The history of the automobile is closely tied to the history of mankind. Interestingly, as soon as man began to take the first steps in automobile construction, he immediately made a breakthrough in his development. This relationship is very clearly traced over the past century and a half. The automobile has evolved from a self-propelled steam wagon into an environmentally friendly, new-age device powered by alternative energy sources. Initially, the idea of creating an automobile attracted the attention of many engineers, advanced thinkers, and lovers of the new and perfect. This, over time, especially in the early 20th century, led many companies worldwide to become interested in this topic, prompting many automobile brands to distinguish their products from similar ones.
What automobile brands begin with the letter C?
Throughout the history of the automobile industry, many automobile brands have begun with the letter “C”. It is almost impossible to list all of them in a single question in a nutshell. Here are just a few particularly popular ones: Cadillac, Chrysler, Chevrolet, and Citroën. Among the C names, there are many leading manufacturers operating today and famous brands of the past that are now historical milestones.
The main criterion, of course, was best performance, followed by comfort and design, which, in today’s world, have come to the forefront. As a result, over the years of automobile production’s development, many brands could not withstand competition or difficult economic and political conditions and ceased to exist; others became part of more successful ones, and the third in this wave of vacancies decided to try their luck in this field. All this led to the fact that not hundreds, but even a few thousand automobile brands have left, or continue to leave, their mark on the history of the world automobile industry, many of which are lost in the “wilds” of history.
Today, it is important to gather all available information, group it, and sort it neatly by year of formation, country of creation, significance in the development of the world automobile industry, and the brand name alphabet for ease of search and use. It is important for those engaged in the history of the automobile industry and mankind, specialists developing new technologies, motorists, professionals and amateurs, collectors, and those who want to increase their intellectual level. And especially for those who are going to buy an automobile. In the latter case, the choice is particularly influenced by the brand, which helps you choose, including information about its history and technology, arranged alphabetically. So, if you choose the letter “C,” many brands are historically known for their quality and aesthetics, including “maestros” such as Cadillac, Citroën, Chrysler, and Chevrolet. All that remains is to match the size of your wallet to the car’s actual cost to make the right choice for your life.
Cadillac
One of the first automobile manufacturers in the world was Cadillac. Founded in 1902 by Leland Henry and Henry Ford in Detroit, Michigan, USA, it is second only to the American GM Buick. The brand immediately chose premium cars as its production focus. In 1909, General Motors took notice of the company’s success and made the founders a favorable offer, which they accepted, and the company was acquired. The brand kept its name and focused on wealthy consumers, producing luxury, high-priced, high-quality cars.
Callaway
Callaway Cars Inc. is an American automobile manufacturing and engineering company founded by Reeves Callaway in 1977 and based in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The company designs and builds projects and kits for various cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs. The brand specializes in Corvettes and GM. Packages and components are installed directly at the factory, where the new GMs are finished. The models are marketed under the Callaway TM. Today, the brand is represented by Callaway Cars, Callaway Engineering, Callaway Carbon, and Callaway Competition.
Calcott Brothers
Calcott, a small English automaker, began as a bicycle manufacturer in 1886. Founded in Coventry by the Calcott brothers, who gave the brand its name, the company began producing bicycles in 1904, then motorcycles, and in 1913, cars. Before its closure and sale to Singer in 1926, and following the death of James Calcott in 1924, the company produced 2,500 cars, the most famous of which was the 1921 convertible with a ten-horsepower engine.
Caparo Vehicle Technologies (CVT)
In 2006, Caparo Vehicle Technologies (CVT) emerged from Freestream, an advanced automotive and aerospace technology company in Britain. Graham Halstead and Ben Scott-Geddes, both McLaren F1 engineers, founded the primary organization. In 2006, Caparo bought it, which gave it its current name. Sean Butcher financed the deal. In the same year, the brand introduced the Caparo T1 sports car. In 215, it was placed into receivership and disbanded as early as 2019.
Carbon Motors Corporation
Carbon Motors Corporation is an automotive brand founded in 2003 by Stacey Dean Stevens and William Santana Lee in Los Angeles, California, to develop and produce a specialized police car. Attempts to obtain funding from public services to continue development using current technology led to delayed decisions and stalled progress. The plant was dismantled in the spring of 2013, and production was completely shut down. In May 2013, the brand practically ceased to exist.
Carlsson Autotechnik
Carlsson Autotechnik is the world’s leading tuning and styling company for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. It was founded in 1989 by Rolf Hartge and Andreas Hartge and is now headquartered in Merzig, Germany. The company moved to the latter location in 1994 when it bought the Guth Weisehoff estate. The brand creates new products every year. It regularly presents supercars at the Frankfurt and Essen Motor Show. Among the brand’s leading novelties are the Carlsson SL 65 AMG Roadster, Carlsson CK63 RS, and Carlsson CGL. The company has a developed dealer network and produces up to 120 cars annually.
Carrozzeria Castagna
Carrozzeria Castagna, an Italian company producing car bodies, was founded in 1849 by Carlo Castagna in Milan, Kingdom of Lombardy-Venezia. The founder acquired the Ferrari bodywork company and built a touring car, the Benz ATV. The brand closed in 1954, but two attempts to revive it were made in the 1990s. In 1994, the name was bought by Uberto Petra and Gioacchino Acampora. Recent works include subcompact models and a car reimagined from the Fiat 500 and Mini. The Castagna Imperial Landaulet and Castagna Aznom luxury sports cars are produced today.
Casalini
The automobile brand, founded in 1939 by Italian Giovanni Casalini under his name in Piacenza (Italy), is the country’s oldest microcar manufacturer. It produces mopeds and microcars on three- and four-wheeled bases. Modern models are distinguished by the use of a high-strength polymer reinforced with fiberglass during body production. The first three-wheeled microcar, the Sulky, was produced in 1969. It was intended for driving without a license. In 1994, the first Kore 500 ATV was released. The Sulkycar truck and the 2011 Casalini M10 Daytona three-door microcar are popular.
Caterham
Caterham Cars is a British sports car and car parts company founded in 1963 in Caterham, Surrey, England, by Graham Nairn. The company provided dealership services for Lotus Cars until 1973, serving as the exclusive representative for the Lotus Seven from 1967. In 1973, the brand bought the rights to the model. Its first car was a replica of the third series called the Caterham 7. Since 1987, production has moved to Dartford (Kent, England). In 2011, it became a subsidiary of the Caterham Group.
Chadwick Engineering Works
In 1904, designer Lee Sherman Chadwick, of the Searchmont Motor Company, founded the Fairmount Engineering Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to design bodies. He moved to Pottstown in 1907 and renamed the company Chadwick Engineering Works. From 1904 to 1916, Sherman Chadwick was in the automobile business, building about 300 automobiles. The company closed in 1924. In 1960, an attempt was made to revive the brand and create a two-seat roadster with a doorless body, based on a high-strength, modern composite polymer reinforced with fiberglass.
Chalmers Motor Company
Chalmers Motor Company is an American automobile brand founded by Hugh Chalmers in 1908, based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Its products were expensive luxury cars produced under this brand before its merger with Chrysler in 1923. In the year the brand was founded, the first Chalmers 30 model was produced, based on the Chalmers-Detroit Motor Company. The car proved successful, generating sales of 3,047 cars in its first year. In 1911, the company was ranked 8th among American automakers. In 1915, the company was renamed Chalmers Motor Car Corporation. In the early 1920s, the company merged with Maxwell Motor Company.
Chevrolet
One of the most famous and popular American automakers is Chevrolet, founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet, an engineer and auto racer, and General Motors owner William Durant. The founders included investors William Little and Edwin Campbell. Today, the company is an independent subsidiary of General Motors, headquartered in Detroit, USA. In Europe, the brand officially appeared in 2005. Daewoo is marketed under its brand name. After 2015, the brand’s marketing in Europe was gradually phased out.
Chrysler
The Chrysler brand, an American luxury car manufacturer, was founded in 1924 by Walter Percy Chrysler, who reorganized three companies. Chalmers Motor, Maxwell Motor, and Willis-Overland became the foundation of Chrysler, and the brand’s first automobile was produced that year. The purchase of Dodge in 1928 brought the brand to the forefront of the American auto industry. Since 2014, the brand has been controlled by the Italian company Fiat. Today, the brand’s headquarters are in the UK, the USA, and the Netherlands, where the combined company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, is headquartered.
Cisitalia
The name of the automobile brand Cisitalia immediately indicates its nationality. The Italian company was founded in 1946 by Piero Dusio in Turin (Italy), based on the conglomerate Compagnia Industriale Sportiva Italia. The brand is known for manufacturing racing and sports cars. The first model was the D46, based on the Fiat city car. The company’s famous product was the 1946 Cisitalia 202 GT, nicknamed the rolling sculpture. Having created more than 22 models, many of which were race winners, the brand went bankrupt in 1963.
Citroën
The Citroën car brand is a well-known representative of the French car industry. It was founded in 1919 by André Citroën to produce inexpensive cars affordable to most people. Today, after PSA Peugeot Citroën was created in 1976, the company’s headquarters are in Paris, on Rue de la Fructidor. The brand’s revolutionary model was the 1934 Traction Avan. It became very popular as the first all-wheel drive car and was produced for 23 years. However, the high production costs led to the company’s bankruptcy, which was bought out by Michelin, which kept its trademark.
Cizeta
Italian Claudio Zampolli, the father of disc jockey Giorgio Moroder, founded the company in Modena, Italy, in 1988. The brand’s name was based on Claudio Zampolli’s initials, CZ. The only product of their joint venture was the Cizeta-Moroder V16T, a 16-cylinder transverse-engine model. The body, designed by Marcello Gandini, resembled late versions of the Lamborghini Diablo. Moroder left the company in 1990. The brand was closed in 1994 after producing eight cars, and three more were released under the brand name in 1999 and 2003. After the bankruptcy, Zampolli moved to the United States and founded Cizeta Automobili USA in Fountain Valley, California.
Continental
In 1955, the Lincoln division created the Continental division to create premium, luxury, and expensive products. The name was an homage to the Lincoln Continental of the 1930s. During its two years of production, the Continental Mark II was hand-assembled, making it the most expensive American automobile ever. In 1956, the brand became an equal part of Ford Motor Company and remained there for a year. In 1961, the brand was closed. The expensive Continental Mark II cost $1,000 per unit but raised Ford’s image.
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company, a British automobile brand incorporated in 1947, started a year earlier. Its founders, father and son Charles and John Cooper, began assembling cars in 1946 in a Surbiton garage. They developed a new form of Formula 1. The car with the engine located at the rear became particularly popular. This model was built in the late 50s and into the 60s. The brand’s peak popularity was in 1959-1960. At this time, Bruce McLaren and Jack Brabham won two Formula 1 Constructors’ Cups. The team last participated in the competition in 1969.
Cord
The Auburn Automobile Company used the Cord trademark on premium American automobiles in the 1930s. The brand was used from 1929 to 1932 and from 1936 to 1937, when it was discontinued. Errett Lobban Cord founded Cord Corporation Holding to master automobile and vehicle production. Luxury design and innovative technical improvements distinguished all models of the brand. However, the founder’s hopes that these qualities would ensure the company’s long-term existence were not realized.
Courage
Courage Compétition was founded by Frenchman Yves Courage, who in 1981 participated in many automobile races in Le Mans (France). The race team also bore this name. In 1981, Courage’s Lola-BMW with Jean-Philippe Grande won the race. The company was officially incorporated in 1982 when the Courage C01 prototype was completed. The launch of the next model, the C02, on which the team competed, led Primagaz sponsors to demand a different name for the sports model Cougar. In 1985, the company’s founder contracted with Porsche to replace the engines. In 2007, the brand was acquired by Oreca.
Chunlan
Chunlan Auto Company, based in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, was established as a subsidiary of Chunlan Group in 1997. Thus, Tao Jianxing, the head of the parent company, realized the dream of creating a brand for heavy-duty truck manufacturing. In just two years, from 2002 to 2004, the company gained popularity, with its vehicles ranking among the top five. The global crisis and heavy losses disrupted the broad plans to enter the global market. This led to the sale of the brand to Xugong Technology in 2008 and subsequent withdrawal from automotive manufacturing.
Canoo
Canoo Inc. is an American automaker founded in 2017 by Stefan Krause and Ulrich Kranz, based in Evelozcity in Torrance, California, United States. The brand’s main goal was to produce affordable, low-cost electric vehicles, minivans, commercial vehicles, and vans. The brand considers sharing and leasing among the uses of its vehicles. The company is funded by Chinese businessman Li “David” Pak-Tam/Botan and German entrepreneur David Stern.
Changan
Changan Automobile (Group) Co Ltd represents the Chinese automotive industry, which has a rich history. The brand was founded in 1862 in Chongqing, China, as a private engineering plant. After 1949, the plant was nationalized. In 1958, work in the defense sector began, and the first army SUV appeared. In 1984, passenger car production began. In 1993, Suzuki created a joint venture, Changan Automobile Group. It merged with Ford Motor, Mazda, and Citroën. Today, this brand is the third-largest company in the country.
Chery
One of the world-famous Chinese car manufacturers is Chery Automobile Co. Its mass production has helped ensure its popularity in the low- and mid-price segments. The brand was founded in 1997 by the Wuhu (China) mayor’s office. Seat’s license for the Toledo chassis in 1999 ensured active production. Initially, the company produced administrative cabs. In 2001, Shanghai-based SAIC acquired some shares, giving the brand access to the Chinese market and beyond, making it the first Chinese exporter.
CAMC
CAMC is the name of the Chinese automobile brand Hualing Xingma Automobile (Group) Co., Ltd outside the country. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Maanshan, China, the brand builds on a construction equipment business established in 1970 and produces trucks for various applications, including specialized applications. Having started with the production of concrete mixers and cement trucks, the company began producing heavy trucks after its 2003 agreement with Mitsubishi Fuso. In 2005, the company exported its products for the first time. In 2012, the company was reorganized and adopted its current name.
Changfeng
In 1950, the Chinese brand Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC), based in Changsha (Hunan Province, China), established a subsidiary, Hunan Changfeng Motor Co., for automobile manufacturing. In 2009, as it planned a merger with GAC Group, the company changed its name and type, becoming GAC Changfeng Motor Co Ltd. The brand’s main products are light trucks, mainly for the Chinese market. Today, the model range has expanded to include copies of the Mitsubishi Pajero and its modifications, Mitsubishi pickup trucks Fine and Flying, and the hatchback Kylin, all created in cooperation with Bird Technology.
Cole Motor
Cole Motor Car Company was one of Indianapolis, Indiana’s leading automobile manufacturing companies from 1908 to 1925. Joseph J. Cole founded it. High-end luxury automobiles were produced. The founder’s first attempt to create an automobile was in 1903. In 1904, the Gates-Osborne Carriage Company was purchased and renamed Cole Carriage Company. At this time, a high-wheeled motorized buggy was created. In 1909, the company was named the Cole Motor Car Company and produced the first Cole Model 30. The company was liquidated in 1925, selling its last 607 cars just after the death of Joseph J. Cole.
Corre La Licorne
Corre La Licorne was an automobile manufacturer founded in 1901 by Jean-Marie Corre in Levallois-Perret, France, that produced automobiles under the Corre TM brand. After becoming a leader in this brand’s racing cars, the nobleman Waldemar Lestienne influenced the change of the brand’s logo and name. In 1907, the company adopted a unicorn as part of its identity, changing its name to Corre La Licorne. At the same time, the company’s founder sold the company to Lestienne Firmin. An electric car was developed and produced in 1 instance during World War II. The cars were sold until 1947. The brand was closed in 1949.
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette was one of General Motors’ leading sports car lines, beginning production in the United States in 1953. It was the first American sports car. It is a two-seater, rear-wheel-drive model. Today, it is assembled at plants in the USA: Flint, St. Louis, and Bowling Green, under the designations Sting Ray C1 (first generation), C2 (1963 to 1967), C3 (1968 to 1982), and C6 (2005 to 2013). The next model, the C8, is now in production. Since 1960, racing variants of the Corvette have been produced: the Cx-R; the latest is the C8.R.
Cagiva
Calthorpe
Cambli International Thunder 1
Campagna Corporation
Carroll Shelby
Central Motor Co., Ltd
CG
Champion
Chandler
Changhe
Chariot Motors
Chatenet
Checker
Cheetah Racing
Chenard-Walcker
Chevron Engineering Specialties
Chinkara Motors
Chiribiri
CityEl
Clan
Claveau
Clinton
CMC
Colonial Motors Ltd
Comet
Commuter
Compagnie Nationale Excelsior
Connaught
Costin
Cottin-Desgouttes
Covini Engineering
Crossley
CSC
Csonka
CT&T United
Cunningham
Cupra
Custoca
