CARY, N.C. -

Several companies in the automotive industry have once again made the list of "World's Most Admired Companies" released by FORTUNE magazine.

The list includes AutoNation, BMW, CarMax, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, Penske Automotive Group, Toyota and Volkswagen.

This year, Toyota has been named the list’s top motor vehicle company for the fourth consecutive year.

"Toyota is honored to be listed among the world's most admired companies once again, and to be recognized as the most admired auto company in the world for the fourth year in a row," said Jim Lentz, chief executive officer at Toyota Motor North America. "This ranking acknowledges the many successes of our global team who are committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility for our customers."

FORTUNE’s annual list is based on company surveys, along with industry peer ratings from senior executives, directors and industry analysts.

The survey measures nine attributes that can be considered vital to a company's global success; they include: quality of products and services, social and environmental responsibility, global competitiveness and value as an investment.

Additionally, this year, Penske Automotive Group was acknowledged as one of the World's Most Admired Companies in specialty retailing.

"Penske Automotive is honored to be recognized as an industry leader and one of the world's most respected and reputable companies," said Penske Automotive Group Chairman Roger Penske. "This recognition exemplifies the outstanding commitment made by our team members to the success of our company, and reinforces our goal to provide customers with an exceptional experience."

For a full listing of FORTUNE’s, World's Most Admired Companies click here.

In other awards news, the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) recently named Donlen one of the country’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work for the third consecutive year.

"One of the core values of Donlen is that we strive to attract and retain the best, brightest, and most engaged employees through rewarding work and exceptional career development and advancement opportunities. When employees are engaged and invested, they provide higher levels of customer satisfaction, and our clients appreciate that,” Donlen’s president Tom Callahan said in a news release. "To be recognized as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation for our efforts for the third year in a row is an honor and an affirmation for all of us at Donlen."

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work list recognizes companies that show a commitment to both excellence in operations and employee enrichment, according to the company.

NABR ranks companies based on regional data concerning performance and a set standard across the U.S.

Each of the companies named on NABR’s list will be featured in the Feb. 8 online edition of Corp! magazine.