18 Top Car Companies

Apart from a few years, car companies have not experienced great difficulties in the last century. The car has become such a vital ingredient in the life today that sales have always been on the up. The car industry has come a long way since its inception in 1885. The options for the new car buyer are extremely diverse now with various companies and cars to choose.

This list hopes to bring out the best car companies in the world.

1. Toyota

This giant corporation consists of a few subsidiaries and many divisions. It is the bestselling brand in the world with the company manufacturing 8.5 million vehicles in 2010. Toyota, Lexus, Lexus F, and Scion are the different divisions, while Hino and Daihatsu are the subsidiaries of Toyota Motor Corporation. The vast list of subsidiaries and divisions enable Toyota Motor Corporation to offer various products ranging from cars to light commercial vehicles. This Japanese company alone has produced more than 200 million vehicles until now.

Subsidiaries: Scion, Lexus, Dahitsu, Hino

2. General Motors Company

This American company is the largest maker of automobiles in the world. The products of General Motors are manufactured in 31 different nations, while the company employs close to 200,000 people. Holden and Opel come as the subsidiary of General Motors. Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, and Vauxhall are the divisions of General Motors. General Motors manufactured 8.4 million vehicles in 2010. Baojun and Wuling are the joint ventures of the company aimed at the Chinese market.

Subsidiaries: Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden Australia, Opel, Vauxhall UK, Wuling China

3. Volkswagen Group AG

The biggest automobile conglomerate in Europe, Volkswagen Group AG comprises of many subsidiaries. It is also ranked as amongst the top three manufacturers in the world. Volkswagen Group AG itself does not have any divisions, as it has only subsidiaries. Some of them like Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, and Audi are well-known brands themselves. Skoda, Scania, SEAT, MAN, and Bugatti are some of the other subsidiaries of Volkswagen. Responsible for 7+ million vehicles sales, Volkswagen is the third biggest manufacturer in the world.

Subsidiaries: Audi, Bentley Motors, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda Auto

4. Hyundai Motor Group

This South Korean car conglomerate is the second biggest in Asia only behind Toyota. It comprises of two subsidiary companies in the form of Hyundai and Kia. Hyundai alone is responsible for 3.8 million vehicle sales, while the total sales of the conglomerate verse 5.8 million in 2010.

Subsidiary: Kia Motors

5. Ford Motor Company

One of the oldest car companies in the world, Ford is largely known for its light commercial vehicles that contributed a significant portion of the 5+ million sales. Ford and Lincoln are the divisions, while FPV and Troller are the subsidiaries of Ford Motor Company.

Subsidiaries: FPV Australia, Lincoln, Troller

6. Nissan

This Japanese car conglomerate comprises of the Nissan, Datsun, and Infinity brands as its various divisions. Nissan was the sixth largest car company based on sales in 2010 after managing to sell 3.9 million vehicles.

Subsidiary: Infinity

7. Honda

Known for its reliability and performance, this Japanese car company was ranked seventh in terms of overall sales. Cars accounted for a major portion of the 3.6 million vehicles sold by Honda in 2010.

Subsidiary: Acura

8. PSA Peugeot Citroën S.A

this French car company is one of the respected brands in Europe and it comprises of Citroën, Peugeot, and DS car marque. The company has its presence worldwide except North America and South Asia. It sold 3.6+ million vehicles last year.

Subsidiary: Citroen

9. Suzuki Motor Corporation

This is the Japanese car manufacturer with worldwide presence. It has sold 2.8+ million vehicles last year. While it exists individually worldwide, The company currently have production facilities in 23 countries.

Subsidiary: Maruti

10. Fiat

This iconic Italian car company has a number of high-profile subsidiaries in the form of Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Fiat, and Lancia. Each brand comes with its own pedigree, and the company sold a combined 2.4 million units in 2010.

Subsidiaries: Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati

11. Renault

This European car company also has a subsidiary called Dacia that has presence in various regions across the world. Renault Samsung is the subsidiary that is solely present in South Korea and Chile. The company sold 2.7 million cars in 2010.

12. Daimler AG

This German car company houses one of the most popular luxury car brand in the world – Mercedes Benz. Apart from that, various other brands like BharatBenz, Freightliner, Master, Mitsubishi Fuso, Orion, Setra, Smart, Thomas Built, and Western Star also exist within the company as subsidiaries and divisions. Heavy buses and cars accounted for the major portion of the 1.9 million units sold in 2010.

Subsidiaries: Mercedes Benz, Smart Electric

13. BMW AG

This European car company houses subsidiaries well-known for performance and luxury. BMW, BMW i, BMW M, and MINI are different divisions under BMW AG, while the luxury brand Rolls-Royce is the sole subsidiary. All the divisions and subsidiaries of BMW AG have a worldwide presence, and in they sell more than 1.5 million units.

Subsidiaries: Rolls Royce, MINI USA

14. Chrysler Group, LLC

This US car company gets a major portion of the 1.5 million unit sales from light commercial vehicles that are manufactured under numerous subsidiary brands. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Street and Racing Technology are the subsidiary units of the Chrysler group. These different subsidiaries provide the Chrysler group with a worldwide presence.

15. Mazda Motor Corporation

Mazda is the only division under this Japanese car company. It has a global presence under this single brand. Light commercial vehicles contributed only a small portion of the 1.3 million unit sales in 2010 for Mazda.

16. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

This Japanese car company has only one division called Mitsubishi that specialises in light commercial vehicles and sports cars. The company sell more than 1.2 million units.

17. Tata Motors

This Indian car conglomerate houses many divisions and subsidiaries. Hispano, Jaguar, Tata Daewoo, and Land Rover are the subsidiaries, while Tata is the division of the company. Jaguar and Land Rover give a global presence for the company that also manufactures heavy vehicles. Tata has a presence in all regions except North America. The conglomerate sold just over 1 million units in 2010.

Subsidiaries: Land Rover, Jaguar

18. Chana Automobile Company

Chana is one of the well-known Chinese car companies that primarily manufacture basic cars and passenger vehicles. The company has its presence in Europe, South Africa, and China. It has sold 2.4 million units in these regions in 2010.

These are the major car companies in the world, and they alone account for a significant percentage of the total vehicles sold during a year. There are an estimated 800 million vehicles on the road today and these car companies account for most of the new ones being added.