There are hundreds of automotive brands in the global industry. However, not all of these names are marketed throughout the world. For instance, Opel is a leading brand in Europe but not a familiar name in North America.
That said, the competitive market has forged many alliances and collaborations between auto groups. Let's dive deeper into understanding car manufacturers and their ownerships!
The Volkswagen Group is based out of Stuttgart, Germany. Including the company's eponymous moniker, the Volkswagen group owns 12 other brands. This automotive brand has stakes in Lamborghini, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Skoda, SEAT, Porsche, and Ducati.
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Do you know that General Motors is more than 100 years old? The company is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. It has been the largest automotive group in the world for decades.
The four core brands of General Motors are Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac. GM also has subsidiaries such as GM Korea and Holden. It also owned Opel and Vauxhall but later sold it in 2017.
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As the name suggests, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is a partnership between two of the world's leading automakers. Fiat Chrysler owns Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Mopar, and Chrysler in North America.
Fiat Chrysler also currently holds partnerships or stakes in several Indian, Turkish, and Chinese companies.
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The Toyota Motor Corporation manages Lexus and Toyota. The motor corporation also had the experience of handling Scion from 2003 to 2016 under its belt. If you are a car enthusiast, you'll already know that Toyota is one of the largest conglomerates worldwide. It holds affiliate agreements and stakes in more than hundreds of companies.
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BMW AG is yet another Germany-based automotive entity on our list. BMW is one of the first names to pop up if you think of luxury. Apart from the production of BMW vehicles, this leading automaker is well known for owning Mini, a British auto brand.
By procuring Rolls Royce Motor Cars in 1998, BMW AG added another feather to its cap. Other than four-wheelers, you can also find excellent motorbikes in BMW's line-up.
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The Ford Motor Company finds its roots in Dearborn, Michigan. The second largest auto-maker in US and the fifth largest in the world in 2015, currently, the only two marques owned by it are Ford and Lincoln. Previously it owned marques like Aston Martin, Volvo, Mazda, Jaguar and Land-Rover, but sold out eventually. Ford however, still retains non-controlling interests in Aston Martin (8% stake) and Mazda (13.4% stake). It also has a 32% stake in China´s Jiangling Motors, and joint ventures with local manufacturers in China, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey and Russia.
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You'll also often hear that leading car manufacturers collaborate to develop technologies and create new components. The above car manufacturers are some of the most renowned automakers in the world!
