Our world is rapidly changing. Everything that was popular yesterday may suddenly lose interest among the public today. Time changes everything around us. The same applies to the automotive world. Even yesterday, many seemed fantastic, and today we sometimes don’t even think about how complex modern cars have become.
But along with the development of the automotive industry, the alignment of forces in the car market is changing. For example, until recently Korean cars nobody took it seriously. Today they compete on equal terms with many European and Japanese brands.
In this complex modern reality, it is sometimes difficult to keep track of everything. For example, do you know which automakers own famous cars brands? Do you know that deutsche mark « Opel has long been owned by an American company. Or that the legendary Swedish brand " Volvo» is now wholly owned by a Chinese corporation?
Let's find out what the global auto industry looks like. To do this, we sorted all the famous car brands by the corporations they belong to. Thanks to our catalog, you will be able to find out which car brand belongs to a particular car company.
Japanese automakers
Toyota Motor Vehicle Brands
- one of the largest corporations in the world, which is engaged in the industrial production of vehicles. For several years now Toyota is the largest car manufacturer in the world.
The main business of "Toyota Motor" is the production of cars, trucks and buses, which are produced under different brands. Here is a list of car brands that belong to the Toyota Motor concern:
, Daihatsu, Hino, Ranz, (Scion - brand ceased to exist in 2016)
Automotive Brands of Honda Motor Company
It is the world's leading manufacturer of motorcycles and automobiles. The main divisions of the company are engaged in the development and production of various motorcycles, ranging from mopeds to sports bikes. Recently, the company has become a world leader in the production of ATVs.
But, despite the clear emphasis on the production of motorcycles and other motorcycles, the Japanese company Honda Motor is also one of the largest in the automotive industry. Every year, the Japanese automaker produces many models of cars.
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by Honda Motor Company:
acura,
Suzuki Motor Corporation
Japanese company Suzuki motor corporation"is one of the largest automotive corporations in the world. Suzuki Motor manufactures trucks and cars. Including the company is also a global manufacturer of motorcycles and boat engines.
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by Suzuki Motor Corporation:
maruti,
Mazda Motor
Mazda Motor is Japan's largest automaker and is also a major player in the global auto industry. The main activity of the company is the production of cars. The company's car factories are located in many countries of the world.
Mazda Motor produces cars under the brand:
Fuji Heavy Industries
Fuji Heavy Industries has been operating since 1917. During World War II, the company was the world's largest aircraft manufacturer. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the Japanese corporation Fuji Heavy Industries, thanks to the merger of several companies, has become the largest automaker on the world stage.
Fuji Heavy Industries manufactures intercity buses, and . The company also produces military helicopters for the Japanese army. Including the Japanese concern is a manufacturer of civilian helicopters known around the world.
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by Fuji Heavy Industries:
Renault-Nissan Alliance
"Renault-Nissan Alliance" is the world's largest automotive alliance of two companies - the Japanese company "Nissan" and the French "Renault". Through joint activities, the companies produce many car models around the world.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is also a shareholder in a number of automotive brands in different countries peace. So, for example, in 2009, our Government offered Renault to jointly develop Avtovaz. As a result, the Renault-Nissan Alliance began to modernize production capacity car factory in Togliatti.
Thanks to investments and updating of production lines in recent years, several new models under the Lada brand have rolled off the assembly line of the plant, which have become popular in Russia.
, Dacia, Datsun, Samsung, Venucia
American automakers
General Motors
General Motors has been the world's largest automaker for 77 years. Unfortunately, due to the financial crisis in 2008, the company lost its leadership in the global car market. Today, General Motors ranks only 3rd in the world in terms of production and sales, behind such brands as Toyota (1st) and Volkswagen (2nd).
The General Motors company, which has the abbreviated name "GM", has production in 35 countries around the world. GM products are present in 192 countries around the world. This is one of the oldest car companies in the world, which has an amazing history.
Currently, the company produces cars under the following brands:
Alpheon, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Jie Fang, Holden, Ravon, Vauxhall, Wuling
Ford Motor Company
Currently, the American company "Ford" ranks fourth in the world among all global automakers. In the American market, the company ranks third in sales, second only to corporations such as General Motors and Toyota.
The company is currently the world's largest manufacturer of passenger cars, SUVs, crossovers and commercial vehicles. The production sites of the corporation are located in many countries of the world. Including in Russia, where the production of many popular models is localized.
Here is a list of car brands that belong to " Ford motor company":
Lincoln, Troller, FPV
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA Group)
"FCA Group" is a multinational automotive corporation, which today is the seventh largest among all global automotive concerns. This company was founded after the merger of Fiat with Chrysler in 2009.
The FCA Group Corporation is divided into several divisions: FCA Italy and FCA USA.
This group of automotive companies owns the following brands:
Abarth, Fiat, Lancia, Dodge, Ram Truck,
German automakers
Volkswagen AG (VW Group)
The German automotive group "Volkswagen AG" owns a huge number of divisions around the world and other companies that are engaged in auto production. The VW Group is one of the leaders in the global automotive industry.
The company officially employs about 375,000 people. Car production under the management of Volkswagen AG is organized in more than 20 countries around the world. The main activity of the company is related to the mass production of automotive products.
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by Volkswagen AG (VW Group):
MAN AG
Daimler AG
The largest German automobile corporation Daimler AG is not only one of the leaders in the European car market, but also one of the top largest automobile companies in the world.
The company, in addition to the production of cars, is engaged in the production of trucks, various buses and motorcycles.
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by Daimler AG:
, Mercedes-Smart Automobile, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses, Setra, BharatBenz
BMW Group (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)
The BMW Group is major automaker luxury cars, motorcycles and bicycles. This corporation is one of the leaders in the world sales of premium luxury cars.
Here is a list of car brands that belong to the BMW Group:
,
Russian automakers
Sollers
Sollers is the largest automobile corporation in Russia, which is engaged in the industrial production of vehicles of both Russian automobile brands (UAZ) and foreign ones (SsangYong, Ford, Toyota). In addition, Sollers manufactures trucks and commercial buses.
Here is a list of brands owned by Sollers:
Russian Machines Group
The Russian Machines Group is a major participant in the Russian car market. So the corporation, in addition to the production of aircraft and road construction equipment, is engaged in the production of cars under the GAZ brand.
Here is a list of car brands that belong to the Russian Machines group:
Indian automakers
Tata Motors
Tata Motors is a major global Indian automobile corporation that manufactures cars and trucks. The company also manufactures buses, commercial vans, military vehicles and construction equipment. In terms of production and size, Tata Motors ranks 5th in the world.
In terms of production of cargo vehicles, the Indian Corporation ranks 4th in the world. But the most surprising thing is that Tata also occupies the 2nd place in the world in terms of production of bus vehicles.
Here is a list of car brands that belong to the Tata Motors group:
, Tata, Tata Daewoo
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited is India's largest manufacturer of automobiles and tractors. Including this company produces special equipment for the military needs of the country, as well as many models of agricultural equipment.
It is worth noting that Mahindra & Mahindra Limited ranks first in the world in terms of tractor production.
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by Mahindra & Mahindra Limited:
SsangYong Mahindra
French automakers
PSA Group (Peugeot Citroën PSA)
"PSA Group" is the French Automobile Alliance, which is engaged in the production of passenger cars, crossovers, commercial vans (minibuses) and motorcycles. Including the Peugeot Citroën group produces engines for well-known companies in the car market: Citroën, Ford, Jaguar, Mini and Peugeot.
Here is a list of car brands that belong to the PSA Group:
.DS
Renault-Nissan Alliance
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by the Renault-Nissan Alliance:
, Dacia, Datsun, Infiniti, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Renault, Samsung, Venucia
Korean automakers
Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group
Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group is a South Korean automobile corporation, which ranks second in terms of production in Asia, second only to Toyota. The Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group is also the fourth largest automaker in the world after General Motors, Volkswagen Group and Toyota.
The main activity of the corporation in the automotive market is the production of cars, crossovers, SUVs, buses, commercial vehicles, and trucks.
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group:
,
Chinese automakers
Zhejiang Geely Holdings Group
Zhejiang Geely Holdings Group is one of the ten largest Chinese automobile companies. At the moment, the holding owns 9 automobile plants in China.
Beyond production ordinary cars the company is engaged in the production of cars for taxi transportation, motorcycles, engines, gearboxes. This company became known to the whole world after it bought the Swedish legendary car brand Volvo.
Here is a list of car brands that are owned by Zhejiang Geely Holdings Group:
Geely,
Volkswagen is currently the largest car manufacturer in Europe and the second largest in the world.
Today, the German group, which once started with the production of ultra-budget "Beetles", offers products for any buyer. All this thanks to the unification of several brands under a single management.
The group's corporate portfolio includes eight legendary brands, most of which at one time found themselves in a difficult financial situation. Companies were forced to ally with German manufacturer because it was a matter of their survival.
Volkswagen
The brand was founded by Adolf Hitler in 1938. Today it specializes in the mass segment. The most famous models: Golf, Passat, Polo, Tiguan.
Audi
Specializing in the premium segment. The brand was merged with Volkswagen in 1964. The most famous models: A4, A6, R8. In 1993 Management Company Audi AG acquired the Ducati and Lamborghini brands while remaining the property of Volkswagen.
Porsche
Specializes in premium and super premium segments. Although he was one of the founders of the first Volkswagen plant, the company he created joined the German giant only in 2007. Today the allies are each other's mutual shareholders. The most famous models: Cayenne, Panamera.
Bentley
In 1929 an English manufacturer premium cars was sold to Rolls-Royce. In 1997, after the financial crisis, the Rolls-Royce brand was sold to BMW, and Brand Bentley got Volkswagen. The most famous models: Continental GT, Flying Spur.
Skoda
This brand survived the German occupation, the Soviet era and was merged with Volkswagen in 1991. Change of strategic partner allowed to increase production by 5 times. Today Skoda specializes in the mass budget segment. The most famous models: Octavia, Fabia, Yeti.
SEAT
In 1986 due to financial difficulties Italian concern FIAT sold 99.9% of the shares of the Spanish automaker to the Volkswagen group. Today the brand specializes in the mass segment. The most famous models: Ibiza, Leon.
Lamborghini
At the turn of the 60-70s. of the last century, the Italian sports car manufacturer has changed hands several times. In 1998, the brand was bought by Audi AG and ended up under the wing of Volkswagen. The most famous models: Aventador, Huracan.
Bugatti
In 1956 this legendary brand actually ceased to exist. In the late 80s, the Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli revived production and in 1998 sold the asset Volkswagen Group. Today the brand specializes in the super premium segment. The most famous model: Veyron.
What other companies belong to Volkswagen
- MAN- truck manufacturer truck tractors, dump trucks, buses, hybrid and diesel engines;
- Scania– manufacturer of trucks, truck tractors, dump trucks, buses and diesel engines;
- Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles– manufacturer of commercial vehicles (buses, minibuses, tractors);
- Ducati Motor– motorcycle manufacturer;
- ItalDesign Giugiaro- car design studio
For some time there were rumors about Volkswagen's intention to buy the Italian-American alliance Fiat-Chrysler in order to become the world's largest automaker, but this deal did not take place.
The guys from Ingolstadt are far from the first to launch an image stroller for children on the market. Similar products are in the arsenal of BMW, Aston Martin, Porsche and McLaren. Models of the latter, by the way, are very popular among Russian mothers. However, Audi decided to go even further and offered mod parents a hybrid of a three-wheeled walking “carriage” and an anatomical car seat. If necessary, the chassis is removed directly into the pillow, and the stroller turns into a real car seat. It remains only to fix it in the car and fasten the baby with seat belts.
Honda: Crazy Lawnmower
It's no secret that the Japanese have been practicing lawn mower manufacturing for a long time. But the fact that at times they are turned into racing cars, perhaps, few people know. We are talking about the Mean Mower model from Honda, trained to perform not only its direct duties of mowing the lawn, but also to cut through the asphalt, developing a speed of over 200 km / h. The car is driven by a 110-horsepower engine borrowed from the Honda VTR Firestorm sports bike, and is paired with a 6-speed gearbox. With such a set and with a mass of 140 kg, the lawn mower is capable of delivering the first hundred from a standstill in four and a half seconds.
Ford: picnic coal
And how do you like it - branded charcoal from overseas Ford? Once a subsidiary owned by the auto giant, small batches purchased coal briquetting equipment from the American-German company Buehler. After a while, the Yankees established large-scale production and began to produce packaged barbecue charcoal from softwood waste under the Kingsford brand. Today, the manufacturer is a full-fledged leader in this segment, controlling more than 80% of the local market.
General Motors: eau de toilette for men
The American automaker managed to work with several perfume companies at once. By the way, a joint collaboration with Coty led to the creation of Corvette eau de toilette, and a partnership with Riviera Concepts ended with the appearance of the Hummer fragrance. Rumor has it that now General Motors is preparing another "delicious" surprise for fans. Is it in honor of the new chevrolet camaro? However, competitors are not asleep either - Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Bentley, Bugatti, Jaguar and even Kia also have their own perfume.
Lamborghini: double coffee maker
But the Italian Lamborghini, which once started with the production of tractors, decided to surprise the world with its coffee machine with a selector in the form of a gear lever, neon lights and the ability to prepare a drink for two mugs at the same time. But its uniqueness is not only in this. In addition to using high-quality stainless steel, each such apparatus is assembled exclusively by hand. Naturally, limited parties or under the order.
Ferrari sports laptop
For the thirteenth year in a row, Acer has been the exclusive supplier of computing equipment to the Scuderia Ferrari Formula-1 team.
Within the framework of cooperation, computers are also stamped for the mass consumer.
During this time, by the way, we saw several models of laptops from the Acer Ferrari line. Their distinctive features include a fiery red case with the brand logo, made of lightweight, but at the same time heavy-duty carbon plastic, as well as rubberized sidewalls and a mouse designed in the same style.
The kit is also complemented by a bright branded napkin for monitor care. It's time to start Gran Turismo and feel like a racer.
Mercedes-Benz: surfboard
While rival BMWs were making bobsleighs and Porsche was making kids' sleds, Daimler started making surfboards. Assistance in the development of the project was provided to the Germans by the famous American surfer Garrett McNamara, who depicted an ideal, in his words, board for riding on the waves. The line of cork surfers, called MBoard (Mercedes-Benz Board), is represented by models of gold and silver colors with an autograph of an extreme athlete emblazoned on them.
MINI : electric scooter
The British presented a scooter that will be appreciated not only by children, but also by their parents. The basis of the two-wheeled vehicle was a small electric motor, which allows speeds up to 25 km / h. Without additional charging of lithium-ion batteries, the scooter is able to cover a distance of about 30 km. However, you can ride it the old fashioned way, pushing off the asphalt with one foot.
Bentley: watches for aesthetes
Unlike their colleagues in the automotive industry - Aston Martin, Ferrari and Morgan, who experimented quite successfully with the release of their own watches, the British offered connoisseurs of beauty not just a stylish accessory, but a chronograph that can be assembled on an individual order. Customers are given the opportunity to specify any detail and fully compose the filling of future watches. And the legendary Swiss specialists from Breitling help Bentley in this. The exclusive collection was named so - Breitling for Bentley.
Mitsubishi: writing pencils
Do not be surprised, but the Japanese company, in addition to cars, is famous not only for the production of audio-video equipment and air conditioners. Two centuries ago, Mitsubishi tried its hand at making wooden pencils. Today it is a major manufacturer of all kinds of stationery, including ballpoint and automatic pens, mechanical writing instruments and lead holders. It is noteworthy, but to create a seemingly ordinary pencil for writing, perennial wood of noble species is used.
Volkswagen: sausage ketchup
“Why not earn extra money on food?” thought at the end of the 90s an automaker from Wolfsburg and put on stream the production of ketchup for sausages. Initially, the product was aimed at corporate employees of machine-building sites, and after a couple of years, VW began to supply bottles of tomato paste to the German domestic market. But the picture would be incomplete without the sausages themselves, which rather quickly added to the brand's food price list. By the way, not a bad idea for stimulating promotions. Let's say you bought a new Polo - get a month's supply of food as a gift!
Peugeot: kitchen pepper
For the second century in a row, the French are celebrated by making mills for grinding pepper, salt and other spices. Main Feature kitchen utensils, in addition to the presence of the emblem in the form of the notorious lion, is a combination of unique materials involved in production. This is steel with silver-plated metal, and porcelain, and natural wood. And in confirmation of the impeccable quality of workmanship, the company provides a lifetime warranty on its products. Such would yes on cars!
Hyundai: marine vessels
And the Koreans hit hard, becoming one of the largest shipyards in the world. Hyundai Heavy Industries manufactures and launches more than 60 marine heavyweights every year. Among them - bulk carriers, container ships, giant tankers and even dams, which form the backbone of all modern shipping and international trade. Moreover, the company is constantly working on its own technologies, in particular those responsible for security. One such development is, for example, intelligent system detection of obstacles on the water within 50 km, independently rebuilding the route to avoid collision.
In the very early days of the automobile industry, all car manufacturers were, of course, independent of each other. But . As a result, more successful automotive companies began to buy competing auto brands. Subsequently, the world's largest conglomerates began to be created in the automotive industry, which to this day are the largest auto companies in the world in terms of the number of products produced and, naturally, in terms of sales. Let's look at the current state of the global auto business. We invite you to find out which well-known and popular are currently under control large corporations and auto alliances.
Abarth - owned by Fiat/Chrysler
Abarth was founded in 1949. Initially, the auto brand was engaged in the production racing cars and production of automotive components for powerful vehicles. In 1971, company founder Carlo Abat sold his brand to the company. Abarth is currently producing more powerful versions based on Fiat vehicles.
Alfa Romeo - Owned by Fiat/Chrysler
Begins in the early years of the 20th century. There have been ups and downs in the history of the company that have affected the entire global auto industry. But even though Alfa Romeo won the 1950 and 1951 Formula One races, by the mid-1980s the car brand was in dire financial straits. It was at this point that Alfa Romeo became part of the Fiat empire.
Audi - Owned by Volkswagen
Audi was one of four companies that merged into the Auto Union automobile brand in 1932. But in 1964, the company buys half of the business from Auto Union and renames the company back to the Audi name.
At present Audi brand is the largest part of the world's largest auto concern Volkswagen.
Bentley - Owned by Volkswagen
Throughout its history, it worked in the car market as an independent manufacturer for only 12 years, until 1931. The car brand then became part of the company, which sold Bentley to Vickers in 1980. Vickers then sold the Bentley brand to the German carmaker Volkswagen, which sold the company at the same time. Rolls-Royce companies bmw.
Citroen/DS - Owned by Peugeot
In 1934, Citroen was sold to Michelin for debts. Purchased in 1976. This is how the large auto concern PSA Peugeot Citroen appeared on the market. In 2010, the DS brand appeared on the market, which is also owned by PSA concern Peugeot Citroen.
Dacia - Owned by Renault
Dacia was established in Romania in the 1960s to license Renault to produce available cars for the domestic market. Finally in 1999 Renault bought the Dacia company and currently continues to use this brand for production budget models. But despite the release of economy class cars, most Dacia models currently use a lot of new technologies.
See also:
Ferrari - owned by Fiat
In 1969, Fiat acquired a 50% stake in Ferrari after a planned buyout of the Italian premium brand the Ford company. Fiat eventually increased its shareholding to 90%. In 2014 the concern Fiat Chrysler decided to separate the brand from the main group. As a result, the deal was completed in 2016, and the Agnelli family, who founded Fiat, became the largest shareholder of Ferrari.
Infiniti - Owned by Nissan
Was originally conceived to exit Nissan to the US premium car market in the 1990s. Did exactly the same Honda, which created the Acura brand for the US market, and Toyota, which introduced the Lexus brand to the US market.
In 2008, Infiniti expanded its activities around the world, increasing the supply of vehicles to Europe. At the moment, the Infiniti car brand is still owned by Nissan.
Jaguar - Owned by TATA
The previous owners sold it to the Indian company Tata Motors. The deal was closed in 2008. Tata Motors is part of the giant Tata Group which includes other businesses including hotels, satellite broadcasting and tea bag manufacturing. Along with Jaguar, the company was also sold Land Rover. The reason for the sale of two popular premium brands is the difficult financial situation of the company during the global crisis.
Jeep - Owned by Chrysler
Before Jeep became the owner of the Jeep brand in 1987, Chrysler, American automaker off-road vehicles owned by two American companies closely associated with Renault and. Jeep is currently part of the Fiat-Chrysler group.
Kia - Owned by Hyundai
The Korean company Kia has been independent for over 50 years. During the Asian financial crisis in 1997 Kia went bankrupt. But the Kia brand survived thanks to the bailout of Hyundai Motor, which acquired a majority stake in 1998. Today, Kia is still owned.
Lamborghini - owned by Volkswagen
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lamborghini was owned by Chrysler. Currently part of the Volkswagen Group. Lamborghini became part of this company in 1998, when the brand came under control.
Land Rover - Owned by TATA
Land Rover has been owned by many well-known automobile brands throughout the long history of the automotive industry, ranging from and ending with the American company Ford. But in 2008, the Land Rover brand, along with Jaguar, came under the control of the Indian industrial giant Tata. Immediately after the takeover, the two independent brands and Jaguar were merged into one company.
Lexus - Owned by Toyota
Lexus is wholly owned by Toyota. The brand is the luxury division of a Japanese company. Like Acura, Infiniti, which are owned and respectively, the Lexus brand was brought to market to enter the US premium car market as well as the UK.
Lotus - Owned by Proton
Malaysian automaker Proton bought the company in 1993 from Italian businessman Romano Artioli (who owned Bugatti in those years). Today, the Lotus brand is still owned by Proton. The strangest thing is that Lotus cars are still produced and sold all over the world (mainly in England), while the production of cars under the Proton brand has been discontinued.
Maserati - Owned by Fiat-Chrysler
Maserati has been a 100% subsidiary of Fiat since 1993. Today it belongs to the Fiat-Chrysler automaker.
Mercedes - Owned by Daimler
Mercedes-Benz is the largest and most well-known automobile brand within the Daimler Corporation. Also Daimler company also owns several commercial vehicle manufacturers.
MG - Owned by Saic
MG is owned by a Chinese company after MG Rover went bankrupt in 2005. Initially, the MG brand was bought by the Chinese company Nanjing Automobile, but then it was bought by the Shanghai company SAIC.
Mini - Owned by BMW
In 2000, BMW sold their MG, Rover and Land Rover brands, which were known to be part of the Rover Group. But in the sale, BMW retained control of Mini. As a result, today BMW, in addition to Rolls-Royce, retains control over the brand.
Mitsubishi - Owned by Nissan-Renault
Mitsubishi Motors is automotive division Mitsubishi Group, which, in addition to auto production, is engaged in projects in nuclear energy, banking and many other business areas. In October 2016, Nissan became the company's largest shareholder by purchasing a 34% stake. So Mitsubishi became part of the Renault-Nissan auto alliance.
Nissan - Owned by the Renault-Nissan Auto Alliance
After several years of financial difficulties, Nissan entered into an alliance with Renault in 1993. Technically, the two companies are separate. But the technologies, methods of work in the production of cars are the same. The autoalliance also has a single CEO, Carlos Ghosn. Nissan has a smaller stake in Renault, while Renault has a larger stake in Nissan, which is essentially a junior partner.
Porsche - Owned by Volkswagen
The car manufacturer is a subsidiary of Volkswagen.
Renault - Owned by the Renault-Nissan Alliance
Once upon a time Renault belonged to the French government. In 1996 the company was privatized. But today, France still has a stake in Renault. Today, Renault is part of the world's largest auto alliance Renault-Nissan, which recently also included Mitsubishi.
Rolls-Royce - Owned by BMW
Rolls-Royce Motors was bought by Volkswagen in 1998. Five years later, the company was taken over by BMW.
Seat - Owned by Volkswagen
Since 1986 it has been the only largest producer cars in Spain. Since this year, the company has been part of Volkswagen.
Skoda - Owned by Volkswagen
Volkswagen began buying Skoda shares in 1991, at a time of great change in the former Czechoslovakia. Since 2000, Skoda has been wholly owned by the VW Group.
Smart - Owned by Daimler
Initially, the idea of a radical city car was first proposed by the owner of watch manufacturer Swatch. Smart is now wholly owned by Daimler.
SsangYong - Owned by Mahindra & Mahindra
Although still SsangYong company based in South Korea, currently the main owner of the Korean auto brand is the Indian company Mahindra & Mahindra, which in 2011 acquired a 70% stake in the Korean company.
Subaru - Owned by Fuji
Subaru Owns Fuji company Heavy Industries (FHI), which will soon change its name to Subaru Corporation. FHI has six independent automotive companies. major shareholders companies are Toyota and Suzuki. Suzuki has a large share.
Vauxhall / Opel - Owned by PSA (Citroen-Peugeot)
Vauxhall cars / despite the fact that they were positioned as British and German car brands, in fact, for a long time they were part of the world's largest automaker General Motors. General Motors has owned the Vauxhall/Opel brands since 1925. In March 2017, it was announced that the Vauxhall/Opel brands were being taken over by the Citroen-Peugeot Auto Alliance (PSA).
Volvo - Owned by Geely
After being a fully independent Swedish car brand for more than 70 years, Volvo became part of Ford, which 9 years later sold the Swedish brand to the Chinese company Geely.
Lada AvtoVAZ - Owned by Renault-Nissan Alliance and Rostec
In 2008, a controlling stake in the AvtoVAZ car plant was received by Renault.
GAZ - Owned by Basic Element, Oleg Deripaska
In 2000, a controlling stake in GAZ OJSC was acquired by Oleg Deripaska's Basic Element. In 2001 Gorkovsky car factory became part of the auto holding "RusPromAvto".
About thirty years ago, the famous American manager Lee Iacocca said that by the beginning of the 21st century, only a few players would remain in the global automotive market. Ex-president of Chrysler and Ford saw through the trends further development auto industry, so it is not at all surprising that his predictions are confirmed.
The world's largest automakers and alliances
At first glance, it may seem that there are many independent automakers in the world, but in fact, most auto companies are part of various groups and alliances.
Thus, Lee Iacocca looked into the water, and today there are actually only a few automakers left in the world who have divided the entire global car market among themselves.
What brands are owned by Ford
Interestingly, the companies he headed - Chrysler and Ford - the leaders of the American auto industry, suffered the most serious losses during the economic crisis. And they had never been in such serious troubles before. Chrysler and General Motors went bankrupt, and only a miracle saved Ford. But for this miracle, the enterprise had to pay too much expensive price, because as a result, Ford lost its premium division Premiere Automotive Group, which included Land Rover, Volvo and Jaguar. Moreover, Ford lost Aston Martin, the British supercar manufacturer, a controlling stake in Mazda, and liquidated the Mercury brand. And today, only two brands remain from the huge empire - Lincoln and Ford itself.
What brands belong to the auto concern General Motors
General Motors suffered no less serious losses. The American company lost Saturn, Hummer, SAAB, but its bankruptcy did not prevent us from defending Opel brands and Daewoo. Today, General Motors includes such brands as Vauxhall, Holden, GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick. In addition, the Americans own the Russian joint venture GM-AvtoVAZ, which produces the Chevrolet Niva.
Automaker Fiat and Chrysler
And the American concern Chrysler now acts as a strategic partner of Fiat, which has brought together such brands as Ram, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Lancia, Maserati, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo under its wing.
In Europe, things are somewhat different than in the US. Here the crisis has also made its own adjustments, but the position of the monsters of the European automobile industry has not been shaken by this.
What brands belong to the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen is still accumulating brands. After buying Porsche in 2009 in part of Volkswagen Group has nine brands - Seat, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley, Porsche, Audi, truck manufacturer Scania and VW itself. There is evidence that soon this list will include Suzuki, 20 percent of whose shares are already owned by the Volkswagen Group.
Brands owned by Daimler AG and BMW Group
As for the other two "Germans" - BMW and Daimler AG, they cannot boast of such an abundance of brands. Under the wing of Daimler AG are the brands Smart, Maybach and Mercedes, and BMW history includes Mini and Rolls-Royce.
Renault and Nissan Automobile Alliance
Among the world's largest automakers, one cannot fail to mention the Renault-Nissan alliance, which owns such brands as Samsung, Infiniti, Nissan, Dacia and Renault. In addition, Renault owns 25 percent of AvtoVAZ shares, so Lada is also not an independent brand from the French-Japanese alliance.
Another major French automaker, PSA, owns Peugeot and Citroen.
Japanese automaker Toyota
And among Japanese automakers, only Toyota, which owns Subaru, Daihatsu, Scion and Lexus, can boast of a “collection” of brands. also in part of Toyota Motor is listed as Hino truck manufacturer.
Who owns Honda
Honda's achievements are more modest. In addition to the motorcycle department and the premium Acura brand, the Japanese have nothing else.
Successful Auto Alliance Hyundai-Kia
In recent years, the Hyundai-Kia alliance has been successfully breaking into the list of leaders in the global automotive industry. Today he produces cars only under by Kia brands and Hyundai, but the Koreans are already getting serious about creating a premium brand that could be called Genesis.
Among the acquisitions and mergers of recent years, we should mention the transition under the wing of the Chinese Geely brand Volvo, as well as the acquisition of the British premium brands Land Rover and Jaguar by the Indian company Tata. And the most curious case is the purchase of the famous Swedish SAAB brand tiny Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker.
The once powerful British auto industry is dead. All the famous British car manufacturers have long since lost their independence. Their example was followed by small English firms that passed to foreign owners. In particular, the legendary Lotus today belongs to Proton (Malaysia), and the Chinese SAIC bought MG. By the way, the same SAIC before that sold korean ssangyong Motor Indian Mahindra&Mahindra.
All these strategic partnerships, alliances, mergers and acquisitions once again proved the rightness of Lee Iacocca. Single firms in modern world no longer able to survive. Yes, there are exceptions, like the Japanese Mitsuoka, the English Morgan or the Malaysian Proton. But these companies are independent only in the sense that absolutely nothing depends on them.
And in order to have annual sales amounting to hundreds of thousands of cars, not to mention millions, one cannot do without a strong “rear”. IN Renault-Nissan Alliance partners provide each other with support, and in the Volkswagen Group, mutual assistance is ensured by the number of brands.
As for such companies as Mitsubishi and Mazda, in the future they will face more and more difficulties. While Mitsubishi can get the help of partners from PSA, Mazda will have to survive alone, which in the modern world is becoming more and more difficult every day ...
