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When car brands were founded — and which disappeared

The founding year of every car brand in our catalog and, for brands that are gone, the year they closed. The chart counts foundings and closures per decade.

When car brands were founded — and which disappearedThe founding year of every car brand in our catalog and, for brands that are gone, the year they closed. The chart counts foundings and closures per decade.0102030401880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020sBrands foundedBrands closedWhen car brands were founded — and which disappearedThe founding year of every car brand in our catalog and, for brands that are gone, the year they closed. The chart counts foundings and closures per decade.0102030401880s1910s1940s1970s2000sBrands foundedBrands closed
Based on 196 brands from the 1CARS catalog. Exact numbers are in the table below.

Key findings

  • The oldest brand still active in our catalog is Skoda, founded in 1895.
  • The busiest decade for new brands was the 1900s, with 22 foundings.
  • 61 of the 196 brands have closed, 14 of them in the 2010s.
  • Longest-lived brand that is gone: Oldsmobile (1897–2004, 107 years).

Data table

When car brands were founded — and which disappeared
BrandCountryFoundedClosedYears active
Panhard France 1887 1967 80 years
Delahaye France 1894 1954 60 years
Skoda Czech Republic 1895 Active 131 years
Oldsmobile United States 1897 2004 107 years
Wartburg Germany 1898 1991 93 years
Buick United States 1899 Active 127 years
Fiat Italy 1899 Active 127 years
Packard United States 1899 1958 59 years
Renault France 1899 Active 127 years
Dodge United States 1900 Active 126 years
Isotta Fraschini Italy 1900 1949 49 years
AC Cars United Kingdom 1901 Active 125 years
Pierce-Arrow United States 1901 1938 37 years
Cadillac United States 1902 Active 124 years
Auburn United States 1903 1937 34 years
Ford United States 1903 Active 123 years
Talbot United Kingdom 1903 1995 92 years
Hispano-Suiza Spain 1904 Active 122 years
Horch Germany 1904 1959 55 years
Austin United Kingdom 1905 1952 47 years
Delage France 1905 1953 48 years
Sunbeam United Kingdom 1905 1976 71 years
Lancia Italy 1906 Active 120 years
Rolls-Royce United Kingdom 1906 Active 120 years
Daihatsu Japan 1907 Active 119 years
Hillman United Kingdom 1907 1976 69 years
Audi Germany 1909 Active 117 years
Bugatti France 1909 Active 117 years
Hudson United States 1909 1957 48 years
Maybach Germany 1909 2013 104 years
Suzuki Japan 1909 Active 117 years
Alfa Romeo Italy 1910 Active 116 years
Morgan United Kingdom 1910 Active 116 years
Chevrolet United States 1911 Active 115 years
GMC United States 1911 Active 115 years
Bertone Italy 1912 Active 114 years
Aston Martin United Kingdom 1913 Active 113 years
Maserati Italy 1914 Active 112 years
BMW Germany 1916 Active 110 years
DKW Germany 1916 1968 52 years
Nash United States 1916 1957 41 years
ZIL Soviet Union (USSR) 1916 2013 97 years
Lincoln United States 1917 Active 109 years
Bentley United Kingdom 1919 Active 107 years
Citroen France 1919 Active 107 years
Morris United Kingdom 1919 1984 65 years
Duesenberg United States 1920 1937 17 years
Mazda Japan 1920 Active 106 years
Checker United States 1921 1982 61 years
Jaguar United Kingdom 1922 Active 104 years
Jensen United Kingdom 1922 2002 80 years
ZAZ Ukraine 1923 Active 103 years
MG United Kingdom 1924 Active 102 years
Chrysler United States 1925 Active 101 years
Mercedes-Benz Germany 1926 Active 100 years
Pontiac United States 1926 2010 84 years
Volvo Sweden 1927 Active 99 years
DAF Netherlands 1928 1975 47 years
DeSoto United States 1928 1961 33 years
Plymouth United States 1928 2001 73 years
Cord United States 1929 1937 8 years
Moskvich Soviet Union (USSR) 1930 Active 96 years
Pininfarina Italy 1930 Active 96 years
Datsun Japan 1931 2022 91 years
Porsche Germany 1931 Active 95 years
Auto Union Germany 1932 1969 37 years
GAZ Soviet Union (USSR) 1932 Active 94 years
Borgward Germany 1933 1963 30 years
Innocenti Italy 1933 1997 64 years
Nissan Japan 1933 Active 93 years
Isuzu Japan 1934 Active 92 years
KTM Austria 1934 Active 92 years
Simca France 1934 1979 45 years
Reliant United Kingdom 1935 2002 67 years
Toyota Japan 1937 Active 89 years
Volkswagen Germany 1937 Active 89 years
Mercury United States 1938 2011 73 years
Facel Vega France 1939 1964 25 years
Ruf Germany 1939 Active 87 years
Jeep United States 1941 Active 85 years
UAZ 1941 Active 85 years
Hindustan Motors India 1942 2014 72 years
Kia South Korea 1944 Active 82 years
Mahindra India 1945 Active 81 years
Saab Sweden 1945 2014 69 years
Tata India 1945 Active 81 years
TVR United Kingdom 1946 Active 80 years
Tucker United States 1946 1950 4 years
Ferrari Italy 1947 Active 79 years
FSO Poland 1948 2011 63 years
Honda Japan 1948 Active 78 years
Land Rover United Kingdom 1948 Active 78 years
Abarth Italy 1949 Active 77 years
SEAT Spain 1950 Active 76 years
Austin-Healey United Kingdom 1952 1972 20 years
Lotus United Kingdom 1952 Active 74 years
FAW China 1953 Active 73 years
Iso Italy 1953 1974 21 years
Messerschmitt Germany 1953 1964 11 years
Subaru Japan 1953 Active 73 years
AMC United States 1954 1988 34 years
SsangYong South Korea 1954 Active 72 years
Alpine France 1955 Active 71 years
Autobianchi Italy 1955 1995 40 years
LuAZ Ukraine 1955 2000 45 years
Edsel United States 1956 1959 3 years
Trabant Germany 1957 1991 34 years
Hongqi China 1958 Active 68 years
De Tomaso Italy 1959 Active 67 years
Mini United Kingdom 1959 Active 67 years
Iran Khodro Iran 1962 Active 64 years
Shelby United States 1962 Active 64 years
Lamborghini Italy 1963 Active 63 years
JAC China 1964 Active 62 years
Matra France 1964 2003 39 years
Alpina Germany 1965 Active 61 years
Dacia Romania 1966 Active 60 years
Lada 1966 Active 60 years
Hyundai South Korea 1967 Active 59 years
Dongfeng China 1969 Active 57 years
Mitsubishi Japan 1970 Active 56 years
Daewoo South Korea 1972 Active 54 years
Caterham United Kingdom 1973 Active 53 years
DeLorean United States 1975 1982 7 years
Brabus Germany 1977 Active 49 years
Vector United States 1978 Active 48 years
Hafei China 1980 2015 35 years
Wuling China 1982 Active 44 years
Proton Malaysia 1983 Active 43 years
Saleen United States 1983 Active 43 years
Great Wall China 1984 Active 42 years
Venturi France 1984 Active 42 years
McLaren United Kingdom 1985 Active 41 years
Saturn United States 1985 2010 25 years
Acura Japan 1986 Active 40 years
Geely China 1986 Active 40 years
Eagle United States 1987 1998 11 years
Geo United States 1989 1997 8 years
Infiniti Japan 1989 Active 37 years
Lexus Japan 1989 Active 37 years
Ariel United Kingdom 1991 Active 35 years
Hennessey United States 1991 Active 35 years
Brilliance China 1992 Active 34 years
Haima China 1992 Active 34 years
Hummer United States 1992 2010 18 years
Lifan China 1992 Active 34 years
Pagani Italy 1992 Active 34 years
Perodua Malaysia 1993 Active 33 years
Koenigsegg Sweden 1994 Active 32 years
Smart Germany 1994 Active 32 years
Cupra Spain 1996 Active 30 years
Chery China 1997 Active 29 years
TagAZ 1997 2014 17 years
Arash United Kingdom 1999 Active 27 years
SSC United States 1999 Active 27 years
Spyker Netherlands 1999 Active 27 years
BYD China 2003 Active 23 years
Scion United States 2003 2016 13 years
Tesla United States 2003 Active 23 years
Gumpert Germany 2004 2013 9 years
Artega Germany 2006 Active 20 years
Roewe China 2006 Active 20 years
Lucid United States 2007 Active 19 years
Marussia 2007 2014 7 years
Qoros China 2007 2022 15 years
GAC China 2008 Active 18 years
DS France 2009 Active 17 years
Luxgen Taiwan 2009 Active 17 years
RAM United States 2009 Active 17 years
Rimac Croatia 2009 Active 17 years
Rivian United States 2009 Active 17 years
Denza China 2010 Active 16 years
Trion United States 2012 Active 14 years
W Motors United Arab Emirates 2012 Active 14 years
Drako United States 2013 Active 13 years
Haval China 2013 Active 13 years
NIO China 2014 Active 12 years
XPeng China 2014 Active 12 years
Genesis South Korea 2015 Active 11 years
Leapmotor China 2015 Active 11 years
Li Auto China 2015 Active 11 years
Fisker United States 2016 2024 8 years
Ineos United Kingdom 2016 Active 10 years
Lynk & Co China 2016 Active 10 years
WEY China 2016 Active 10 years
Gordon Murray Automotive United Kingdom 2017 Active 9 years
Polestar Sweden 2017 Active 9 years
VinFast Vietnam 2017 Active 9 years
Ora China 2018 Active 8 years
Togg Turkey 2018 Active 8 years
Voyah China 2019 Active 7 years
Tank China 2021 Active 5 years
Xiaomi China 2021 Active 5 years
Zeekr China 2021 Active 5 years
Omoda China 2022 Active 4 years
Jaecoo China 2023 Active 3 years

Methodology

Brands with at least one published passenger-car model and a known founding year. “Closed” = the year the brand stopped trading or was retired by its owner; brands without a closing year are treated as active. Truck-only brands are left out.

Values come from the 1CARS catalog. Part of the specifications are extracted from our articles and not yet checked by an editor; obvious outliers are excluded. Figures describe the cars in our catalog, not the whole market.

Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit “1CARS” and link to this page. License terms.

How we collect and check data