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10. Mexico: 1,557,290 units

Mexico, with a production of 1,557,290 cars in 2009, is the 10th largest car maker in the world.

Mexico, a huge car market, has been an attractive investment destination for many global car companies, including BMW, Volkswagen, Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, GM, Jaguar Land Rover, Peugeot Renault, Nissan, Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Volvo, etc.

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11. Canada: 1,489,651 units

Canada, with an annual car production of close to a million and a half, is the world's 11th largest automobile maker. In 2009, it produced 1,489,651 cars.

Till a few years ago, Canada was the 7th largest maker of cars, but the extraordinary rise of the automobile market in India, Brazil, etc, has seen the country cede ground to the emerging markets.

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12. Iran: 1,395,421 units

In Iran, after oil and gas, the automobile industry is the most vibrant. Iran is the world's 12th largest producer of cars. In 2009, it manufactured 1,395,421 units of cars.

The country has many car firms, namely Iran Khodro, Saipa, Bahman Group, Kerman Motors, Kish Khodro, Raniran, Traktorsazi, Shahab Khodro, etc.

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13. The United Kingdom: 1,090,139 units

The United Kingdom is the 13th largest automobile producer in the world. Predominantly export-oriented, the British automotive sector employs close to a million people.

In 2009, the country produced 1,090,139 cars.

The biggest car makers in Britain include Land Rover, MINI, Nissan, Toyota and Honda.

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14. Czech Republic:  974,569 units

The Czech Republic, with an automobile production of almost a million units in 2009, is the 14th largest car maker in the world. In 2009, it produced 974,569 automobiles.

Some of Czech Republic's car majors are household names, like Skoda, Daewoo Avia, and Tatra. Praga is another Czech brand that is quite popular. Apart from these, the nation has Ford, Volkswagen, Renault, Hyundai, Kia, Fiat, Toyota, BMW, Chevrolet, Tatra, Volvo, Audi, etc all vying for the market.

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15. Thailand: 968,305 units

Thailand produced 968,305 cars in the year 2009. That feat makes it the world's 15th largest manufacturer of cars.

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16. Poland: 879,186 units

The automotive industry in Poland produced 879,186 cars in 2009 making it the world's 16th largest car maker.

Poland is also among the world's top nations offering the best localisation conditions for automotive components makers. The country's skilled labour, low costs, etc attract many a foreign investor to this sector.

Car majors like: Toyota, Isuzu, Volkswagen, MAN, Volvo, General Motors, Fiat, etc have a big base in Poland.

The country is a huge manufacturer of auto components that are used by Mercedes, Nissan, Porsche, Citroen, Honda, Peugeot, Volvo, BMW, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Ferrari, etc.

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17. Turkey: 869,605 units

Turkey is home to many a global car major like Fiat, GM, etc.

The country, with a 2009 automobile production of 869,605 cars, is now the world's 17th largest car maker.

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18. Italy: 843,239 units

Italy, one of the global powerhouses of automobiles, is actually the world's 18th largest producer of cars.

It is home to legendary auto companies like Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc.

In the year 2009, Italy produced 843,239 cars.

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19. Russia: 722,431 units

In 2009, Russia produced 722,431 cars, making it the world's 19th largest producer of automobiles.

However, Russia's home grown car companies like Avtovaz, Gaz, Lada Kalina, Pobeda, Kamaz, ZIL, etc are under huge pressure from foreign carmakers.

Foreign cars now sell more in Russia than domestic brands do.

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20. Belgium: 522,810 units

Belgium produced 522,810 automobiles in 2009, making it the world's 20th largest maker of cars.

Belgium's car sales have seen a steady rise over the last few months. Having first been buffeted by the recessionary winds, the Belgian market, like that in France, Italy and Spain, has shown encouraging signs of robust growth.