The US auto industry is second place in the number of cars produced, second only to China. Since the 1890s, there were about 1900 large and small vehicle manufacturers in the country, but some disappeared, merging into corporations. As a result, the market was captured by the so-called “big three,” which owns many car brands. These are Ford Motor Company, Stellantis North America, and General Motors, the annual sales leaders, based in Detroit. They are one of the few to have survived the Great Depression due to their financial strength.
What is American Car Brands?
The most influential American car manufacturers are the representatives of The Big Three – the giants of the car market. These are Fiat Chrysler US, Ford, and General Motors. They own many brands of cars from the United States.
Mass Market Brands
Car manufacturers in the United States have influenced the social status of the market in different ways. While General Motors initially focused on luxury models, Ford wanted to make cars generally available. This became the starting point of the mass market in the car market. The segment of inexpensive vehicles is represented by the “big three” brands and lesser-known brands.
Ford
Ford is a brand owned by one of the largest car manufacturers in the United States. The foundation for it was laid in 1903 when Henry Ford refurbished its factory and registered the Ford Motor Company. It is a family business that is inherited. The company offers a wide range of vehicles and is represented in the markets of different countries.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet is a mass-market division of the General Motors Company. Its predecessor was the Chevrolet Motor Car Company, which Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant formed in 1911. The firm’s founders had a dispute over design, so Louis sold his stake and left the business. And the brand named after him continues to exist and breaks world sales records.
Jeep
Jeep cars’ manufacturer is the Italian-American company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., which is registered in the Netherlands. The main owner of the brand is a representative of the “big three” Stellantis North America. The first Jeep prototype appeared in 1940. It was the Bantam BRC, created by engineer Karl Probst for the US Army.
GMC
Vans, trucks, pickup trucks, and SUVs marketed under the GMC brand are presented in various models. They are manufactured by General Motors, one of the three largest leaders in the US auto industry. In the past, GMC was called the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company and was owned by Max Grabowsky.
Buick
The Buick brand is named after the inventor and seller of airships, David Dunbar Buick, who built his first car in 1901 and founded the Buick Motor Car Company in 1902. In 1908, the company joined General Motors and had been a division of it ever since. Its main focus is relatively inexpensive middle-class cars.
Dodge
The Dodge brand was founded in 1900 and became part of the Chrysler company 14 years later. It is now part of the Fiat-Chrysler LLC concern, which belongs to Stellantis North America. Until 1914, the Dodge plant produced components for cars. Now it is a popular brand of passenger cars, minivans, and crossovers.
RAM
Pickup truck maker RAM, owned by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, debuted in 1981. The first generation of cars was based on Dodge pickups and differed in design. The second generation appeared in 1994. It was a model with an increased payload. Subsequent lines had different configurations and were constantly improved.
Luxury Car Brands
Representatives of the “big three” of the US auto industry compete in the luxury car market. Stellaris North America has Chrysler in this segment, Ford Motor Company has Lincoln, and General Motors has Cadillac. Their vehicles are recognized as symbols of high status.
Cadillac
Cadillac is one of the oldest car brands on the planet. This company was founded in 1902 and has established itself as the first manufacturer of high-end machines in the United States. Since 1909 it has been part of General Motors. Cadillac luxury cars are in demand in North America but present worldwide: they can be purchased in 50 countries.
Lincoln
Lincoln is a large division of the Ford Motor Company, which until 1922 was an independent aircraft engine company. Its creator, engineer Henry Leland, wanted to make luxury cars, but he sold the business due to lack of money. He named the Lincoln brand after his favorite politician.
Chrysler
Chrysler manufactures high-performance vehicles known in America and beyond. This trademark appeared in 1925 and is currently owned by Stellantis North America. Advanced developments and division of cars by price classes have made the Chrysler brand incredibly popular. Recently, the manufacturer has focused on the luxury segment of the market.
Fusion Motor Company
This American company was founded in 2012 and is located in Los Angeles, California. It is a luxury dealership offering luxury vehicles of the highest standard but of different types. Her specialization is a mixture of old and new, foreign and domestic, which confirms the name “Fusion.” The brand works with celebrities and anyone who wants to try a wide and at the same time unique range of luxury cars.
Electric Car Brands
Only a few companies produce electric cars in the United States, but this does not prevent them from occupying many car market segments – from full-size and incredibly powerful cars (including the Sport Utility Vehicle class) to small hot hatches. They conquer not only with progressive technologies but also with super stylish design.
Tesla
Tesla is the most famous electric vehicle manufacturer in the world. It bears the name of the physicist and inventor Nikola Tesla. The Tesla Motors brand was registered in 2003 by two entrepreneurs. Most of the investment came from Elon Reeve Musk, who currently owns the company. The presentation of the first Roadster model took place in 2006.
Karma
Private company Karma Automotive specializes in the production of luxury electric cars. It was created in 2015 based on the bankrupt Fisker Automotive. Karma’s first car was called the Revero and debuted in 2016.
Lucid
Lucid Motors was founded in 2007, but as of 2021, it has not manufactured a single car. She does not have enough money to enter the market fully. The Lucid plant, which is estimated at $ 700 million, is under construction. When completed, the manufacturer will release its first Air luxury sedan. This electric car is expected to become the main competitor to Tesla cars.
Faraday Future
The Faraday Future startup was named after the fundamental law of electromagnetism. Despite the lack of funding, its creator Jia Yueting had big plans to produce electric vehicles. In January 2021, company executives announced they were joining Property Solutions Acquisition Corp.
Brammo
The Brammo Corporation has a history of producing electric motorcycles and traction motors. In 2015, the bike business was taken over by Polaris Industries, and two years later, the remaining assets were acquired by Cummins. There have been cars in Brammo’s history, including the Enertia GT battery-electric car.
Truck Brands (Heavy and Medium-duty)
There is a whole culture of long-distance trucks in the USA, although there are not many manufacturers. The list of companies that make the legendary heavy equipment includes Marmon-Herrington, Sterling, Brockway, Autocar, Mack, Western Star, Caterpillar, Freightliner, Kenworth – famous brands with many years of experience.
Freightliner
The first Freightliner truck appeared in 1942. The first line of heavy vehicles belonged to the logistics company Consolidated Freightways. Then the carrier was forced to sell its car brand to Daimler AG corporation, of which it is still apart.
Peterbilt
Peterbilt semitrailer tractors and ballast trucks are manufactured at the company’s factories in St. Teresa (Canada), Denton, and Madison (USA). Paccar Corporation owns the company.
Kenworth
Kenworth, founded in 1912, was formerly called Gerlinger Motor Car Works and was a car dealer. It started its production in 1915. It was then bought out by Edgar K. Worthington and Captain Frederick Kent. The new owners renamed the company after themselves, taking the first few letters from the names.
International
The International brand was formerly owned by International Harvester, which made passenger cars, agricultural machinery, and trucks. After the agricultural division sale, the company was renamed Navistar International and focused only on trucks.
Mack
Mack is considered one of the oldest in the United States because it was founded in 1900 by Fallesen & Berry. This plant used to make vans and carriages, and after rebranding, it switched to buses and trolleybuses. Mack is now a world-renowned heavy truck manufacturer.
Western Star
Western Star is a former division of the White Motor Company. It was created in 1967 and then endlessly passed from hand until in 2000 it got to DaimlerChrysler. Western Star is now based in Portland.
Sports Car Brands
Sports cars made in the USA are considered some of the best in the world. Models of the brand’s Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette are especially popular: they have proven themselves in the market from the best side. The great demand for sports cars is due to their technical excellence, rich equipment, and the tremendous speed they develop.
Ford Mustang
Ford Motor Company has been producing the Ford Mustang since 1964. The first model was a modification of the Ford Falcon. It was a roadster with a futuristic design. The sixth-generation appeared in 2015. The newest car belongs to the Pony Car class and has improved dynamic characteristics.
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is the first sports car manufactured by an American manufacturer. The main car assembly plant is owned by General Motors and is located in Bowling Green. The Chevrolet Corvette debuted in 1953 with a white roadster.
Dodge Viper
The two-seater Dodge Viper sports cars were produced from 1992 to 2017. The first roadster was produced at the New Mack Assembly plant. He owes his design to the Mitsubishi 3000GT and Tom Gale, who worked with Chrysler.
VLF
VLF Automotive is a small privately held company that was established in 2012 under the name VL Automotive. A year later, she introduced her first model, the Destino sedan. In 2016, after the arrival of Henrik Fisker, the company was renamed.
Vector
Vector vehicles are manufactured by Vector Motors Corporation, which is historically associated with Vehicle Design Force. The founder of the company is Gerald Wiegert. The brand’s first sports car went on sale in 1989.
Panoz
High-tech cars are produced under the Panoz brand. These are limited edition sports cars, including the racing and road versions of the Esperante. Panoz Auto Development was established in 1989 and named after its founder, the son of pharmacist Dan Panoz.
Supercar Brands
American supercars are powerful and comfortable vehicles. They are produced by renowned companies with a long history and lesser-known companies that have appeared relatively recently. The former include Hennessey and SSC, while the latter include Rezvani and Trion.
Hennessey
Hennessey Performance Engineering has been involved in sports car modification since 1991. The tuning house’s main goal is to increase the power of cars by improving the mechanical components. The most famous models are the Venom 650R, Venom GT, and Venom F5.
SSC
SSC is the abbreviation for Shelby Super Cars. It positions itself as the manufacturer of the fastest production cars in the world. Its lineup includes two supercar models: SSC Tuatara and SSC Ultimate Aero.
Saleen
Saleen Corporation was founded in 1983 by a former race car driver. She started with car tuning and, in the 2000s, switched to small-scale production of racing and sports class vehicles. Recently, Saleen has been modifying cars of popular brands that belong to Toyota and General Motors.
Rossion
Florida-based Rossion Automotive is best known for its Q1 sports car. It was produced in 2008-2018. This is the result of an upgrade to the Noble M400, the rights to which the manufacturer received back in 2007. In 2013, the track version of the Q1, the Rossion Q1R, appeared. It is recognized as one of the world’s rarest cars because there are only a few examples.
Trion
The Trion Supercars Group was founded in 2012 and planned to launch its first car in 2021; it had presented a full-scale concept model in four variants.
Rezvani
Sports car manufacturer Rezvani Motors has existed since 2014. Its main project is Beast, a sports car brand based on the Ariel Atom. Mirrors, headlights, and other car parts are 3D printed.
Manufacturer & Bus
In addition to the Big Three, which are leaders in the automotive market (Ford Motor Company, Stellantis North America, and General Motors), there are other major manufacturers in the United States. For example, the Paccar Corporation owns heavy trucks or the Navistar company of the same specialization.
General Motors
General Motors is a representative of the so-called “big three” car manufacturers in the United States. The largest corporation was formed in 1908 from smaller companies that decided to merge. Having gone through bankruptcy in the early 21st century, it was revived, but the old GM was renamed the Motors Liquidation Company.
Paccar
Paccar represents the automotive industry, or rather the production of heavy trucks. It owns several subsidiaries, including DAF Trucks, Peterbilt, and Kenworth.
Navistar
Navistar is the successor of the oldest manufacturer of trucks International Harvester, which appeared in 1902. In addition to trucks, the current company produces armored cars, buses (including school buses), and Ford V8 engines. Its headquarters are located in Warrenfield, Illinois.
IC Bus
IC Bus is a subsidiary of Navistar. It entered the market in 2002, but it had two predecessors earlier: AmTran and Ward Body Works. The company specializes in school and commercial buses.
Defunct Car Brands
Mercury
One of the many Ford Motor Company divisions is Mercury, a brand of trucks and cars. This brand was created in 1938 to produce cars of its design. But over time, Ford models became the basis for its vehicles, effectively destroying the Mercury’s identity and independence. In the last years of its existence, the manufacturer acted in concert with the Lincoln brand. Together they belonged to one branch – Lincoln-Mercury. This continued until 2011 when the last car of this luxury brand rolled off the assembly line. At that moment, Mercury’s story and its white and gray logo ended: a double circle with three curved lines inside. Like many other automakers, the stripes symbolized speed and movement.
Pontiac
The name of the car company Pontiac was taken from the history of the United States. She bears the name of an Indian leader who participated in the war against the colonists. True, she was initially known as the Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works horse carriage manufacturer. Later the name was changed, and passenger cars appeared in the assortment. The first motor vehicle was introduced in 1907. Since then, the company has been producing Oakland models until, in 1926, it produced a car under its brand name. This year is considered to be the official founding year of Pontiac.
The company produced various models but eventually went bankrupt. In 2010, her dealer contracts expired. However, the brand’s logo is always heard because it is very similar to the United States Space Force’s emblem. It is based on a red and silver three-dimensional delta symbol with a four-pointed star. It seems that the designers of the space community just turned this sign upside down.
Saturn
The General Motors concern owned many divisions, including Saturn. This brand was in no way dependent on the parent company: it had its own sales network and its line for car production. He was also guided by a personal concept, which was implemented in 1985. The essence of the ambitious project was to manufacture compact machines. They were in demand, but General Motors found the existing sales volume to be inadequate. The dissatisfaction reached the point that GM executives tried to sell the Saturn to the Penske holding. As a result, the deal fell through, after which the brand was declared bankrupt. Experts do not exclude that it can still recover, and in the distant future, cars decorated with a red and silver square logo with Saturn’s rings will return to the market.
Hummer
The basis for the Hummer was the HMMWV military vehicle. The developers made it civilian so that US Army personnel could ride it and all lovers of reliable, high-carrying SUVs. General Motors undertook to produce Hummer models, but after a decline in sales, it decided to get rid of this brand. She failed to find buyers, so in 2010 GM completely liquidated the famous division. In the Hummer’s memory, only a wordmark remains, which looks as monolithic as the cars themselves. The inscription is colored black and consists of bold letters with a contrasting thickness of strokes.
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile is an automobile brand with 107 years of history. It appeared in 1897 when the inventor Ransom Eli Olds founded the Olds Motor Works. The owner soon abandoned his business due to financial difficulties. The General Motors Corporation considered Oldsmobile quite promising, so it bought it out and continued to expand the line. The manufacturer strived for technical excellence, for which he constantly improved components – from V8 engines to automatic transmissions. But the success was short-lived: in the 1990s, the company lost the right to its developments, and in 2000, representatives of General Motors announced the liquidation of the brand. The last Oldsmobile sedan came out in 2004. It bore the signatures of everyone who participated in the assembly and a silver oval logo, crossed out by a diagonal line.
Plymouth
The carmaker Plymouth dates back to 1928. For many years it was part of the Chrysler Corporation, and its logo featured the Mayflower ship that the British sailed to America to found the Plymouth Colony. The brand existed until 2001. During this time, it produced many cars and even surpassed Ford in terms of sales. The company developed with varying degrees of success, but by the early 1990s, it had lost ground. The volume of production fell sharply, so the division was deemed unprofitable. Chrysler Corporation liquidated it in 2001.
American Motors
American Motors is a vanished corporation that has taken a vacant niche in the car market with its small, full-size and midsize models. It was founded after four smaller companies (Packard, Studebaker, Hudson, and Nash) to compete with the “big three” of the American auto industry. In the mid-1980s. American Motors began to experience financial difficulties, and in 1987 all of the brand’s shares were bought by Chrysler. The promising start led to an unexpected outcome: the car brand was reorganized into the Jeep Eagle Corporation and merged completely with Jeep. Its original name and logo in the form of a red triangle leaning against a blue rectangle are a thing of the past forever.
Rambler
The Rambler brand has had many owners, from Thomas B. Jeffery, which created it in 1900, to the American Motors Corporation. The brand periodically left the automotive market and did not finally leave the United States in 1969. She continued to supply its products abroad and did this until 1983 until it became clear that the project was not making a lot of profit. The last time the rounded Rambler logo with a handwritten “R” was used was on Mexico’s cars.
DeLorean
The DeLorean company was founded in 1975 and ceased to exist seven years later because its owner was accused of drug trafficking. During this time, the manufacturer managed to release only one sports car, which gained fame after the film Back to the Future, where a brilliant scientist turned a DeLorean car into a time machine.
The reason for the brand’s bankruptcy was the conflict between its creator John Zachary DeLorean and General Motors Company. As you know, John used to work at GMC, and after his dismissal, he published a revelatory book about the internal problems of the automobile giant. As a result, a drug trafficking case was fabricated against him, after which he lost the support of investors. The entrepreneur was found not guilty, but by that time, he no longer had money. An independent company now owns the DeLorean name and branding. The logo has never changed – it looks like the black abbreviation DMC (for DeLorean Motor Company) with stylized mirrored letters.
Studebaker
The Studebaker Corporation was named after its creators, who came from the German Stutenbäcker family. They were engaged in blacksmithing and, in 1852, opened a workshop for the production of carts, vans, and wagons. Their company went down in the global automotive industry’s history in the early 1900s, when it manufactured carriages with an electric motor. It successfully survived the financial crisis but could not compete with the auto market’s giants, which after the war began to reduce prices. In the 1960s, rumors circulated that Studebaker was about to close. This put off buyers because they were afraid of losing their vehicle warranty. The lack of demand was the last point: the company was disbanded in 1967. Its last logo is a red and blue circle, divided into two parts by a wavy strip of silver color.
Willys-Overland
The Willys-Overland automobile company was formed in 1908 from the Overland Automotive Division and ceased to exist in 1953 when it became part of Kaiser Motors. For 45 years, she has managed to visit a manufacturer of luxury cars, take a leading position in the military industry and concentrate on the production of trucks and all-terrain vehicles. The company manufactured cars under three brands: Jeep, Overland, Willys. The main emblem of Willys-Overland was a black and white monogram: “W” superimposed on top of the “O.”
DeSoto
The Chrysler Corporation once owned the DeSoto brand, and Walter Percy Chrysler himself created it in 1928. At first, car sales were quite high, but in the late 1950s, there was a sharp decline. The brand failed to adapt to market trends, which contributed to its closure. In 1961, DeSoto ceased to exist, and its models became the basis for the Chrysler Newport. In recent years, the manufacturer has used a logo depicting Hernando de Soto, which once explored America’s territory. The portrait of the Spanish navigator was painted silver and placed inside a red circle.
Edsel
Ford Motor Company acquired the Edsel brand to fill a niche at the level of Pontiac and Dodge. This project was planned as a full-fledged division with its factories and sales network. But after a large-scale advertising campaign, it turned out that quite ordinary Edsel cars, which were positioned as something revolutionary new, did not meet the overestimated expectations of buyers. Sales dropped as soon as they started, and in 1961 the brand left the market.
Marketers named the car brand after Edsel Ford. It was later revealed that Henry Ford II categorically did not want his father’s name to decorate wheels. But because his opinion was not taken into account, the name was approved and became the basis for the logo in the form of a white letter “E” inside a green circle encircled by concentric rings.
Packard
The origins of the Packard brand are legendary. Some believe that its creator made his first car when he wanted to show engineering prowess to get a Winton job. According to another version, he criticized the car Winton and received a response in the spirit of “do it better if you can.” One way or another, the Packard brand appeared in 1899 and even outlived Winton for several decades. He staked on the luxury segment, but he was forced to switch to more affordable brands during the economic crisis. After the controversial purchase of Studebaker and the production of failed models that were not in demand, it was closed. It officially ceased its activities in 1962, but in fact, it happened in 1958. Only an oval Victorian-style logo depicting a red shield and a golden swan reminds of the former luxury.
Hudson
The Hudson Motor Car Company entered the auto market in 1909. It was named after a department store owner who became its main investor. The automaker used technical innovations, which allowed him in 1925 to take third place after Chevrolet and Ford. In the post-war era, the golden age turned into decline, as small companies like Hudson found it increasingly difficult to compete with the so-called “big three.” The crisis led to the fact that the brand was bought in 1954 by Nash-Kelvinator and virtually ceased to exist. Its old logo featured an inverted tetrahedron, heraldic towers, two ships, and the word “HUDSON” on a red shield.
Kaiser
The Kaiser Corporation has existed for less than ten years but has successfully released several successful models with distinctive designs. She disappeared in 1953 when she merged with Willys-Overland. In recent years, the company has produced more cars than it sold because everyone was only interested in cars from the Big Three: Chrysler, Ford, and GM. The black and white Kaiser logo with a buffalo and the letter “K” will forever enter the American automobile industry’s history.
Tucker
Tucker was founded in the post-war era to offer the US residents an affordable, stylish, and modern Tucker-48. The American engineer Preston Thomas Tucker already had experience in the automotive industry, so his new project seemed very promising, and he even received a loan from the government. With the borrowed money, the entrepreneur bought the world’s largest plant, wishing to begin mass production of cars quickly. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler realized that a strong competitor was entering the market and sued Tucker, accusing him of financial fraud. By the time the brand owner was acquitted, he was bankrupt. The car company was closed in 1951. Its emblem looked like an oval coat of arms with heraldic animals, a shield, and a ribbon bearing the word “Tucker.”
Stutz
The Stutz Motor Car Company from 1911 to 1924 produced sports cars that were intended for racing. One of her sports cars even managed to set a new world speed record. Then luxury vehicles were added to the range, which was adorned with a round logo with the image of blue wings and the stylized word “STUTZ.” The inside was red, and on the outside was a wide white stripe with the words “Indianapolis Indiana. U.S.A. “. In 1939, the company was declared bankrupt and liquidated.
Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow entered the car market in 1901 and existed before but made golden bird cages. Then bicycles were added to the product line. Over time, luxury cars Pierce-Arrow became a must-have for noble people. Royals must have at least one model of this brand in their fleet. The same could boast of tycoons and Hollywood stars. So the round logo with antique archer and arrow was famous all over the world. The company did not offer cheap cars for sale, and expensive ones sold out very slowly. As a result, the Pierce-Arrow story ended in 1938, although enthusiasts tried to revive the brand in the 2000s.
Duesenberg
Duesenberg luxury cars have become a symbol of prestige and high status, and sports cars have won many races. But this did not save the company from liquidation: it was closed in 1937, having existed for 24 years. Duesenberg vehicles are now being hunted by collectors, with several hundred vehicles remaining on the move. The logo with the image of the golden eagle, the words “DUESENBERG STRAIGHT,” and the blue number “8” are still associated with wealth and luxury.
Fisker
Fisker Automotive has become famous for its hybrid electric vehicles, which have been produced since 2008. It relied on progressive development and even won a lawsuit when Tesla Motors accused it of stealing technology. The brand’s most famous car is the Fisker Karma sports luxury sedan. Its production was stopped due to the bankruptcy of a battery supplier. And in 2014, Fisker Automotive itself went bankrupt. Its owner Henrik Fisker retained all trademarks’ rights, including the logo with two semicircles in red and blue and with a white ring bearing the black FISKER lettering. He later used the name and logo for his new company, Fisker Inc.
Mosler
Entrepreneur, politician, and economist Warren Mosler began assembling cars in 1985. He named his company Consulier Industries and made the star of the sports car range for professional racing. In 1993, a special division, Mosler Automotive, was opened. It presented several more sports models – as lightweight as possible, very luxurious, and incredibly fast. These cars won first place in prestigious competitions. But due to marketing mistakes, Mosler was closed in 2013. The high speed of sports cars was hinted at by a symbol: a black letter “M,” stylized as a lightning bolt. It was inside a yellow shield with a narrow base, along with the inscription “MOSLER.”
Sterling
The automobile company Sterling, known for its oval logo with an elongated silver “S,” appeared in North America in 1987. It sold sedans and hatchbacks that were based on the Rover 800 series. The brand was Austin Rover Cars of North America. In the beginning, customers liked that all models were supplied with natural wood finishes. But then shortcomings appeared: corrosion, poor-quality paintwork, malfunctions of electronics. Due to these and other problems, the brand left the US car market in 1991.
Eagle
The black and white logo featuring the heraldic shield and raven head is a long-forgotten symbol of the Eagle. The carmaker became a thing of the past in 1999 when it stopped producing luxury and sports cars. And he began his career in 1988 as a division of the Jeep-Eagle Division, created by Chrysler based on the American Motors Corporation.
Geo
In 1989, General Motors opened the Geo division to manufacture compact and subcompact cars. The manufacturer relied on a combination of low prices and high-quality assembly. Suzuki and Toyota corporations also participated in creating the brand, so this project was initially promising. But its story ended in 1997 when GM became disenchanted with low demand and closed the brand name, transferring the rights to all models to Chevrolet. Since then, cars have been sold under different names. They are no longer adorned with the red ‘Geo’ emblem with parallels and meridians inside the letter ‘o’.
Merkur
Merkur is considered one of the most short-lived brands in the US auto industry since it only existed for four years. This brand was created to satisfy consumer demand for European-made cars because such trends were observed in the North American car market in the early 1980s. Moreover, Merkur was a Ford Motor Company project designed for the luxury segment. The production was located in West Germany, so cars’ prices were constantly changing due to the unstable exchange rate. Ford executives considered the demand for Merkur cars too low and decided to liquidate the brand in 1989. Customers did not even have time to get used to the black and white logo, stylized as a radiator grille with the words “MERKUR.”
International Harvester
Buses, tractors, trucks, SUVs, pickup trucks, and tractors have made International Harvester famous worldwide. This company did not arise from scratch: it was created in 1902 due to the merger of two enterprises that produced agricultural machinery. After absorbing another competitor, McCormick Harvesting Machine Company rebranded and was renamed International Harvester. This name was used for the logo. At the top was a red and black monogram of the letters “IH,” and at the bottom was a bold inscription “International Harvester.” After the strike, the firm went bankrupt and was sold to Tenneco, Inc. The new owner closed it in 1985.
Hupmobile
Hupmobiles joined the Hupp Motor Car Company lineup in 1909 and immediately attracted public attention, earning a compliment from Henry Ford. The demand for this brand’s roadsters has grown so much that the manufacturer was forced to expand the plant. Then the owners decided to turn the budget subcompact Hupmobile into a large and expensive car. Striving for profit, they lost their loyal customers. Over time, Hupp Motor Car Company developed internal problems related to shareholder disagreements. The firm lost its factories, so shipments slowed, and buyers began to refuse orders. The last car with the black handwritten Hupmobile logo rolled off the assembly line in 1939.
Detroit Electric
Detroit Electric cars were equipped with an electric motor that was powered by a rechargeable battery. They were driven mainly by doctors and female drivers because it was difficult for them to start ordinary cars with internal combustion engines manually. Detroit Electric’s golden era began in the 1910s when gasoline prices rose. Even the philanthropist John Davison Rockefeller Jr. and America’s greatest inventor Thomas Edison. But ICE car manufacturers have returned to the market with the latest models, displacing electric cars. In recent years, the company made vehicles only to order until it went bankrupt. She used a round blue gradient logo with stylized ‘DETROIT’ lettering. In the ring-frame, there was an arch formed by the full name of the brand.
Auburn
The predecessor of the Auburn Automobile Company made horse-drawn carriages. But as it developed, the car brand spun off from its parent firm to build experimental models. Its history ended in 1937, when the holding, to which it was a member, was declared bankrupt. And all because the manufacturer relied on luxury cars, which turned out to be unprofitable. The Auburn logo looked just as luxurious: a gold plaque engraved with the brand name.
Franklin
Franklin is named not after a politician but after his namesake Herbert H. Franklin, who decided to start manufacturing cars in 1902. The company produced innovative air-cooled models. In 1930, his engineers improved the design of the engine, achieving an increase in power. Things were going well, but after the Great Depression, people stopped buying luxury cars. In 1934, the automaker went bankrupt, and its name and all assets, including the logo with an underlined handwritten “Franklin” lettering, were sold.
Cole
One of the Indianapolis auto industry founders was the Cole Motor Car Company, which makes luxury cars with a V-8 combustion engine. It appeared in 1909 based on another enterprise (Cole Carriage Company) and left the market in 1925 because its owner was afraid of bankruptcy and did not want to risk his money. The history of the American auto industry includes the Cole logo with black Victorian lettering.
Abbott-Detroit
Abbott-Detroit is a manufacturer of reliable and powerful luxury cars that opened its factory in Detroit in 1909 and operated there until 1916. He then moved to Cleveland, where he continued to produce station wagons, roadsters, limousines, and other publicized models. This continued until 1918 when the company declared itself bankrupt. It was called the Consolidated Car Co., although its cars were sold under the old name and were adorned with the Abbott-Detroit logo: a triangular yellow figure with a large red letter “A” and small lettering.
What car brands does America make?
Mass-market cars are manufactured by Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, GMC, Buick, Dodge, RAM. Cadillac, Lincoln, Chrysler, Fusion Motor Company are known in the luxury segment. Electric cars are produced by Tesla, Karma, Lucid, Faraday Future. Most popular truck brands: Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Western Star. Sports car brands include Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, etc.
What is the # 1 car brand in America?
If we consider the data for the whole market, the most popular car brand in the United States is Toyota (Japan). If you evaluate only those brands that belong to America, then Chevrolet will lead the rating.
How many car companies are there in the US?
The US auto industry is represented by dozens of brands that occupy different market segments. Based on data from Wikipedia, there are about a hundred American car manufacturing companies if you do not consider the closed enterprises.
Is Chevrolet an American car?
Yes, the Chevrolet brand is registered in the United States. It has been owned by the General Motors Company since 1918 and is formally a division of it.
