European Car Brands
Tags: European | European cars
Rolls-Royce
The future is electric cars and it is true that Europeans are slowly moving away from diesel ones. The passenger car market in Europe has been growing at a rate of 4-8 percent annually for three years. The favorite brand is Volkswagen (1,696,950 units sold) and the Golf model for the tenth year already takes first place.
Founded: 1904
Founder: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Headquarters: Westhampnett, United Kingdom
Parent organization: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Website: www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com
Rolls-Royce is an English manufacturer of luxury limousines. The idea of collaboration between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce arose in 1904 over lunch. In the same year, the first model – 10HP – was created. The factories in Manchester were built for the next two years. In 1908 the plants were moved to Derby and in 1946 to Crewe.
Bentley
Founded: January 18, 1919
Founder: W. O. Bentley, H. M. Bentley
Headquarters: Crewe, England, United Kingdom
Parent organization: Volkswagen Group
Website: bentleymotors.com
Bentley is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars based in Cheshire, Crewe. Its founder, in 1919, was Walter Owen Bentley, who dreamed of building a racing car that would be unbeatable in its class. He presented his first car, the Bentley 3 Liter, in 1921, but it took 3 years to see his successes when he won the Le Mans race. In 1931, the brand was bought by Rolls-Royce.
Aston Martin
Founded: January 15, 1913
Founder: Lionel Martin, Robert Bamford
Headquarters: Gaydon, United Kingdom
Subsidiaries: Aston Martin Racing
Website: www.astonmartin.com
Aston Martin is a British manufacturer of sports and luxury cars. The company was founded in 1914 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford in Gaydon. The name of the company comes from the name of one of the founders and the Aston Clinton Hill Climb, who dealt with it. They produced the first car in 1915, but the war interrupted further activity. These cars are characterized by an elegant line, rich equipment, and attention to the smallest details.
McLaren
Founded: 2 December 1985
Founder: Ron Dennis
Headquarters: McLaren Technology Centre, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom
Parent: McLaren Group
Website: www.mclaren.com
McLaren Automotive (formerly McLaren Cars) is a division of the British company McLaren Group, dealing with the production of sports cars based on Formula 1 technology. It was founded in 1989 by Ron Dennis, but the Formula 1 racing team was formed in 1963.
Land Rover
Founded: 1948
Founder: Spencer and Maurice Wilks
Headquarters: Great Britain
Owner: Jaguar Land Rover
Website: landrover.com
Land Rover is a British brand of off-road vehicles founded in 1948. Initially, their models were produced by Rover, but from 1975 Land Rover became an independent brand. The first model was Series I, which was exported to 70 countries. It was to be used in agriculture and light industry, but the military also used it.
Jaguar
Founded: September 4, 1922
Founder: William Lyons, William Walmsley
Headquarters: Coventry, United Kingdom
Parent organizations: Tata Motors, British Motor Holdings, Jaguar Land Rover Holdings Limited
Website: www.jaguar.com
Jaguar – is a British brand of luxury passenger cars, founded in 1922 by Sir William Lyons, but originally called the Swallow Sidecar Company and sold motorcycle sidecars. Lyons’ first car, the two-door SS1 limousine, entered the market in 1932. After the war, it was decided to change the name to Jaguar because the abbreviation SS had bad associations.
Mini
Founded: 1959
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Owner: BMW
Website: mini.com
Mini is a British brand that produces small passenger cars. The mini belonged to the British Motor Corporation and was produced from 1959 for 41 years! During this time, 3 generations were created, and the car became an icon of the 1960s and was loved by millions of people around the world.
Volkswagen
Founded: 28 May 1937
Founder: German Labour Front under Adolf Hitler
Headquarters: Wolfsburg, Germany
Parent: Volkswagen Group
Website: www.volkswagen.com
The name Volkswagen freely translated from German means “a car for the people”. Volkswagen – is a German brand of passenger cars and vans, belonging to the Volkswagenwerk Aktien-Gesellschaft (VAG) concern. Its story begins in 1931 when the Zündapp Company asked Ferdinand Porsche to create a cheap car. It was called the Type 12, and the development of the design was taken care of by the NSU brand, and thus the Type 32 was created.
Mercedes-Benz
Founded: 28 June 1926
Founder: Karl Benz; Gottlieb Daimler
Headquarters: Stuttgart, Germany
Parent: Daimler AG
Website: www.mercedes-benz.com
Mercedes-Benz – is a German brand of cars produced by Daimler AG’s concern. Passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses are produced under the three-pointed star badge. Its beginning dates back to 1883, when Karl Benz, Max Rose, and Fredrich W. Esslinger founded the Benz & Co company, and in November 1890 the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft company belonging to Gottlieb Daimler was founded in Cannstatt. The name Mercedes comes from the name of Mercedes Jellinek, daughter of Emil Jellinek, a representative of Daimler.
Porsche
Founded: 1931
Founder: Ferdinand Porsche
Headquarters: Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Website: www.porsche.com
Porsche – is a German manufacturer of sports cars based in Stuttgart, whose coat of arms can be found in the brand logo. The founder of the company was Ferdinand Porsche in 1931, an engineer who had previously gained experience with Daimler.
Audi
Founded: 1910
Founder: August Horch
Headquarters: Ingolstadt, Germany
Parent: Volkswagen Group
Website: www.audi.com
Audi begins its history at the beginning of the 20th century when August Horch founded his company in 1910 after numerous complications. The brand owes its name to the surname of its founder. In turn, the four rings symbolize the merger of 4 brands in 1932: Audi, Horch, Wanderer, and DKW. The Volkswagen concern bought the Ingolstadt-based company in the mid-1960s.
BMW
Founded: 7 March 1916
Founder: Camillo Castiglioni; Franz Josef Popp; Karl Rapp
Headquarters: Munich, Germany
Website: www.bmw.com
BMW (Bayrische Motorem Werke – Bavarian Motor Works) is one of the most popular car brands today. However, not from the beginning German engineers designed cars. The plant was founded in 1913 by Gustav Otto and Karl Rapp and was first involved in the production of airplanes and motorcycles. At that time, the BMWhttps://logohistory.net/bmw-logo/ company logo was created, which shows a stylized circle of the propeller in the colors of Bavaria.
Opel
Founded: 21 January 1862
Founder: Adam Opel
Headquarters: Rüsselsheim am Main, Hesse, Germany
Parent: Groupe PSA
Website: opel.com
Opel is one of the most popular German car brands. The company was founded by Adam Opel in 1862 in Rüsselheim. Initially, it was involved in the production of sewing machines, and later also bicycles. After the founder’s death in 1895, the company was taken over by his wife and five sons.
Alfa Romeo
Founded: 24 June 1910
Founder: Alexandre Darracq; Ugo Stella; Nicola Romeo
Headquarters: Turin, Piedmont, Italy
Parent: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Owner: FCA Italy
Website: www.alfaromeo.com
The Alfa Romeo logo was created in 1910 by Romano Cattaneo. It combined the red cross from the flag of Milan and the coat of arms of the Visconti family, which depicts a warlike serpent swallowing a child. Production of the first car began in 1910, and the brand’s first real sports car was the 40-60 HP car.
Ferarri
Founded: 13 September 1939
Founder: Enzo Ferrari
Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands (de jure)
Owner: Exor N.V. (22.91%); Piero Ferrari (10.00%); Public (67.09%)
Website: www.ferrari.com
Ferrari is an Italian manufacturer of luxury sports and racing cars. The Ferrari brand was founded in 1946 by the racing driver Enzo Ferrari, who previously ran the Scuderia Ferrari racing car stable. Currently, Ferrari belongs to the Italian concern Fiat, and the brand’s headquarters is invariably located in the Italian Maranello.
Fiat
Founded: 11 July 1899
Founder: Giovanni Agnelli
Headquarters: Turin, Piedmont, Italy
Parent: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Owner: FCA Italy
Website: www.fiat.com
F.I.A.T. stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory in Turin), but the Fiat brand is something more. Founded in 1899 in Turin, it has become a symbol of Italy’s technological and creative insurgency that changed the country and the history of mobility forever.
Lamborgini
Founded: 1963
Founder: Ferruccio Lamborghini
Headquarters: Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy
Parent: Audi
Owner: Volkswagen Group
Website: www.lamborghini.com
Lamborghini – an Italian brand that produces luxury sports cars, as well as agricultural tractors. The company is headquartered in Sant’Agata Bolognese, near Bologna. The company was founded in 1948 by Ferruccio Lamborghini, who initially succeeded in the production of tractors. In 1987, the brand was bought by Chrysler, seven years later by Indonesian Megatech, and since 1998 Lamborghini belongs to the Volkswagen concern.
Maserati
Founded: December 1, 1914
Founder: Alfieri Maserati
Headquarters: Modena, Italy
Parent: Parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, NV
Website: www.maserati.com
Maserati – an Italian company that produces sports and racing cars. The origins of the brand date back to 1914, when one of the six brothers of the Maserati family – Alfieri, founded his own workshop in Bologna, Officine Alfieri Maserati. Initially, the brothers built racing cars for Diatto, but after 12 years they decided to create their own brand, and in the same year Alfieri led his Maserati Tipo 26 to the first victory in the Targa Florio race. In 1937, the brand was bought by Orsi, and 31 years later by Citroën.
Bugatti
Founded: 1909 (112 years ago)
Founder: Ettore Bugatti
Headquarters: Molsheim, Alsace, France
Owner: Volkswagen Group
Website: https://www.bugatti.com/
Bugatti is a French manufacturer of exclusive sports and racing cars. The founder of the brand in 1909 was Ettore Bugatti, and the plants were located in Alsatian Molsheim. His cars won almost all major races before World War II. Unfortunately, when it broke out, Ettore was forced to stop production, and as a result of his death in 1947, he never returned to it. With the aim of reactivating the brand, in 1987 the Italian Romano Artioli founded the company Bugatti Automobili SpA in Campogalliano.
Renault
Founded: 25 February 1899 (121 years ago)
Founder: Louis Renault, Marcel Renault, Fernand Renault
Headquarters: Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Parent: Groupe Renault
Owner: French state (15.01%), Nissan (15.0%), Daimler Pension Trust (3.1%), Public float (62.74%)
Website: https://group.renault.com/
Renault – is a French automotive brand that produces passenger cars and trucks. The company was founded in 1899 by brothers Louis, Fernand, and Marcel Renault. Renault has been cooperating with Dacia since the 1970s and since 2004 it owns 99% of the Romanian brand. In the same year, the French also established cooperation with Nissan.
Peugeot
Founded: 1882 (139 years ago)
Founder: Armand Peugeot
Headquarters: Legal and top level administrative: Ave de la Grande Armée, Paris Operational: Sochaux, France
Parent: Stellantis
Owner: PSA Group
Website: peugeot.com
Peugeot – a French company that produces cars, scooters, and bicycles, and in the past also trucks and motorcycles. It was established in 1810 in Sochaux and was founded by Jean Pierre Peugeot. The company started with a steel foundry, then produced tools and hardware.
Citroen
Founded: March 1919 (101 years ago)
Founder: André Citroën
Headquarters: Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France
Parent: Groupe PSA
Owner: Groupe PSA
Website: https://www.citroen.com/en/
Citroën – is a French brand of passenger cars, vans, and trucks founded by engineer Andre Citroën in 1919. The brand owes its badge to the roof toothed gears, which it produced thanks to the purchase of a patent in Poland. Then these parts were used by Rolls Royce and in the Titanic. The company produced its first Citroën car in 1919.
Volvo
Founded: April 14, 1927
Founder: Gustaf Larson, Assar Gabrielsson
Headquarters: Gothenburg, Sweden
Owners: : AB Industrivärden (7.8%; 25.2% votes); Geely (8.2%; 15.7% votes);
Website: www.volvogroup.com
Volvo is a Swedish brand of passenger cars, trucks, construction machinery, and engines. The company name means “to turn around” in Swedish. It was born in 1924 when Gustaf Larson and Assar Gabrielson met by chance in a restaurant in Gothenburg. Their first car was the ÖV4, the production of which began in 1927. This year is considered the official year of the brand’s creation.
Scania
Founded: 1891, Malmö
Founder: Gustaf Erikson
Headquarters: Södertälje, Sweden
Parent organization: Traton
Website: www.scania.com
Scania is a Swedish company that produces trucks, tractors, buses, and diesel engines. The company was founded in 1891 in Malmö and initially dealt with the production of railway carriages under the name Vagnfabriks Aktiebolaget and Södertälj – Vabis for short. Nine years later, a machine factory called Scania was established in the same city to produce bicycles. The brand name comes from land in Sweden. Soon, the Swedes also started producing trucks and cars. In 2014, the Swedish brand was completely taken over by the Volkswagen AG’s concern.
Saab
Founded: 1945
Founder: Saab AB
Headquarters: Trollhättan, Sweden
Ceased operations: 2013
Parent organizations: NEVS, Saab-Scania, Saab Automobile Investering AB, General Motors Overseas Corporation
Website: saabcars.com
Saab is a Swedish brand that produces passenger cars. The origins of the company are related to the aviation industry. Saab stands for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aviation Works). General Motors was the owner of the brand from 1989. In mid-2012, the brand was bought by NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden).
Koenigsegg
Founded: 1994
Founder: Christian von Koenigsegg
Headquarters: Ängelholm, Sweden
Owner: Christian von Koenigsegg
Website: www.koenigsegg.com
Koenigsegg Automotive AB is a Swedish car manufacturer that produces supercars in small series. The production – which is completely under our own control – includes composite and cabling services, seat production, assembly, polishing, and painting.
Skoda
Founded: December 18, 1895
Founder: Václav Laurin, Václav Klement
Headquarters: Mlada Boleslav, Czechia
Parent organization: Volkswagen Group
Website: skoda-auto.com
Škoda is a Czech company that produces passenger cars. The origins of the brand date back to 1895, when the mechanic Vaclav Laurin and the accountant Vaclav Klement founded the Laurin & Klement Company, producing bicycles, and from 1898 also motorcycles.
Seat
Founded: May 9, 1950
Founder: Instituto Nacional de Industria
Headquarters: Municipality of Martorell, Spain
Parent organization: Volkswagen Group
Website: www.seat.ua
Seat (Sociedad Española de Automobiles de Turismo) is a Spanish brand of passenger cars. It was founded in 1950 by the National Institute of Industry, a banking organization, and the Fiat concern. It was the Italian cars that served as a model for the first Seat models. In 1986, Volkswagen bought 51% of Seat’s shares. In the 1990s, they increased to 99%. Today, Seat’s most popular models are Ibiza, Leon, and Toledo.
