Who owns what? Car brands and their parent companies | John Hughes (2024)

Who owns what? Car brands and their parent companies

Navigating the world of car manufacturers and their parent companies can be a tricky task. Many consumers may assume that a brand is independently owned, but it is actually a part of a larger corporation. This applies to both luxury and mainstream car brands. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the major car brands and the companies that own them.

BMW

BMWThe German luxury car company BMW is the parent company to Mini cars and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW was originally founded as an engine producer called Rapp Motorenwerke, but later changed its name to Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) in 1917. In 1922, BMW merged with the aircraft company Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke. Today, BMW Group owns BMW, Rolls-Royce,Mini, and BMW Motorrad.

Volkswagen

VolkswagenGroup The German car giant Volkswagen Group is the owner of many well-known vehicle brands. Volkswagen currently holds a majority share inAudi, Scania, andPorsche, and also wholly owns Skoda Auto, Lamborghini, and Ducati. The Volkswagen Group is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Daimler AG

Daimler AG Daimler AG is the parent company ofMercedes-Benz, Fuso, Western Star, Smart, Freightliner, Bharat Benz, Setra, and Thomas Built. Daimler AG was originally founded as Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in 1899 and later merged with Benz & Cie in 1926 to become Daimler-Benz AG. Mercedes-Benz is one of the oldest car brands in the world, dating back to 1900.

General Motors Company General Motors is one of the world's most well-known companies and owns a large portfolio of car brands. These include Holden Special Vehicles, Corvette, Peugeot, and Citroën. General Motors was founded by William C Durant in 1908 and later acquired brands such as Cadillac and Oldsmobile. However, in 2009, the company went bankrupt and closed brands such as Saturn, Hummer, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile. Today, General Motors controls Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Opel, Jiefang, Wuling, and many more.

Hyundai Motor Company Hyundai Motor Company started as a construction firm in 1947 and entered the auto business in 1967. The company first built a version of the Ford Cortina under license and later revealed its own model, the Pony, in 1976. Kia Motors, another popular car brand, was originally a firm that specialized in making parts for bicycles and officially entered the auto industry in 1944. Today, Hyundai Motor Company owns Hyundai and Kia.

Toyota and Honda

It's also worth noting that some car brands are owned by multinational corporations, such as Toyota and Lexus, which are both owned by Toyota Motor Corporation, and Honda and Acura, which are both owned by Honda Motor Company. Additionally, some car brands are owned by luxury conglomerate companies, such as Jaguar and Land Rover, which are owned by Tata Motors, and Volvo and Polestar, which are owned by Geely.

Luxury car brands

Another example is the luxury car brand Ferrari, which is owned by the Italian holding company, Exor. Exor also owns other luxury brands such as Maserati and Alfa Romeo, which are both car brands under FCA Italy S.p.A.

In today's globalised market, it is becoming increasingly common for car brands to be owned by multinational corporations or luxury conglomerate companies. Understanding the parent company behind a car brand can provide valuable insight into the brand's history, future plans, and the larger industry as a whole.

It is very common for a major car brand to be owned by a larger corporation. It's important to know the parent company behind the brand as it can provide insight into the brand's history and future plans.