Ford, Toyota Bicker Again Over Claim to Best-Selling Car

Ford Motor Co. says its Focus small sedan outsold Toyota Motor Corp.'s Corolla small sedan worldwide in the first half of 2013. But Toyota tells the Associated Press it disagrees, again.

The two companies have argued over the same claim repeatedly. The issue hinges upon whether the same car with a different name or body style should be counted.

Ford describes the Focus as the world's best-selling "vehicle nameplate."

But Toyota complains that Ford's math ignores the sales of Corolla clones such as the Auris and Verso, as the Corolla is called in Europe and Japan, respectively. Toyota includes those models in reporting "Corolla" sales, touting Corolla as the "world's most popular car."