The family tree of the auto industry is quite muddled. It has become challenging to track down who owns which automobile brands after the partnerships, sales, separations, bankruptcies, and complete divisions have been eliminated during the past ten years.
Legendary brands like Mercury, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac have vanished into history as automakers have shrunk to increase profits and efficiency. Others, like Chrysler, Jaguar, and Volvo, have found new corporate parents outside of their home nations. And new businesses have emerged, including Rivian and Tesla.
To help clear up some of the confusion, we present a road map to who owns which car brands sold in the U.S.
Several brands that have been retired are included in the list, such as Scion, because models are still available on the used-car market. We have omitted small-volume brands, such as Aston Martin and Ferrari, that are without major automaker parent companies.
Most brand names link to brand pages, where you will find links to current and past road tests.
Of course, the list is subject to change. To find out how the major brands compare in reliability, owner satisfaction, and road-test performance, see our brand report cards.
A Brands of Cars Guide
Each significant automaker and its parent company are listed below, along with a few retired brands whose vehicles are still easily accessible as used automobiles.
Honda Motor Company, Acura
Accord: Stellantis
Volkswagen Group: Audi
in the BMW Group
Volkswagen Group: Bentley
General Motors owns Buick.
General Motors, Cadillac
General Motors: Chevrolet
Automobile: Stellantis
Stellantis, dodge
Stellantis, Fiat
GMC: General Motors Ford: Ford Motor Company
The Hyundai Motor Company
Honda Motor Company
South Korea: Hyundai Motor Group
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance: Infiniti
Tata Motors: Jaguar
Stellantis: Jeep
Hyundai Motor Group: Kia
Tata Motors, Land Rover
Toyota Motor Corporation: Lexus
Ford Motor Co. Lincoln
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, Lotus
The Lucid Motors brand
Stellantis: Maserati
Mazda Motor Corporation
Mercury*: Ford Motor Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz