Are there any independent automakers left?

[Cristatus]

As far as I know, there are only a couple of independent automakers left in the international market, and those are usually high end (either high end luxury, or high end sports cars) manufacturers.

A list (by no mean means conclusive) of the groups:

Volkswagen AG:
Audi
Lamborghini
SEAT
Volkswagen
Bentley
?koda
Bugatti
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
Defunct
Auto Union
DKW
Horch
NSU
Wanderer

General Motors:
Buick
Cadillac
Chevrolet
GMC
Holden
Hummer
Opel
Pontiac
Saab
Saturn
Vauxhall
Affiliates
GM Daewoo
Suzuki
Wulling
Defunct
Geo
LaSalle
Marquette
Oakland
Oldsmobile
Viking

Toyota:
Toyota
Lexus

Ford:
Aston Martin
Daimler
Ford
Jaguar
Land Rover
Lincoln
Mazda
Mercury
Volvo
Defunct
Edsel
Merkur

PSA Peugeot Citroën:
Peugeot
Citroën

Nissan:
Nissan
Infiniti

FIAT:
Abarth
Alfa Romeo
Autobianchi
Ferrari
Fiat
Lancia
Innocenti
Maserati

BMW:
BMW
BMW MINI
Rolls Royce
Defunct
Rover

Honda:
Honda
Acura

DaimlerChrysler:
Chrysler Group:
Chrysler
Dodge
Jeep
Mercedes Car Group:
Global Electrice Motorcars (GEM)
Maybach
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-AMG
Smart
Defunct:
Commer
DeSoto
Eagle
Fargo
Hillman
Humber
Imperial
Karrier
Plymouth
Simca
Sunbeam
Singer
Valiant

As far as I know, most manufacturers have a tie in with some other manufacturer, somehow.

I have left out the commercial vehicle brands of all companies as I only want to discuss passenger vehicles.

Also, some auto manufacturers branch out into other industries, and those were left out (e.g. Honda is in to robotics, for example).

 

[Lonyo]

Rover was part of MG-Rover when it died (de-merged in 2000 from BMW), but they are now dead so it's not an important point.

But Toyota, Nissan and Honda, while having links with other firms, don't really own other brands, they just created them I think for other markets, so they are kind of independant, but large.

There are also little companies which make small numbers of (usually sports) cars, though they often rely on bigger companies for some parts, e.g. TVR, Koenigsegg etc.

 

[letdown427]

In the UK there may be some. I'm not sure of the status of some of the following, but if you just want not tied to other manufacturers:

TVR (Russion owned but that's it I think), Noble, Marcos, Morgan, Lotus.

As lonyo said though, most of these cars probably nab things from other manufacturers. The Noble M12 has old Ford Mondeo rear lights, I'm sure of it. Lotus Esprit I'm sure had old Ford Sierra rear lights. TVR used to use the old Rover V8, but started making their own (with the AJP8 for the Cerbera).

Don't think Morgan would use anything. I mean, not many other manufacturers still have wooden chassis' lying around I'd expect.

I'd guess Spyker and Pagani are independent, but you weren't interested in that kinda über car right?

 

[B00ne]

I think Daihatsu belongs to Toyota too. Nissan aint independent, they are together (dunno to which degree) with Renault

Hyundai is independent - well it belongs to the Hyundai conglomerate. Mitsubishi is well close to flatline but after the disengagement of DCX more or less independent i believe.

 

[mwmorph]

Suburu is an affiliate of Toyota after early this year when GM sold its stake in suburu to toyota.

Edit: Porsche is independant I beliveve. They use to have tives with Volkswagon AG but severed that after some porshe guy got on the board of directors as to prevent conflict of interest.

 

[Cristatus]

Originally posted by: letdown427
In the UK there may be some. I'm not sure of the status of some of the following, but if you just want not tied to other manufacturers:

TVR (Russion owned but that's it I think), Noble, Marcos, Morgan, Lotus.

As lonyo said though, most of these cars probably nab things from other manufacturers. The Noble M12 has old Ford Mondeo rear lights, I'm sure of it. Lotus Esprit I'm sure had old Ford Sierra rear lights. TVR used to use the old Rover V8, but started making their own (with the AJP8 for the Cerbera).

Don't think Morgan would use anything. I mean, not many other manufacturers still have wooden chassis' lying around I'd expect.

I'd guess Spyker and Pagani are independent, but you weren't interested in that kinda über car right?

I'm not sure on the price ranges of those, but aren't they classified as sports cars, technically?

I was thinking along the lines of a manufacturer that a "common" man could buy, something like a Ford Focus, just not as common.

I remember seeing an advertisement on the telly for Proton. According to wikipedia, they started off by scrounging parts from Mitsubishi.

I can't be bothered to read the rest of that article though, to find out if it still has any affiliation with Mitsubishi, or has forged any new ones with other manufacturers.

 

[BCYL]

Originally posted by: B00ne
I think Daihatsu belongs to Toyota too. Nissan aint independent, they are together (dunno to which degree) with Renault

Hyundai is independent - well it belongs to the Hyundai conglomerate. Mitsubishi is well close to flatline but after the disengagement of DCX more or less independent i believe.

I think Hyundai owns a large stake in Kia too

 

[Baked]

You're missing Scion in the Toyota group.

 

[raptor13]

Off the top of my head, I can think of Panoz, Koenigsegg, Saleen, Caterham, Ariel, and Lotus.

I mean, sure, some of those are a little pricey but Caterham, Ariel, and Lotus all make reasonably priced machines! Now, if Prodrive would just manufacture that concept they put together....

EDIT: I guess they were already mentioned but Noble, Pagani, Morgan, TVR, and Spyker are also good examples.

Oh, and what about that electric car maker that just took orders for that's sports car thing? It has a name I don't remember! :frown:

 

[Blazin Trav]

Alfa Romeo

What about Lamburgini, Ferrari, Maserati, etc?

 

[notfred]

Originally posted by: Blazin Trav
Alfa Romeo

What about Lamburgini, Ferrari, Maserati, etc?

Read his lists. Lamborghini is owned by VW, Ferrari Alfa Romeo and Maserati are owned by Fiat,

 

[CrackRabbit]

AMC was the last American independent, though if you want to be technical it was formed by a merger between Hudson and Nash. Making the last true American independent Studebaker.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: Baked
You're missing Scion in the Toyota group.

I don't think Toyota and Honda really count. Its their brands, its was never a seperate company that was brought into the fold.

 

[ballmode]

Porsche

/thread

 

[ElFenix]

bmw
ford
gm
daimler chrysler
toyota
honda
volkswagen
porsche (though it is half owned by the same people that own the controlling interest of vw)
a whole crap ton of chinese makes that i don't know of
mitsubishi
hyundai
peugeot
fiat
isuzu
probably a few more...

 

[Stunt]

Mini in Chrysler group.

 

[Horus]

Kia and Suzuki?

 

[Blazin Trav]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Blazin Trav
Alfa Romeo

What about Lamburgini, Ferrari, Maserati, etc?

Read his lists. Lamborghini is owned by VW, Ferrari Alfa Romeo and Maserati are owned by Fiat,

Sorry. I didn't see the Fiat part for some reason.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Don't forget that Nissan and Renault are pretty much tied together now too.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: B00ne
I think Daihatsu belongs to Toyota too. Nissan aint independent, they are together (dunno to which degree) with Renault

Hyundai is independent - well it belongs to the Hyundai conglomerate. Mitsubishi is well close to flatline but after the disengagement of DCX more or less independent i believe.

I believe Renault owns just over a majority of Nissan.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: B00ne
I think Daihatsu belongs to Toyota too. Nissan aint independent, they are together (dunno to which degree) with Renault

Hyundai is independent - well it belongs to the Hyundai conglomerate. Mitsubishi is well close to flatline but after the disengagement of DCX more or less independent i believe.

I believe Renault owns just over a majority of Nissan.

Yup.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Fingolfin269

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: B00ne
I think Daihatsu belongs to Toyota too. Nissan aint independent, they are together (dunno to which degree) with Renault

Hyundai is independent - well it belongs to the Hyundai conglomerate. Mitsubishi is well close to flatline but after the disengagement of DCX more or less independent i believe.

I believe Renault owns just over a majority of Nissan.

Yup.

36.8%, actually.