Have you ever considered where your vehicle has come from or the history it has gone through to end up on your driveway?... we thought not. This blog explores where every car manufacturer originated, who founded the company and a few different examples of some of their best vehicles. If not, why not take a visit to our personal car leasing page and special offers page for deals you simply can't miss out on!
Abarth
Abarth is a fully owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. It was founded on the 31st March 1949 and its headquarters are based in Turin, Italy. Some examples of Abarth Vehicles are 124 Spider, 595 Hatchback and 695 Hatchback.
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo is an Italian manufacturer based out of the Province of Milan and was founded on the 24th June 1910. They are masters in creating luxurious vehicles which differentiate themselves from the market with their iconic looks, and surprisingly their front number plate placement. Some examples of Alfa Romeos include: Giulietta Hatchback, Giulia Saloon and the Stelvio Estate.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin is a British based, luxury sports car manufacturer founded in London way back in 1913. They are known for their gorgeous supercars and collaboration with James Bond sought after by many drivers. Some examples of their vehicles include: DB11, V8 Vantage Coupe and Rapide S Saloon.
Audi
Audi is a German car manufacturer and member of the famous Volkswagen group. They are known for their production of luxury vehicles which you will commonly see on the roads across the globe. Historically they were founded on the 1st January 1910 in Zwickau, Germany. Some examples of Audi's include: A5 Coupe, TT Coupe and R8.
Bentley
Bentley Motors is a British based luxury car manufacturer based out of Crewe in North West England, founded on 18th January 1919 and later became a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 1998. Some examples of their vehicles include: Continental GT Coupe, Bentayga and Flying Spur Saloon.
BMW
BMW is a German manufacturer founded in Munich over a hundred years ago in 1916 and is one of the most popular manufacturer's you see across the world to this day. They have always been popular in the industry due to their great residual value, so keep your eyes peeled for offers. Some examples of their vehicles include: 1 Series Hatchback, X3 and i8.
Citroen
Citroen is an automobile manufacturer known for their mass production of the first front wheel drive car. They were founded in March 1919 in Saint-Ouen France and cover most of the globe. Some examples of their vehicles include: C1 Hatchback, C3 Aircross and the Berlingo.
Dacia
Automobile Dacia is an automobile company founded in 1966 in Arges, Romania not too far from the capital Bucharest. They have also been a subsidiary of popular manufacturer Renault since 1999. Some examples of their vehicles include: Dacia Duster, Sandero Hatchback and the Logan Mcv.
DS
DS is known to be the premium sub-branch of Citroen motors, which was first announced not long ago in 2009 and as a standalone brand in 2014. Its headquarters are based in Paris, France and they serve a large majority of the globe. Their vehicles include the likes of the: DS3 Hatchback and the Ds 7.
Ferrari
Ferrari is a notorious Italian manufacturer known for its F1 drivers and supplies some of the most luxurious vehicles in the industry. It was founded by Enzo Ferrari in Modena Italy in 1939. Their vehicles include the likes of the: Portofino, GTC4 Lusso and the 812 Superfast.
Fiat
Fiat is an Italian manufacturer founded in 1899 Turin, making them one of the oldest manufacturer, and are known throughout the world for their affordability and style. Some examples of their vehicles include: Fiat 500, 124 Spider and the Tipo.
Ford
Ford Motor Company sits as one of the most notorious manufacturer's in the world, and are known for their highly diverse range of vehicles with great builds. Ford was founded by Henry Ford on June 16th 1903 in Dearborn Michigan. Some examples of their vehicles include: Ford S-Max, Fiesta ST and Focus.
Honda
Honda Motor Company is a Japanese car manufacturer founded in Hamamatsu, Japan, by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa back in 1946. They are known for providing a great deal of safety in their vehicles and serves worldwide. Some of their vehicles include: Civic Hatchback, CR-V and NSX.
Hyundai
Hyundai is a manufacturer based out of Seoul, South Korea and was historically founded as the Hyundai Engineering and Construction company in 1947 before becoming established on December 29th 1967. It was founded by Chung Ju-Yung and they provide a wide variety of different vehicles from standard automobiles to luxury vehicles. Some of their vehicles include: Hyundai i30N, Tucson and i20.
Jaguar
Jaguar is a multinational British car manufacturer introduced in 1935, with its headquarters based in Coventry, West Midlands. They are known for their production of luxury vehicles and partnership with Land Rover to create "Jaguar Land Rover" not long ago in 2013. Some of their vehicles include: XE Saloon, F-Pace and the E-Pace.
Jeep
Jeep is a manufacturer known for its 4x4 SUVs and off-road capabilities. Jeep is a division of the FCA US LLC an owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. It was founded in 1943 and continues to be a very popular vehicle in the U.S and formerly the U.S army. Their current vehicles include the likes of the Renegade Hatchback, Wrangler and the Cherokee.
Kia
Kia Motors Corporation are an automobile manufacturer based out of Seoul, South Korea. They were founded in December 1944 and are owned by Hyundai. They are a popular vehicle throughout the world and are known for their affordability and style. Vehicles include: Picanto, Ceed Hatchback and the Kia Sportage.
Land Rover
Land Rover is a notorious British manufacturer who specialises in SUV's and four-wheel-drive vehicles. They have been owned by Jaguar Land Rover since 2013 and provides worldwide. Some of their vehicles include: Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque, Range Rover Velar., Range Rover Sport and Range Rover. They also produce the iconic Defender.
Lexus
Lexus are a manufacturer known throughout the world for their comfortable and economical cars. Lexus is the luxury division of Toyota established on the 1st September 189 and based out of Nagoya, Japan. Their vehicles include the likes of: Lexus NX, Lexus RC and the Lexus LC.
Lotus
Lotus Cars is a British automotive manufacturer who specialises in sports and racing cars. They were founded in 1948 by Colin Chapman and its headquarters are based in Norfolk. Lotus cars are known for their amazing performance and iconic styling. Some of their vehicles include the likes of the Lotus Elise, Evora and Exige Coupe.
Maserati
Maserati is known to manufacturer some of the most expensive vehicles throughout the automotive industry, sought after by many avid drivers. Maserati is an Italian manufacturer based in Bologna and founded way back on the 1st of December 1914. Some of their vehicles include: Levante, Ghibli and Quattroporte.
Mazda
Mazda is an automotive manufacturer based out of Hiroshima, Japan and was founded on the 30th January 1920. They are known for their style and affordability, with a wide range of different vehicles. Some of their vehicles include the likes of: Mazda 6 Saloon, MX-5 Convertible and the CX-5.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a well-known German manufacturer founded nearly 100 years ago on the 28th June 1926. Their headquarters are located in Stuttgart, Germany and they serve worldwide. Mercedes-Benz are known for their premium quality and amazing performance and continue to be one of the most successful brands in the automotive trade. Some of their vehicles include the likes of: A Class Hatchback, C Class Estate and E Class Saloon.
MG Motor UK
MG Motor UK was not long ago known as MG Rover, which not long ago collapsed in 2005. They are now known as MG Motor UK and are in-turn owned by SAIC Motor, a Shanghai-based automotive design and manufacturing company. MG Motor UK is based in Birmingham, UK and was founded on the 12th of April, 2006. Their vehicles include: Mg3 Hatchback,Zs and GS.
Mini
Mini is a well-known UK based Car manufacturer, known most commonly for the notorious Mini Cooper Hatchback. Mini was introduced in 1969 and bought out by BMW in the year 2000 when they bought the Rover group (Previous Owner). Their vehicles also include the likes of: Clubman, Countryman and Convertible Hatch.
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer based out of the capital, Tokyo and historically a Shipbuilding company (Mitsubishi Shipbuilding) merged with Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. Mitsubishi Motors also makes up part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. They are mostly known for their offroad vehicles, however, they have branched out to offer a new diverse range of automobiles. Their vehicles include the Shogun Sport, ASX and the Mirage.
Nissan
Nissan is a Japanese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama and founded on the 26th December 1933. They also sell cars under Infiniti and Datsun names and make-up part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Some of their vehicles include the Juke, Qashqai and fully-electric Nissan Leaf.
Peugeot
Peugeot is the oldest manufacturer in the automotive industry as they were founded a whopping 209 years ago in 1810. They are part of Groupe PSA and are headquartered in Paris and continue to operate worldwide. Their vehicles include the likes of: 208 Hatchback, 2008 Estate and 308 GTI.
Porsche
Porsche is a German automobile manufacturer based out of Stuttgart, Germany and founded 88 years ago in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche. They are known for their luxury vehicles and racing cars and continue to be one of the most prestigious manufacturers in the industry. Their vehicles include: 911 Coupe, Cayman and Boxster.
Renault
Renault S.A was founded on the 25th February 1899 by Louis, Marcel and Fernand Renault just outside of Paris in Boulogne-Billancourt. It is one of the major manufacturers to this day and also makes part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. Their vehicles include the: Renault Clio, Twingo and Megane Hatchback.
Seat
Seat was founded on the 9th May 1950 by a Spanish state-owned industrial holding company called Nacional de Industria, and the headquarters are located not too far from Barcelona in Martorell. They are now a subsidiary of the German Volkswagen group as they were sold to them back in 1986. Some of SEAT's vehicles include the likes of: Leon hatchback, Ibiza and Arona.
Skoda
Skoda is a Czech manufacturer known for their reliability and affordability and they have been established since the 18th December 1895. They were formerly known as Laurin & Klement and are based out of Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic. Their vehicles include: Superb, Octavia Hatchback and Citigo.
Smart
Smart is a German automotive division of Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz) known mostly for having such small vehicles which are perfect for city driving. It was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Boblingen, Germany. Their vehicles include the likes of: Forfour hatchback and Fortwo Coupe.
Ssangyong
Ssangyong is a South-Korean automobile manufacturer founded on the 4th March 1954 in Pyeongtaek, South-Korea. They are a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, an Indian automotive company since February 2011. Their vehicles include the likes of: Tivoli, Korando Estate and Rexton.
Subaru
Subaru is a manufacturer known for its use of powerful turbocharged engines and boxer engine layout. Subaru is the manufacturing division of transportation conglomerate Subaru Corporation and was founded on the 15th July 1953 in Tokyo, Japan. Their vehicles include the likes of: the Forester, Impreza and Levorg.
Suzuki
Suzuki makes up one of the oldest manufacturers in the automotive industry. They are a Japanese manufacturer founded 110 years ago in 1909 by Michio Suzuki. They are known for their wide variety of vehicles and their affordability making them a very well-known manufacturer. Some examples of their vehicles are: Swift, Jimny and Vitara Estate.
Tesla
Tesla is an American automotive company known for its use of electric motors and single speed transmissions. They were historically known as Tesla Motors Inc and were founded not long ago in 2003. The owner of Tesla is Elon Musk, a very well known businessman throughout the world. Their vehicles include: Model S and Model X.
Toyota
Toyota is a famous manufacturer based out of Toyota City in Japan. It was founded 81 years ago on the 28th August 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda. They are known for their innovativeness with their success in hybrid electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Vehicles include: Prius, Aygo and C-hr.
Vauxhall
Vauxhall Motors Limited is a British car brand owned by notorious German Car manufacturer Opel. Historically it was founded by Alexander Wilson in 1857 as Alex Wilson and Company making it one of the oldest manufacturers in the industry. Its headquarters are based out of Luton, England. Cars include the likes of: Corsa, Astra Hatchback and Insignia.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German manufacturer who serves worldwide and is one of the most well-known manufacturers throughout the world. It was founded on the 28th May 1937 and is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Their vehicles include: Golf, Passat and Tiguan.
Volvo
Volvo is a Swedish manufacturer known for its safety and reliability in their well-built vehicles. They were founded in 1927 and are headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars was previously sold to Ford Motor company in 1999 until 2010 when they were bought out by Geely. Their vehicles include: V40 Hatchback, S90 and XC40.
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