American cars are widely recognized by car enthusiasts around the world. The journey began in the early 1890s with the opening of the first automobile manufacturing company in the United States. Over the next four decades, approximately two thousand car brands emerged in the USA market. The industrialist Henry Ford achieved particularly high rates of development, especially after introducing assembly-line production in 1908.
The tough competition and challenging economic conditions of the 1920s established the three leaders of the American car industry: Ford, Chrysler corporation, and General Motors. Post-World War II, about 75% of all cars made globally were produced in these companies’ plants, primarily in North America. These affordable and mass-market cars gained popularity both domestically and internationally.
As the industry evolved, automakers began adapting cars for foreign markets. Attributes like low cost, reliability, and ease of driving fueled the success of American cars. However, this globalization led to a loss of the individuality that once defined these legendary vehicles. The influence of the so-called “Big Detroit Three” grew yearly, along with the emergence of many new brands.
Recently, the focus on sustainability and technology has led to an increased production of electric vehicles, with North America becoming a significant hub for this development.
What is the most popular American car brand in the world?
Among the dozens of American car manufacturers known globally, the top-selling brand is undoubtedly Ford. Founded in 1903 and owned by General Motors since 1929, Ford motor company, with its diverse lineup including electric vehicles, sells about 2 million units per year, exporting to all continents from its North American bases.
Popular Car Brands
The U.S. has the largest car market in the world. Tens of thousands of cars are made every day. The successful and famous automaker number one is General Motors. Chrysler is no less popular and recognizable. Especially valuable are accessible and qualitative cars, Ford. The most popular among car enthusiasts are several car brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ford, and Chrysler. In this part of our article, we will have a look at the iconic American car in high produce affordable “mass market” vehicles.
Dodge
Founded: 1900
Founder: John Francis Dodge, Horace Dodge Elgin
This automobile brand manufactures its cars, usually only in the United States. The most famous and powerful models (out of the 11 currently produced) are the Charger and Challenger, which remain the most popular cars in the United States today. Thirteen models of cars are not produced at the moment.
Besides all that, Dodge also manufactures such popular worldwide SUVs like Ram and minivans Caravan, which is the basis of all sales of this car brand.
Buick
Founded: 1903
Founder: David Dunbar Buick
David Buick has contributed to the production of premium cars and inexpensive versions, so the auto corporation bears his name. Buick‘s auto package is superb, with excellent technical data. When mentioning these car brands, first of all, an association with sedans occurs. However, the lineup is diluted with crossovers and SUVs. For lovers of exclusivity, there are also limousines.
Ford
Founded: 1903
Founder: Henry Ford
Founded by Henry Ford in the early 20th century, Ford was the company that revolutionized the mass production of automobiles with automated assembly lines for the entire world. It was with this company that the era of mass-produced automobiles began. Ford’s F-Series, including models with four-wheel drive, has gained popularity not only in the United States but also in Canada. In Canada, where road conditions and climate can vary greatly, Ford F-Series trucks with four-wheel drive, such as the Ford F-150, have found their enthusiasts. These four-wheel-drive vehicles quickly became popular in Canada, providing reliable transportation in various climatic conditions.
GMC
Founded: 1901
Founder: William C.Durant
GMC, which has been in business since 1901, has a similarly impressive history. It is one of GM’s divisions. The lineup is filled primarily with large vehicles – SUVs and pickups. Overseas residents adore these brands of cars, so there are a lot of them on American roads. Europeans are not used to drive such big cars; they are more used to compact sedans and economical vehicles,
Chevrolet
Founded: 1911
Founder: William C.Durant, Louis Chevrolet
Chevrolet is one of GM’s most sought-after brands. It has been known since 1911, with many ups and downs during this period. Today, however, cars under this brand sell the best. The company’s turnover is about fifty million dollars in three months. Car enthusiasts can choose any car of the brand Chevrolet they like, as the choice is great – more than 40 models. It is no problem to pick up a car with the desired type of body: for the city – sedans and hatchbacks, for the countryside – pickups. Those who like power stop at SUVs.
Jeep
Founded: 1941
Founder: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Another car brand owned by Chrysler that adds a large share of car sales to the overall value. So for example, in 2014, this Jeep car brand has significantly increased the sales of its SUV vehicles around the world, which has certainly reflected on the overall success of Chrysler.
RAM
Founded: 2010
Founder: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Ram Trucks (RAM) is an American company producing pickup trucks, the owner of which is the automotive concern Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. RAM became an independent company in 2011, having separated from Dodge.
Under the brand, Ram Trucks full-size pickups with a frame type of body are produced. The suspension is combined (torsion bars in the front, leaf springs in the back) or front-spring and full-spring on the third and fourth generation vehicles, respectively. Drive is either rear or all-wheel drive.
High-end Car Brands
The USA automaking industry is well-known not only for its mass-market brands but also has representatives of the luxury segment, which compete between themselves for decades. This is the famous American “Big Three” with their elite brands: Ford and Lincoln, GMC and Cadillac, and Chrysler.
Cadillac
Founded: 1902
Founder: William Murphy, Lemuel Bowen, Henry M. Leland
One of the luxury automobiles of General Motors. Cadillac cars are known all over the world. However, compared with Chevrolet cars Cadillac produced in smaller quantities.
Cadillac is now competing with European car brands, such as Mercedes, BMW, and Audi. In recent years, this car brand has decided not only to increase its sales in the Asian car market but also to open the production of cars in China. In recent years, many models of the car brand have undergone significant upgrades. In the coming years, it is expected that the company plans and is ready to increase the number of its produced models.
Lincoln
Founded: 1917
Founder: Ford
Ford has developed the Lincoln model for the upscale auto segment. The demand for cars of this brand has increased significantly in recent years in the North American and Chinese markets. Therefore, the car industry decided to develop new versions and offered the consumer models MKZ, MKC. The appearance, functionality, representativeness, and solidity of Lincoln cars are not inferior to Cadillac cars.
Chrysler
Founded: 1925
Founder: Walter Chrysler
America’s third and largest automobile corporation, Chrysler currently remains one of the finest in the United States. This is even though the company was acquired by the Italian car brand Fiat. Over nearly a century of Chrysler’s history, the company has undergone tremendous transformations.
Chrysler ranks third among the largest car companies, known since 1925. For more than 90 years, cars have been constantly updated, changed and new models developed. Especially noticeable is the powerful breakthrough of the car industry during the last 10 years. It is simply a stunning performance. The Chrysler 300 version is the best-selling vehicle on the American market for several years. At the same time, the model belongs to the high class.
Sports cars Brands
The list of American car brands also includes several very loud and reputable names in the sports car segment. Some Marques, such as Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang became truly iconic, and not only because of their superior technical characteristics, but also due to their special design, which screams “American Style”.
Corvette
Founded: 1953
Founder: Chevrolet
The story of this model began in the 1950s when Europe was already recovering from World War II. People had money and free time to go for a breeze in a nice car through beautiful places, and the demand for beautiful roadsters from Jaguar, Maserati, and Mercedes-Benz increased significantly.
The U.S. could not miss the increased interest in such cars, and in 1953, the Americans presented the Corvette first generation, which immediately attracted attention. The design was very light and original. But the technical side was disappointing: potential buyers wanted a more powerful engine. Sales ended up being well below expectations, but in 1955, a restyled version with a more powerful engine and improved transmission came out, this version already sold much better.
Mustang
Founded: 1964
Founder: Ford
There are not many models among the production cars, which can boast the same worldwide fame, which the Ford Mustang received. From the first to the sixth generation, this iconic sports car remains an object of adoration and a dream for millions of people.
The presentation of the first production Ford Mustang in 1964 is considered one of the most successful in the history of the automobile industry, and the legend owes its appearance to the resounding failure of the previous model – the Edsel. In the car, which became the progenitor of the Pony Car class, one could easily guess the features of Ford’s 1957 Continental Mark II and 1954 Thunderbird luxury cars, as well as design elements from Maserati, Lincoln, and Chevrolet.
VLF
Founded: 1965
Founder: Fisker Automotive
VLF is the company, which formed in 2012, after the bankruptcy of the famous historical automotive brand Fisker Automotive. The end of its era gave birth to two independent business projects. The company itself, as it is known, was bought by the Chinese, renamed Karma, and VLF Automotive, having enlisted the help of former top manager of GM Bob Lutz, and designer Henrik Fisker. Today VLF presents on the market with two models: sedan Destino, which is essentially revised Karma with the V8 engine, and new coupe Force 1 with V10 unit.
Vector
Founded: 1971
Founder: Gerald Weigert
The American brand Vector Motors was founded in 1971. Its founder Gerald Weigert chose to initially specialize in racing cars and has never stepped away from this path, having its first car introduced to the audience in 1989. The brand gave birth to several iconic sport car models and left a significant trace in the history of the American automaking industry.
Panoz
Founded: 1989
Founder: Don Panoz
The American car company Panoz was founded in 1989 after Don Panoz left the Penske racing team. With the support of several former Ford and Chevrolet racing engineers, Don signed contracts with the Maserati and Alfa Romeo teams to build chassis for their racing prototypes. In 1993, the Alfa Romeo Racing won the German Touring Car Championship, the forerunner of the DTM series. In the same year, the development of the brand’s first road car began under Don’s leadership.
Viper
Founded: 1989
Founder: Dodge
The idea for the Dodge Viper came from Chrysler Group president Bob Lutz. He felt that the concern needed an image flagship sports model, and in 1988 he instructed to start its development. It was decided to attract the legendary American racer and designer Carroll Shelby to create the car. He became famous in the ’60s as the creator of the iconic Ford Shelby Cobra and modified Ford Mustang. Bob Lutz saw the new model as a kind of spiritual successor to the Cobra.
The prototype saw the world in 1989 and immediately created a furor. It was a low, wide four-and-a-half-foot convertible with a long hood, sloped back interior, and a wide grille.
Supercar Brands
The automaking industry of the United States has also shown itself good in the high-performance cars segment, giving birth to such brands as Hennessey and Rezvani. The super area of these brands can easily be called a masterpiece. The American supercars are known for their top technical characteristics, comfort, and superior design.
Saleen
Founded: 1984
Founder: Steve Saleen
The Saleen company from the United States, like many racing car companies, was founded by a professional racer who had retired from the sport. Its owner was Steve Saleen in 1983. Up until 2007 the company produced mostly racing cars and parts for sports cars. In particular, almost all sport versions of Ford were using Saleen engines.
Hennessey
Founded: 1991
Founder: John Hennessey
In 1991, one of the most creative and unusual car companies in the United States was founded, named after its founder John Hennessey. A racing driver by profession, John has long participated in various sports competitions in the United States, becoming a true professional in his business, while at the same time opening several workshops to repair and service racing cars.
SSC
Founded: 1998
Founder: Jerod Shelby
In 1999, the American company Shelby SuperCars (SSC) was founded, which became a new business project of the largest seller of medical equipment in the United States, Jerod Shelby. However, the ambitious businessman decided not to repeat the mistakes of many others, taking Enzo Ferrari’s ideas as a basis. Thus works on the creation of the first car, which had to become one of few hypercars on the planet, began. The work was completed in 2004, and the car was named SSC Aero.
Rossion
Founded: 2006
Founder: 1G Racing
The Rossion brand was founded by 1G Racing, the American distributor of Noble British supercars. The first model of this brand was the Q1, which was a “mix” of various elements from Noble M400 and M12.
In 2013, Rossion and Mosler Automotive merged into one company. RP High Performance, which already owns the Rossion brand, acquired Mosler, which was having trouble launching new models. The merged manufacturers will now continue to operate under the Rossion brand.
Trion
Founded: 2012
Founder: Richard Patterson
One of the youngest American automotive brands, Trion, is based in Las Vegas and focused on the production of high-performance cars. Its debut model, Nemesis, will be equipped with a twin-turbocharged eight-cylinder engine and an eight-speed sequential transmission. The company claims that the supercar will be able to accelerate from zero to 96 kilometers per hour in 2.8 seconds and its top speed will exceed 450 kilometers per hour.
Rezvani
Founded: 2014
Founder: Ferris Rezvani
Rezvani Motors is an American design center and manufacturer of powerful supercars headquartered in Irvine, California. Rezvani Motors was founded by Ferris Rezvani, one of the designers of the Vencer Sarthe supercar, who previously worked with Aston Martin, Ferrari, and DBC.
Electric Car Brands
The first company to attempt to create a car with electric propulsion was General Motors. It was an electric car created in 1964 in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Corvair sedan was used as the base vehicle. The desire to use electric propulsion for driving came after decisions were made at the state level to reduce harmful emissions. Today there are several very successful American brands, focused on the production of electric cars.
Brammo
Founded: 2002
Founder: Craig Bramscher
Brammo is the name of one of the American pioneers in the field of electric traction motors and traction batteries. The company was specialized in the production of electric cars and motorcycles and was pretty successful during the first years of its history. Brammo planned to produce several models of cars, the most interesting of which was the sporty Enertia GT. However, the development was not completed and the company moved on to work on cars with an electric motor. In 2017 the brand was acquired by Cummins.
Tesla
Founded: 2003
Founder: Elon Musk
A younger automaker that has garnered significant attention with just 15 years of experience is Tesla Motors. The company’s rise in popularity is largely due to its innovative approach: the production of environmentally friendly and cost-effective electric vehicles, like the Tesla Model Y. Running on advanced battery technology, Tesla’s cars represent a vision of the future. The company’s enormous potential is evident, and there’s a strong possibility that in a few years, well-known auto giants such as Ford, Chevrolet, and Chrysler could find themselves trailing behind Tesla in the electric vehicle race.
Electric cars, including models like the Tesla Model Y, are economical but tend to be more expensive than conventional cars from competitors. While other electric vehicles are known in the market, Tesla cars, with their near-silent operation, stand out as the undisputed leaders. They boast a cool modern design, smart and advanced equipment, and a range of features that set them apart. The Tesla Model Y, in particular, exemplifies this with its combination of practicality, performance, and cutting-edge technology, making Tesla a formidable player in the automotive industry.
Lucid
Founded: 2007
Founder: Bernard Tse, Sam Weng
Lucid Motors is a Chinese-American start-up, which was established in 2007 in Palo Alto. The Lucid CEO, Peter Rawlinson, was working for Tesla since the very beginning of the famous company. In 2020, California startup Lucid Motors unveiled the first production Air premium electric sedan nearly four years after showing a prototype car.
Faraday Future
Founded: 2014
Founder: Jia Yueting
Another Chinese-American electro-mobile start-up, Faraday Future, was established in 2014, and today is considered to be one the Tesla’s main competitors. The newcomer company is involved in the production of an electric Aston Martin, builds a plant in the USA, designs with supercar-like acceleration dynamics, and promises to show carmakers what real innovation is all about.
Karma
Founded: 2015
Founder: Fisker Automotive
Karma is a young American brand of the electric car manufacturer, which was born from the legend – Fisker Automotive. The company went bankrupt in 2013 due to the policies of the company’s manager and founder, Henrik Fisker, while working on a new car model, which was called Karma. And the new owners decided to keep the name.
Commercial Vehicles Brands
American automaking industry has also several good and reputable names involved in the production of buses and large commercial vehicles. Besides the main brands of the country, GMC, Ford, and Stellantis, there are smaller but no less successful companies.
Paccar
Founded: 1905
Founder: William spigot
Paccar is one of the oldest bus manufacturers, which delivers its products and provides technical support to its customers worldwide through an extensive dealer network of almost 2 thousand locations. Paccar markets its products in more than 100 countries and continually expands its dealer network in Asia and around the world. Approximately half of Paccar revenues and profits are generated from vehicle sales, parts, and services outside the United States.
Navistar
Founded: 1993
Founder: Dan Ustian
Navistar International is a North American truck and bus manufacturer. Navistar is the successor to the International Harvester brand, which was established in 1902 and produced International trucks, but went bankrupt in 1984, after which it was sold off. The current name has been in use since 1986.
IC Bus
Founded: 2002 (1933)
Founder: David Ward
The American company IC Bus from Conway was founded by designer David Ward in 1933 and was originally named after its founder – “Ward”. Since then, many models of school buses have been produced, which have taken over the entire transportation market in the United States. Today the brand is a subsidiary of Navistar.
Truck Brands
There are several iconic truck manufacturing brands in the USA which were established at the beginning of the 20th century and keep leading the market, producing new models of high quality. Most of the companies export their vehicles all over the globe and have a really good reputation.
Mack
Founded: 1900
Founder: Augustus Mack
Mack is one of the most famous truck manufacturers in the United States. The company was among the first to produce such vehicles. However, despite this, more popular Mack trucks were in Europe, but in America, they were far from being the first. The history of this company, originally called Mack Bros. Motor Cars Company, started in the early 19th century.
International
Founded: 1902
Founder: Cyrus Hall
In 1902 the American company International Harvester was registered, combining two companies – McCormick Company and Harvester Company. Thus it became the largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery and trucks in the United States.
Kenworth
Founded: 1912
Founder: George Gerlinger
In 1916 the Gerlinger Motor Company was founded in the USA, which became involved in the production of trucks for the timber industry. In 1923 it changed its name to Kenworth, and soon became known as one of the largest truck manufacturers in the United States.
Peterbilt
Founded: 1939
Founder: T. A. Peterman
The three most famous brands, under which American trucks were and are produced, are three brands: International, Freightliner, and, of course, Peterbilt – the legendary trucks with the red oval emblem.
The first Peterbilt truck was assembled in 1939 (the same time when the company was founded), but the beginning of the company’s activity goes back to 1915 and is associated with the names of Frank and William Fagel, who built comfortable cars, trucks, and buses in Oakland, California.
Freightliner
Founded: 1942
Founder: James Leland
The American company for the production of trucks and tractors Freightliner was founded in 1929 by a young chauffeur named James Leland. Initially, he planned to create a small series truck with a cabin above the power unit for the needs of the company where he had previously worked. However, the first model became widespread in the United States market, making serious competition to the established brands of the truck segment.
Western Star
Founded: 1967
Founder: White Motor Company
The history of Western Star began in the 1960s when the American company White began producing lightweight heavy trucks that met the weight standards of the Western United States. The production of these trucks was started in Ogden, Utah, and then in the Canadian town of Kiruna, British Columbia.
The basic model was a conventional truck White Western Star-4800 (6×4). (6×4), a classic for the U.S. design, designed to work on a long haul or construction.
Defunct Car Brands
Like many other countries, the USA has a list of brands, which didn’t manage to survive by today. Some are now forgotten, others are still worshiped by connoisseurs and car enthusiasts from all over the globe.
Mercury
Founded: 1938
Defunct: 2011
A long-lived company has known since 1938, Mercury. The brand offers affordable vehicles for the masses. An interesting fantasy-style logo: the letter M with a mythical cat. But the automaker has not updated the model lineup since 2011. Although there are still enough cars of this version on the market, which are available for sale.
Pontiac
Founded: 1926
Defunct: 2010
In 1926, Pontiac, an American automobile company, was registered, specializing in the production of middle-class cars. The brand was conceived as one of the divisions of the General Motors concern, which sought to occupy all possible classes in the automotive market of the United States, offering for each class its brand.
Saturn
Founded: 1985
Defunct: 2010
Saturn Corporation was the name of an American automobile company specializing in passenger cars, is a division of General Motors. It was headquartered in Trou, near Detroit.
Hummer
Founded: 1992
Defunct: 2010
The American brand Hummer was created in 1981 after the company “AM General” decided to rename its off-road military vehicle, developed for the needs of the army of the United States.
The cars of the brand impressed with their unusual and unique appearance, large size, high ground clearance, and stunning all-terrain mobility.
Oldsmobile
Founded: 1887
Defunct: 2004
Oldsmobile is the oldest American brand, whose cars are considered elite. It belongs to General Motors. The founder of the company is Ransom Olds, who in 1891 built his three-wheeled steam prototype. A year later came Oldsmobile’s first gasoline-powered car.
Plymouth
Founded: 1928
Defunct: 2001
Plymouth was not as wide-known as other brands in our defunct list, although it has been engaged in the production of cars for more than 90 years. In the very beginning, Plymouth cars were very popular in America. But the manufacturer hasn’t produced any novelties for a long time, which lead the company to bankruptcy.
American Motors
Founded: 1954
Defunct: 1988
AMC (American Motors Corporation) was the result of the 1954 merger of Nash and Hudson. The latter also once owned the company Rambler, which in 1950 was revived for the brand name of the compact cars. Since 1958, all AMC products were called Rambler. The exception was a small Metropolitan based on Austin A40.
Rambler
Founded: 1900
Defunct: 1983
This forgotten brand was pretty popular at the beginning of the 20th century for its two-seat carriages on single-cylinder engines. These cars had a quick-release spare tire and a key-locked fuel tank to avoid fuel dumping, as well as an adjustable steering column.
DeLorean
Founded: 1975
Defunct: 1982
The DeLorean Motor project was conceived by General Motors executive John DeLorean in the 1970s, took off in Northern Ireland in the early 1980s, and collapsed in a mess of debt and financial problems in 1982.
Studebaker
Founded: 1852
Defunct: 1967
Studebaker Corporation is an American automobile manufacturer that was founded in 1852 and became a corporation in 1868 under the name Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a manufacturer of wagons and carts for farmers, miners, and the military.
Willys-Overland
Founded: 1908
Defunct: 1963
The Willys-Overland Motors company was organized by John Willis in 1908 and specialized in the production of cars and trucks. By 1913 the company managed to sell more than 35 thousand cars. The most popular was the model Four and the Stearns-Knight series, which was a luxury model.
DeSoto
Founded: 1928
Defunct: 1961
In 1928, Chrysler founded the American company DeSoto, which was positioned as the brand’s low-cost car division. The company’s first car was the DeSoto K, equipped with a six-cylinder 3.2-liter power unit with 30 horsepower.
Edsel
Founded: 1957
Defunct: 1960
Ford’s Detroit project called Edsel is an example of a complete failure. The management of the company made every effort to ensure the success of the new brand, organizing an unprecedented advertising campaign. However, the Edsel came at a time when customers turned away from this sector of the market. It was a huge setback, given the record financial outlay.
Packard
Founded: 1899
Defunct: 1958
Packard is an American brand of prestigious passenger cars manufactured by the Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Michigan, later Studebaker-Packard Corporation, South Bend, Indiana. Packard cars were produced from 1899 to 1958.
Hudson
Founded: 1909
Defunct: 1954
Hudson was established in 1909 and specialized in the production of light cars of the open type. However, the real fame the company gained only in the sad times, during World War II, when in 1941 was presented the model Hudson 1942, which sold more than 80 thousand copies.
Kaiser
Founded: 1945
Defunct: 1953
Kaiser was founded in 1946 and introduced its first luxury car in the same year. The brand was part of the concern of the same name, specializing in the construction business. During the first months of its existence, the new brand managed to attract a large number of customers.
Tucker
Founded: 1947
Defunct: 1951
Tucker was the name of the automaking brand with a really short history, even though its founder, Preston Tucker, has developed excellent models of cars, but due to lack of experience in the organization of production and subsequent sales, they have not had much impact on the industry.
Stutz
Founded: 1911
Defunct: 1939
The Stutz company appeared in 1911 but did not produce its first Berkat model until 1914. The line of racing modifications of this model kept the company all the time of its existence.
Pierce-Arrow
Founded: 1901
Defunct: 1938
The American automaker Pierce-Arrow was founded in 1901. In the same year, the production of bicycles and mopeds was established by the company, which were supplied to the market of the southern states, where cheap vehicles were in particular demand.
Duesenberg
Founded: 1913
Defunct: 1937
Duesenberg is the name of the American car manufacturer, which was established in 1913. Duesenberg made the most beautiful passenger cars ever produced in the United States. And although the brand lasted only 16 years, with independence maintained only for the first five, its models were superb. They became timeless classics.
Fisker
Founded: 2007
Defunct: 2014
The company was founded by talented designer and engineer Henrik Fisker, whose work began in the design bureaus of prominent automobile companies. His first project was the BMW Z07.
Mosler
Founded: 1985
Defunct: 2013
Mosler Automotive is an American supercar manufacturer based in Florida. It was founded in 1985 by Warren Mosler as Consulier Industries. The company in 1985 introduced its first model Consulier GTF.
Sterling
Founded: 1906
Defunct: 2008
Sterling is the name of a historical automaking brand that was established in 1987 and specialized in the production and further sale of British car brand Rover adapted for the domestic car market in the United States.
Eagle
Founded: 1988
Defunct: 1999
Eagle was founded in 1979, a division of American Motors Corporation to produce the model of the same name, which was a hybrid of a conventional sedan and a frame SUV.
Geo
Founded: 1989
Defunct: 1997
Geo is the name of a discontinued car marque which was established in 1989 in the USA by General Motors as a division of Chevrolet. Its direction was the development and production of budget cars with different types of bodies — coupe, sedan, SUV — for the needs of American consumers.
Merkur
Founded: 1985
Defunct: 1989
In the 1980s, Robert Lutz proposed a new brand called Merkur. They wanted to adapt the European Fords to the accepted U.S. standards, from the headlights to the bumpers to the number of impurities in the exhaust. It was planned to sell at least 15 thousand Merkur cars annually.
International Harvester
Founded: 1902
Defunct: 1985
One of the oldest automotive companies in the world, International Harvester traces its history back to the first agricultural machines created in 1831 by self-taught mechanic Cyrus McCormick. McCormick’s design of America’s first mechanical reapers and threshers was so successful that the McCormick firm merged with its competitor, Deering, in 1891 to form the McCormick-Deering Agricultural Machinery Group. In 1902, it was renamed the International Harvester Company, often shortened to IHC (later simply IH).
Hupmobile
Founded: 1909
Defunct: 1940
Hupmobile is the name of the historical automaking brand, which was established in the USA in 1909. The first model of the brand was the compact Hupmobile 20, which was equipped with a power unit with a capacity of 20 horsepower.
Detroit Electric
Founded: 1907
Defunct: 1939
In 1907, the American Anderson Electric Car Co. registered the Detroit Electric brand, specializing in the production of light electric cars. The first models had a range of 130 kilometers per hour, and until 1911 only iron-acid batteries with limited capacity were used.
Auburn
Founded: 1900
Defunct: 1937
The Auburn brand was founded in 1900 by the Eckhart brothers, heirs of one of the largest wagon manufacturers on the west coast of the United States, at its origins. By 1903 several prototype vehicles had been developed and it was decided to put them into production.
Franklin
Founded: 1902
Defunct: 1934
The American company Franklin was founded in 1902, becoming one of the first car brands that had the features of modern cars. Though the company didn’t manage to survive and existed for less than two decades.
Cole
Founded: 1909
Defunct: 1925
Cole is the name of the former car brand, which was established in 1909, and specialized in the production of high-wheeled classic American cars. Also, the brand produced unique two-cylinder engines, which were in great demand among other small truck firms.
Abbott-Detroit
Founded: 1909
Defunct: 1919
Abbott-Detroit was an American manufacturer of luxury cars, founded in Detroit in 1909. The elegant, powerful, and reliable cars of this brand were equipped with engines from Continental, which at that time were among the most advanced achievements of the U.S. industry.
Fusion Motor Company
Founded: 2012
What car brands does America make?
America is a motherland to many iconic automaking brands, including Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and many many more. The main feature of American cars is the size — the brands from the United States prefer large vehicles with automatic transmissions.
What is the # 1 car brand in America?
The number one American car brand is Ford, however, the most popular car marque in the United States is the Japanese Toyota.
How many car companies are there in the US?
Today, in the United States there are ten operatingcar manufacturing companies, but the major ones are the “three whales” of the American automaking industry: Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors.
Is Chevrolet an American car?
Yes, Chevrolet is an American automaking brand, which was established by a French immigrant, Louis Chevrolet, in Detroit in 1911.
