COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC

Automobile Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

86companies1847–1998founding years84still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBoatmen's Bancshares Inc.
1847
FoundedAdam Opel AG
1862
FoundedSkoda Auto a.s.
1895
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedFiat SpA
1906
1908
TechnologyFord's Model T puts the automobile within reach of the middle class.
FoundedSchott Brothers, Inc.
1913
TechnologyFord's moving assembly line transforms factory production.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedFord Motor Company
1919
FoundedAdvance Publications Inc.
1924
FoundedValue Line, Inc.
1931
FoundedVolkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedJos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedCumberland Packing Corporation
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedWD-40 Company
1953
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedAutomobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A.
1963
FoundedCeradyne, Inc.
1967
FoundedDesc, S.A. de C.V.
1973
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedRiklis Family Corp.
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedNovellus Systems, Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedSaab Automobile AB
1990
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Boatmen's Bancshares Inc. →
Active · founded 1847
Boatmen's Bancshares Inc.
The Associated Press →
Active · founded 1848
The Associated Press (AP) describes itself as the largest newsgathering organization in the world.
Société du Louvre →
Defunct · founded 1855 · France
Société du Louvre does not run that Paris museum, but its properties are almost as distinguished.
Holden Ltd. →
Active · founded 1856 · Australia
Holden Ltd.
Adam Opel AG →
Active · founded 1862 · Germany
Adam Opel AG ranks among Germany's largest automobile manufacturers, producing passenger cars, sport utility vehicles,…
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company →
Active · founded 1867
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is a prominent regional and specialty beer brewer.
Heidelberger Zement AG →
Active · founded 1873 · Germany
Heidelberger Zement AG is one of the world's five largest producers of construction materials.
Linde AG →
Active · founded 1879 · Germany
Linde AG, an international technology company, operates in two business segments: Gas and Engineering and Materials…
Vorwerk & Co. →
Active · founded 1883 · Germany
For more than 100 years, Vorwerk & Co.
Skoda Auto a.s. →
Active · founded 1895 · Czech Republic
Skoda Auto a.s., also known as Skoda Automobilova a.s., has been making cars for more than a century.
PSA Peugeot Citroen S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1896 · France
PSA Peugeot Citroen S.A.
Herman Goelitz, Inc. →
Active · founded 1898
Herman Goelitz, Inc.
Mack Trucks, Inc. →
Active · founded 1901
A prominent fixture in the U.S.
The King Arthur Flour Company →
Active · founded 1904
The King Arthur Flour Company celebrates its 210th anniversary in the year 2000.
Fiat SpA →
Active · founded 1906 · Italy
Fiat SpA, one of Europe's largest companies, is perhaps best known as a manufacturer of automobiles.
Alfa Romeo →
Active · founded 1910 · Italy
Alfa Romeo is one of the most famous sports cars in the world, along with Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Corvette,…
Blue Diamond Growers →
Active · founded 1910
Blue Diamond Growers is the world's largest tree nut marketer and also ranks as one of the largest agricultural…
Hartmarx Corporation →
Active · founded 1911
Hartmarx Corporation is a holding company for a number of clothing companies, including its flagship brands of men's…
The Lane Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1912
The Lane Co., Inc.
Schott Brothers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1913
Schott Brothers, Inc.
General Motors Corporation →
Active · founded 1916
General Motors Corporation (GM) is the world's largest full-line vehicle manufacturer and marketer.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG →
Active · founded 1917 · Germany
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, popularly known as BMW, is a global manufacturer and marketer of luxury automobiles and…
Lutheran Brotherhood →
Active · founded 1917
Lutheran Brotherhood is the second-largest fraternal benefit society in the United States.
Ford Motor Company →
Active · founded 1919
As the second-largest automobile company in the world, Ford Motor Company represents a $164 billion multinational…
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1919 · Japan
Shionogi & Co., Ltd., ranks among Japan's leading developers, producers, and exporters of pharmaceuticals.
Mazda Motor Corporation →
Active · founded 1920 · Japan
Mazda Motor Corporation is the number five Japanese automaker, behind Toyota Motor Corporation; Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.;…
Suzuki Motor Corporation →
Active · founded 1920 · Japan
Suzuki Motor Corporation is Japan's fourth largest automaker (trailing Toyota Motor Corporation, Nissan Motor Co.,…
Zatarain's, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
Zatarain's, Inc., is a leading producer of rice mixes.
Advance Publications Inc. →
Active · founded 1924
Family owned and operated, Advance Publications Inc.
Weis Markets, Inc. →
Active · founded 1924
Weis Markets, Inc.
Rayonier Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Rayonier Inc.
AMETEK, Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
AMETEK, Inc.
Porsche AG →
Active · founded 1931 · Germany
Porsche AG is legendary for its innovative and beautiful automobile designs.
Value Line, Inc. →
Active · founded 1931
Value Line, Inc.
Besnier SA →
Active · founded 1933 · France
Besnier SA is France's largest dairy products producer and one of the largest dairy products producers in Europe.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1933 · Japan
Early 1940s:During World War II, the company makes military trucks and engines for airplanes and torpedo boats.
Isuzu Motors, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1937 · Japan
One of the largest producers of medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the world, Isuzu Motors, Ltd.
Toyota Motor Corporation →
Active · founded 1937 · Japan
Toyota Motor Corporation was Japan's largest car company and the world's third largest by the year 2000.
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1938 · Germany
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, a company born in the shadow of Nazism, rose to become the world's third largest…
World's Finest Chocolate Inc. →
Active · founded 1939
World's Finest Chocolate Inc.
Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. →
Active · founded 1942 · Japan
c.
Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1943 · Japan
Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.
Kia Motors Corporation →
Active · founded 1944 · South Korea
Until its merger with Hyundai in 1998, Kia Motors Corporation was the second largest manufacturer of automobiles and…
Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
Jos.
Kaman Corp. →
Active · founded 1945
Kaman Corp.
Sub-Zero Freezer Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
Sub-Zero Freezer Co., Inc., is the leading manufacturer of built-in refrigerators, which can be fronted with cabinetry…
Iams Company →
Active · founded 1946
Iams Company is a manufacturer of premium dog and cat foods which are distributed only through veterinarians, animal…
Cumberland Packing Corporation →
Active · founded 1947
Cumberland Packing Corporation is a relatively small, family-run business, yet it has been a major player in the…
Dal-Tile International Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
Dal-Tile International Inc.
Johnston Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
Although it got its start selling auto replacement parts, Johnston Industries, Inc.
Consorcio G Grupo Dina, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1951 · Mexico
Consorcio G Grupo Dina , S.A.
Bayer A.G. →
Active · founded 1952 · Germany
Bayer A.G., along with BASF and Hoechst, is heir to the German chemical cartel known as I.G.
WD-40 Company →
Active · founded 1953
Since the 1950s, the San Diego-based WD-40 Company has dominated the U.S.
Dover Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Dover Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturing holding company composed of about 50 subsidiaries with…
Renault Argentina S.A. →
Active · founded 1955 · Argentina
Of Argentina's ten automakers, almost all are closely held subsidiaries or affiliates of their American, European, or…
PT Astra International Tbk →
Active · founded 1957 · Indonesia
PT Astra International Tbk is one of Indonesia's largest diversified conglomerates.
Ferrari S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1960 · Italy
Early 1960s:Ford agrees to purchase the company but the deal falls apart.
Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1963 · Italy
Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A.
Marie Callender's Restaurant & Bakery, Inc. →
Active · founded 1964
Marie Callender's Restaurant & Bakery, Inc.
National Picture & Frame Company →
Active · founded 1964
National Picture & Frame Company is a major designer, manufacturer, and marketer of a wide variety of low-priced…
Ruth's Chris Steak House →
Active · founded 1965
Ruth's Chris Steak House is an international chain of upscale restaurants.
Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Founded in Berkeley, California, in the mid-1960s, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc.
Ceradyne, Inc. →
Active · founded 1967
Ceradyne, Inc.
Offshore Logistics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Offshore Logistics, Inc., with headquarters in Lafayette, Louisiana, provides a variety of services to the petroleum…
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation →
Active · founded 1970 · Japan
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is Japan's fourth largest car company, and manufactures and markets passenger cars and…
Sealaska Corporation →
Active · founded 1971
A Native-owned corporation with more than 16,500 shareholders, Sealaska Corporation is the largest private landholder…
Desc, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1973 · Mexico
Desc, S.A.
The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
The Yankee Candle Company Inc.
The Summit Bancorporation →
Active · founded 1974
The Summit Bancorporation is the holding company for Summit Bank, New Jersey's fourth largest bank.
Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile →
Active · founded 1976 · Chile
: 212234 Copper Ore & Nickel Ore Mining; 331411 Primary Smelting & Refining of Copper Ore The state-owned Corporacion…
The Really Useful Group →
Active · founded 1977 · United Kingdom
The Really Useful Group is the umbrella corporation over a welter of entertainment and leisure companies that operate…
Riklis Family Corp. →
Active · founded 1980
Riklis Family Corp.
Nimbus CD International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
In the mid-1990s Nimbus CD International, Inc.
Grameen Bank →
Active · founded 1983 · Bangladesh
Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus pioneered the concept of 'micro-credit'--minuscule loans to the very poor.
Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd. →
Active · founded 1983 · Malaysia
Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd., better known as Proton, is Malaysia's largest manufacturer of automobiles,…
Altera Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Founded in 1983, Altera Corporation is a leading maker of high-density programmable logic devices (PLDs), based on…
Novellus Systems, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Based in San Jose, California, Novellus Systems, Inc.
Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.
American Classic Voyages Company →
Active · founded 1985
American Classic Voyages Company is parent company to two pleasure cruise companies, the Delta Queen Steamboat Company,…
Brightpoint, Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Brightpoint, Inc.
Rooms To Go Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
Rooms To Go Inc., a low- to mid-priced furniture store chain, has rapidly expanded to more than 60 stores since opening…
Saab Automobile AB →
Active · founded 1990 · Sweden
Saab Automobile AB is a Swedish maker of passenger automobiles in the premium sector of the market.
AVTOVAZ Joint Stock Company →
Active · founded 1993 · Russia
AVTOVAZ Joint Stock Company, or OAO AVTOVAZ (Avtovaz), manufactures nearly three-quarters of the light automobiles sold…
Footstar, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1996
Footstar, Incorporated is a holding company whose two subsidiaries, Footaction and Meldisco, are leading shoe retailers…
DaimlerChrysler AG →
Active · founded 1998 · Germany
DaimlerChrysler AG--the third-largest car maker in the world--is the product of the November 1998 merger of…
Weatherford International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
Houston-based Weatherford International, Inc.
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