You know the names, but you may not the history behind some of the biggest automobile makers out there. Learn about the good, the bad and the ugly on car manufacturers.
The 1930 Austin American Roadster was more of a novelty than transportation. American Austin made midget cars more than a foot shorter than the VW Beetle. Learn why even a starring movie role couldn't sell American Austins. See more »
Hudson made some of America's finest most popular cars during its 48-year history. A low-priced four-cylinder Essex was a key to their early success. Learn about Hudson's history and its cars in this article.
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Kaiser made inventive cars during the 1940s and 1950s that just never caught on with the public. Kaiser was experimenting with the idea of plastic-bodied cars. Read about the history of Kaiser in this article.
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LaSalle was formed as a companion line to Cadillac seeking to fill a price gap between themselves and Buick. The division chose the name LaSalle, honoring the French explorer. Find out how LaSalle fit the bill.
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Howard Marmon set out to build the perfect automobile, but was cut short by the Depression. The Marmon HCM Prototype was one of the models that never saw production. Learn about Marmon's near miss with automotive perfection.
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The Muntz Jet was built on the dream of a man known as Earl "Madman" Muntz. Learn about Muntz and find out why a one-shot car by a small company ultimately couldn't compete with established automakers.
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Charles Nash believed in offering innovative cars at a fair price. He bought the Thomas B. Jeffery Company and renamed it Nash Motors. Read about the history and vehicles of the Nash car company in this article.
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Founded by James Ward Packard in 1989, Packard was once a leader among automakers, but changing tastes and poor business decisions doomed the brand. Learn more about Packard cars.
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Panoz Auto Development Company is the brainchild of Dan Panoz and his billionaire father. Dan setup a small factory in Atlanta, Georgia to create his first roadster. Learn about models such as the Panoz Roadster and A.I.V.
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Pierce-Arrow, born of a bicycle company, quickly earned a reputation for extravagant luxury cars. It was one of the fabled ‘’three Ps’’ of U.S. automotive royalty. Learn how this led to both success and failure.
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Rambler cars got their start as a successful compact model put out by Nash in 1950. Rambler sold more than 30,000 1958 Rambler Americans. Learn all about Rambler which closed shop in the late '60s.
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The Reo Motor Car Company was created in 1904 out of an argument at Olds Motor Works. Reo fielded one-, two-, four-, and six-cylinder cars. Learn all about Reo which stopped making cars in 1936.
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After Carroll Shelby retired from racing cars he began building them. The 1964 Shelby AC Cobra was one of Carroll Shelby’s first American masterpieces. Learn about Shelby Cobras Mustangs and other exciting Shelby cars.
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Studebaker started in 1852 with covered wagons and horse-drawn vehicles. In 1902, Studebaker began building automobiles. Learn about the history of Studebaker and its demise in the 1960s.
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Stutz formed in 1912 and quickly earned a reputation for fast race-worthy cars. Stutz introduced America to an early form of the sports car. Learn how they made the switch to consumer cars and why.
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Terraplane cars which grew out of the successful Essex Terraplane made by Hudson were built from 1934 to 1938. They were a tremendous boost to parent company Hudson's bottom line. Learn all about Terraplane cars.
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Preston Tucker's plan for a wholly new car was too ambitious to succeed. The 1948 Tucker Torpedo was remarkably innovative, but only 50 cars were ever produced. Learn about the brief heyday of the Tucker Torpedo.
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Willys was best known for manufacturing the Jeep, but for years it also produced several popular passenger cars. Willys was later bought out by Kaiser. Look back at the line of Willys cars.
See more »Roy S. Evans bought American Austin for a mere $5,000 and renamed it American Bantam. American Bantam produced small cars from 1936 up until 1941. Learn why American Bantam didn't succeed beyond World War II.
See more »Hupp was founded by Robert C. Hupp, an established auto engineer who worked with Ransom Eli Olds and Henry Ford. Find out how it strove to release affordable cars to compete with the big boys.
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