Grab your tissues – it’s time for a bit of a Saab story. In 1938, just a few years before World War II, the Swedish government founded Saab for the purpose of the manufacturing of bomber and fighter aircrafts for the Royal Swedish Air Force. They grew to be a very successful production company during…
Founded in Japan in 1935, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. is the parent corporation for the Subaru automotive brand. The 5 companies of Fuji Kogyo, Fuji Jidosha, Omiya Fuji Kogyo, Utsunomiya Sharyo, and Tokyo Fuji Sangyo all joined together to create Fuji Heavy Industries, which has prospered greatly ever since. Unlike many automotive manufacturers, there’s not…
When you hear the phrase “luxury car” what’s the first brand that comes to mind? Is it a Chaparel? A Calibre? A Verone? A Vectre? An Alexis? Probably not because these aren’t actual luxury car brands, but they almost were. In the early 1980s, Toyota began production on a new luxury line of cars to…
Jaguar probably doesn’t sound like a revolutionary automotive brand name to our modern ears, but in the 1930s, when the company’s name was established, it was as bold as their stylishly designed sports cars and sedans. When Billy Lyons and William Walmsley, two neighbors living in the seaside town of Blackpool, England, started the now…
The first name of the founder of the iconic Japanese car company Honda is Soichiro. Spoiler alert: his last name is Honda. But don’t be too disappointed, there’s still much more to the story than that. Prior to founding the Honda Motor Company, Soichiro Honda worked in the automobile industry – first as a mechanic,…
Volvo as the car brand we know today has a reputation for being one of the safest, most innovative brands on the road. For Volvo, safety is such a priority that they’ve actually launched the Vision 2020 initiative. Said President and CEO of Volvo Cars Håkan Samuelsson, “Our vision is that by 2020 no one…
Audi was founded in 1909 by automotive pioneer August Horch, in Zwickau, Germany. Born in 1868, Horch trained as a blacksmith then studied engineering. By 1896, he managed an engine workshop for Karl Benz in Mannheim. To put this in perspective, Karl Benz patented the first car only 11 years prior. In 1899, Benz & Co was…
How does a hamster sell a car? The answer can be found in Kia’s ‘Power to Surprise’ ad. Kia’s humble history dates back to 1944. Founder Kim Chul Ho was born in Korea in 1905. As a teenager, he moved to Japan and worked in a steel mill. Later, he set up a business making…
No matter how much human intelligence has uncovered, there are some things in this world that cannot be fully understood. For instance, there’s dark matter. This is a collection of unknown and unobservable subatomic particles that make up about 25% of our universe and can bend light with its gravitational force. There’s the question of…
FIAT was founded in 1899 by Giovanni Agnelli, an Italian businessman who was part of a group of investors looking to begin an automotive company. After quitting the army in 1892, Agnelli entered the automotive manufacturing business and has been part of a historical icon ever since. Though his name is not featured anywhere in FIAT’s…