The automobile has become a subject of everyday life, entering almost every person’s life. It is not easy to imagine the existence of mankind without it. However, it was not always so. At the time of the first self-propelled cars, and then in the formation period of the first cars, they were not available to everyone and were rather luxury items. But their history is no less interesting than those who invented, developed, and founded automobile companies and brands. It will allow you to develop your intellectual level and see the interconnection between how mankind developed and, with it, the automobile industry.
What automobile brands start with Z?
There are a lot of automobile brands starting with the letter “Z” among the eastern manufacturers from China and Japan. But even among them, some are widely known, and those that worked mainly in the domestic market. These are the British Zenos Cars and Zenvo Automotive from Denmark, the Soviet ZIS, and the now-defunct Polish Zuk. There are many other companies that you can learn about by visiting special automotive information resources.
Interestingly, for almost a century and a half of its development, this type of transportation twice began to use electricity. The first electric cars were created at the dawn of the development of self-propelled transport – in parallel with the steam engine and at the dawn of internal combustion engines. But after electricity was displaced by combustible fuel, it was forgotten for more than a hundred years. Only in the XXI century did we realize how much more economical and environmentally friendly this way of obtaining energy is. And few people, except specialists, know that body elements were made in the twenties from metal and fiberglass, which is a revelation for many people today.
All this is only a small part of what today is gradually fading into the past, lost in the depths of the past years, becoming not just a distant history but, in most cases, a lost part of the development of civilization. Much of the first steps of the automobile industry have already been lost. More often, it is possible to meet only fragmentary references to certain car brands or company names. We have to gather everything bit by bit from parallel sources – old newspapers, memoirs, old postcards, and photographs. And very big and useful work is done by those who find, process, supplement, and arrange this material in a convenient alphabetical order, allowing you to quickly find the desired brand or information on the letter “Z” or any other, preserving such an important history of the car.
Zagato
Zagato, an independent Italian auto body and design company, was founded by entrepreneur Ugo Zagato in 1919 in Milan, Italy. He wanted to introduce aeronautical methods into the automobile industry. The first of these was to reduce weight through lightweight aluminum bodies, which attracted many famous manufacturers – Alfa Romeo, Ansaldo, Bugatti, Diatto, Fiat, Isotta Fraschini, Lancia, Maserati, OM and even Rolls-Royce. In the 30s, aerodynamics became the brand’s skate. During the Second World War, Ugo Zagato built trucks and military equipment and created the Monterosa company in Saronno. Today, the brand continues to innovate in materials and body shapes.
Zender Company
The Italian brand Zender Company became famous for its concept sports cars, the Zender Fact 4 coupe created in 1989. The brand was founded in 1969 to modify finished cars and develop and produce body kits and interior interiors. In 1974, Ford Werke AG and Volkswagen AG became customers. In 1977, the distribution network covered more than 40 countries. Until 2006, the brand maintained a partnership with Opel. 2005, the company developed and opened new divisions, merging into Zen Tec Automotive GmbH. The company’s offices are in Osnabruck (Germany) and Caorle (Italy).
Zenos Cars
Zenos Cars is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Wymondham, United Kingdom. It was founded by Ansar Ali and Mark Edwards, former Lotus Cars and Caterham Cars employees, founded it in 2012. The name was formed from two parts – zen (purity) and os (backbone, foundation). Initially, the brand developed and produced three hand-built versions of the Zenos E10. In 2017, a consortium with Alan Lubinski’s AC Cars acquired the brand with all its assets. As a result of the reorganization, the company’s headquarters will remain in the UK, and production will be moved to South Africa.
Zenvo
One of the most expensive cars in this category is produced by Zenvo Automotive of Presto, a Danish car brand founded in 2004. The company is the first company of this type of production in the country. With its creation, it began developing and producing unique lightweight sports cars with a limited production volume while respecting each client’s design. Troels Vollertsen and Christian Brandt founded the company. In 2008, the first Zenvo ST1 prototype was assembled. Production began in 2019 when the car was named Supercar of the Year. Fifteen cars were sold at once. In 2015, production of the Zenvo TS1 began.
Zarooq Motors
Zarooq Motors, an automobile manufacturing company from the United Arab Emirates with an office in Dubai, was founded in 2014. The company was the first in the country’s history to start manufacturing chassis, bodies, and mass-production cars. The brand name was chosen based on the principle of “fast snake.” The brand is focused on the affluent category of consumers, creating an exclusive line of supercars in the “luxury” category. The main difference between the brands’ products is the consideration of local conditions. All Zarooq cars can be used on city roads, off-road, and in desert conditions.
Zhi Nuo
The German-Chinese joint venture Zhi Nuo is between BMW and Brilliance Automotive. The new car brand was founded in 2013 to produce luxury cars for the Chinese domestic market. The first line of cars were the Zinoro models developed by Brilliance Automotive, which were premium electric cars. They were the first cars on the market that featured a combination of “owner care,” respectability, and modernity.
Zhongtong
The Chinese bus brand Zhongtong Bus Holding Co., Ltd. was founded in 1958 in Liaocheng, China. Today, it is the largest manufacturer in the country. In the period of its formation, the brand was engaged in the production and repair of automobiles. In 1971, it was reoriented to the production of buses. The current name – Zhongtong Bus – was approved in 1998. The company’s model range includes light 6-meter buses, medium-sized general-purpose buses, and 18-meter-long luxury models represented by various modifications. The production line is currently supplemented with trolleybuses. In 2021, a modern prototype LCK6126E was presented.
ZAZ
ZAZ (Zaporizhzhia Automobile Plant) – known in Soviet times as AvtoZAZ, manufactures the “people’s” compact car Zaporozhets. Today, the company, founded in 1923 in the USSR, is located in the same city and at the same facilities – in Zaporizhzhia, but only in Ukraine. Before the crisis in the country, the company produced buses, trucks, and Chevrolet cars. Now, the production exists by assembling Russian-made cars from supplied components. By 2022, it plans to produce Mercedes buses under contract with the brand.
Zotye Auto
Zotye Auto is a private Chinese automobile manufacturing company founded in 2005 by Ying Jianren in Yongkang, Zhejiang Province, China. The brand is part of the Zotye Holding Group. The company gained fame due to mass copying the best car models of the world’s leading brands and producing them under different design brands. Initially, the company produced auto parts and gradually moved to producing finished cars. The first was the Zotye RX6400 SUV, which became the Zotye Nomad after being licensed from Daihatsu. In 2021, the brand announced bankruptcy proceedings.
Zastava
In 1953, the Yugoslavian automobile brand Zastava was founded in Kragujevac, Serbia. Today, it is a joint venture between the state of Serbia and Fiat. Based on Fiat, the brand has been building its cars since 1955 and distributing them in the European market. In the 1970s, the market expanded to North and South America. In 2008, the company was reoriented to the production of weapons – combat and sports, as the country’s car production did not meet the needs of the EU.
Zagross Khodro
Zagross Khodro, founded in Boroujerd in 1996, is an Iranian manufacturer of cars for the domestic market. The brand is headquartered in Tehran, Iran. In close cooperation with the New Zealand company Proton, Proton Wira and Proton Gen-2 models were created in various modifications – sedans and hatchbacks. Today, the brand’s capacity allows the production of up to 50 thousand cars annually. The company is looking for joint ventures for the production of cars, which, in the future, will be ready to offer for assembly at its plants.
Zbrojovka Brno
Czech manufacturer Zbrojovka Brno was founded in the 19th century in Austria-Hungary as a defense factory, “Austro-Hungarian Artillery Factory,” which produced artillery guns. 1918, after nationalization, the company was renamed the Czechoslovak Arms Factory in Brno. Today, this brand is known for the variety of its products – firearms, agricultural machinery, computing equipment, and office equipment. After constructing a new factory in 1924, production of Zbrojovka Z 5 cars and Z 18 light trucks began. After the war, the production of Zetor Z-25 tractors started. Today, the defense part is closed.
Zedel
Zedel was a Swiss automobile manufacturer from 1901 to 1908. Ernest Zürcher and Hermann Lüthi founded it as Zürcher & Lüthi & Cie SA in St. Aubin-Soge. The company was engaged in the production of motorcycle engines. In 1903, a new production facility was opened in Pontarlier on the French side. The founder closed the Swiss branch after gaining unrestricted access to French automobile developers and facilities. During this period, the brand produced cars under the Zedels brand name. Having ceased development in 1908, the brand sold its cars until 1919.
ZiL
The ZiL Automobile Company was the successor to the Russian government’s program to establish automobile production in the country in 1916. In 1933, the plant became ZiS, and in 1954, it was named after the first Soviet leader and became the Likhachev plant, earning the acronym ZiL, whose line of trucks is now known worldwide.
Zimmer
The American automobile manufacturing company Zimmer from Syracuse, New York, was founded in 1978 by Paul Zimmer as Zimmer Motorcars Corporation. It was the basis for the creation of non-classical cars. During the ten years of its existence, the brand produced 1,500 cars. The chassis and transmission from the Ford Mustang were used to create the famous Golden Spirit. 1984, a two-seat luxury car, the Pontiac Fiero Quicksilver, was released. In 1988, the company was shut down. In 1996, Art Zimmer’s namesake founded a new company, Zimmer Motorcars, buying back the name. 1997, the brand became Zimmer Motor Car Company, with an office in Jamesville, New York.
ZIS
Under the ZIS brand, for some time in the USSR, cars were produced that bore the name of Stalin – the then head of state. Founded in the Russian Empire in 1916 as a Russian-foreign joint venture, it was focused on the defense industry. After the Civil War, it began to produce light trucks AMO. In 1933, the plant was reorganized and named after Stalin, and its products acquired the abbreviation “ZIS.” After Stalin died in 1954, the plant was renamed in honor of Likhachev – its first head. The logo became the name “ZIL”.
Zundapp
Zundapp is a German manufacturing company from Nuremberg, Germany, founded in 1917 by Fritz Neumeier. The brand is one of the country’s leading motorcycles, scooters, and sewing machine manufacturers. It took place among German automakers thanks to the Zündapp Janus, a small mini-car produced for one year in 1957. It became the company’s only product of this type. Its production was driven by the search for new directions after the war. The Dornier Delta prototype was used to develop the model.
Zust
Zust is an Italian automobile company originally called Züst, which was founded by Swiss-born Italian Roberto Züst in 1905. The founder began building experimental cars in 1900 in Milan. The basis was his factory of high-precision tools in Intra. Bulky and high prices characterized the first cars. Less heavy 5-liter cars such as the Zust 28/45 HP were created three years later. In 1906, a parallel company, Brixia-Zust, opened and closed in 1912. The main factory in Milan was sold. In 1917, the company was bought by Officine Meccaniche, under whose name the S305 model was produced.
Zyrus Engineering
Zyrus Engineering is a small Norwegian car manufacturing and engineering company based in Oslo, Norway. It became known for its high-speed cars, Huracan Super Trofeo and Performance, and participation in the most extreme racing series. The company’s first practical experience was the Huracan LP640-4 Performante car. The brand’s first car was the Super Trofeo Zyrus LP1200 Strada prototype. The latter created a tuning division, which carried out point refinements, allowing the achievement of a unique design for each developed or modified model.
Zeekr Logo
Zero Motorcycles Logo
Zeta Logo
Zhonghua Logo
Zuk Logo
ZX Auto
FAQ
What supercar starts with Z?
The Zenvo ST1 is a supercar whose name begins with the letter “Z.” It is made by the Danish company Zenvo and should not be confused with Zenos Cars from the UK. The ST1 attracted attention with its powerful engine and bold design.
Founded in 2004 in Præstø, Denmark, Zenvo specializes in high-performance supercars. The ST1 was the brand’s first model, combining advanced technology and superior artistry. The brand produces only a few cars, keeping them exclusive, which attracts car enthusiasts and collectors.
What is the car with the Z logo?
The “Z” logo is popular among several automobile brands, including the famous Nissan Z series. This series’ logo features a prominent “Z.” Nissan Z cars are popular in the automotive community, especially among sports car enthusiasts.
Other automakers use the letter “Z” in their logos, although they may not be as well known internationally. For example, Zotye from China and Zastava from Serbia use the letter “Z” in their branding. Brands such as Z-Motors use the letter, increasing the diversity of car manufacturers using the “Z” emblem. The Nissan Z series is among the automotive industry’s most famous “Z” logo users.
What expensive cars start with the letter Z?
Expensive cars starting with the letter “Z” include several distinctive brands:
- Zenvo, a Danish brand, is known for its high-performance supercars with powerful engines and cutting-edge design.
- Zender is known for its futuristic car designs. Although not mass-produced, Zender’s cars are unique in aesthetics and characteristics.
- Zarooq Motors, based in the United Arab Emirates, offers a range of high-end vehicles that combine performance and luxury.
- Zinoro, a collaboration between BMW and Brilliance in China, produces luxury models with premium features for upscale markets.
- Geely’s Zeekr 001 is a sports car that combines style and modern electric technology to appeal to those interested in luxury electric vehicles.
