American Car Brand Guide

Every American Car Brand, Their Logo, and Their Ownership

In the United States, the first patent for an automobile was filed by inventor George Baldwin in 1879. Henry Ford built his first car in 1886, though the first successful car didn’t surface in the U.S. until 1893. The first mass-produced car in the U.S. – and arguably the world – was the Curved Dash Oldsmobile, which debuted in 1901. More American car brands would follow.

Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903. In 1908, Henry Ford introduced the Model T and William Durant formed General Motors. By 1913, the U.S. was producing nearly 500,000 of the 600,000 cars built globally. Chrysler Corporation was founded in 1925.

Those three automakers — the Big Three — dominated the American auto industry, which was the largest in the world at the time and remained that way for many years. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Japan overtook the U.S. as the world’s No. 1 producer of cars. When Tesla was founded in 2003, it was the first U.S. automaker to go public in over 50 years.

Today, China produces more cars annually than any other country in the world. Since the Great Recession, the U.S. has surpassed Japan to become the second-largest automobile producer globally.

Buick

Buick is the oldest American car brand still in existence in the U.S. and one of the oldest in the world. It was founded in 1899 and became Buick Motor Company in 1903. Buick is GM’s upscale carmaker, slotting between Chevrolet and Cadillac. The company’s product lineup includes the Enclave SUV.

Who Owns Buick?

Buick is a General Motors (GM) brand.

Cadillac

Cadillac is an American car brand that makes cars and SUVs that typically showcase bold, angular styling cues and powerful engine options. Cadillac was one of the first automotive brands in the world, founded in 1902 from what remained of Henry Ford’s second unsuccessful car company. The company’s lineup includes SUVs such as the Escalade and sedans such as the CT5.

Who Owns Cadillac?

Cadillac is owned by GM.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet is an American automaker that was founded in 1911 and is marketed as GM’s flagship brand. It produces a variety of cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks with affordable price tags. The automaker’s lineup includes the Equinox SUV, Silverado 1500 pickup, Spark hatchback, and Bolt EV.

Who Owns Chevrolet?

Chevy is part of GM.

Chrysler

Chrysler is an American car brand that was founded in 1925. Over the years it was acquired (and sold off) by Daimler-Benz and later merged with Fiat to become Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). FCA then merged with Groupe PSA (a French company that owns Peugeot and Citroen) to create Stellantis. Chrysler offers a small selection of family-friendly transportation, including the Pacifica minivan and 300 sedan.

Who Owns Chrysler?

Chrysler is owned by Stellantis.

Dodge

Dodge is an American car brand that started as the Dodge Brothers Company in 1900 and was sold to Chrysler in 1928. The brand focuses primarily on trucks and large sporty cars. In 2010, Dodge pickup truck production moved to the Ram brand. Dodge’s product lineup includes the Charger sedan, Challenger sports car, and Durango SUV.

Who Owns Dodge?

Dodge is part of Stellantis.

Ford

Founded by Henry Ford in 1903, Ford is a mainstream American automaker that caters to a wide variety of consumers. Its product lineup includes everything from hybrids to sports cars and full-size pickup trucks. The company’s lineup includes the F-150 pickup, Escape SUV, and Mustang sports car.

Who Owns Ford?

Ford is owned by Ford Motor Co.

GMC

GMC is an American company and GM’s upscale truck and SUV brand. It started as Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, and later Reliance Motor Car Company. In 1911, GM combined the two companies to create GMC. GMC’s lineup includes the Canyon pickup truck and Acadia SUV.

Who Owns GMC?

GMC is owned by GM.

Jeep

The first production Jeep was built by Willys-Overland in 1945. Parent companies changed over the years to Kaiser-Overland and American Motors Corporation. It was bought by Chrysler in 1987. Jeep is an American car brand that focuses specifically on off-road-ready SUVs, though it launched the Gladiator compact pickup truck for 2020. The company’s lineup also includes the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee.

Who Owns Jeep?

Jeep is owned by Stellantis.

Lincoln

Lincoln is an American car company that was founded in 1917 and acquired by Ford Motor Co. in 1922. The brand makes attractive and comfortable SUVs including the Navigator and Corsair.

Who Owns Lincoln?

It’s owned by Ford Motor Co.

Ram

Ram is an American truck maker that‘s a spinoff of the Dodge Ram pickup. It was created in 2010 as a division of Stellantis. Ram focuses exclusively on trucks and cargo vans, including the 1500 pickup and ProMaster cargo van.

Who Owns Ram?

Ram is owned by Stellantis.

Tesla

Tesla is an American manufacturer of fully electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, batteries, battery-energy storage systems, solar panels, and solar roofs. It was founded in 2003 and is the first U.S. automaker to go public in more than 50 years. Tesla’s vehicles are known for incredibly quick acceleration, futuristic interiors, and high-tech features. Its roster includes sedans such as the Model S and Model 3, and SUVs such as the Model X and Model Y.

Who Owns Tesla?

The company is owned by Tesla, Inc.

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