These Are The World's Oldest, Still Functioning Car Companies
It's well known that Karl Benz produced the world's first functioning car powered by an internal combustion engine and the world's first modern, practical automobile. But it might surprise you to know that Mercedes-Benz isn't the world's oldest car company. Let's examine who these companies are and their crowning achievements over the centuries.
Peugeot
Peugeot is a French car company, founded in 1810 by Armand Peugeot in Paris. Beginning by using steam power, Peugeot has been in the car manufacturing business for 214 years and is the world's oldest car company. Cars weren't the only thing Peugeot built at the time; they also made coffee and pepper grinders, bicycles, and hand tools.
Swansway Motor Group, Unsplash
Who Founded Peugeot?
Armand Peugeot was a French inventor born into a Protestant family in 1849. He became involved with his father's Peugeot manufacturing business in 1865, when he and his second cousin, Eugene, developed and exhibited a steam-powered tricycle at the World Fair in Paris in 1889. This would become the foundation of the first Peugeot vehicle.
Peugeot A., 1889., Wikimedia Commons
Their First Vehicle: Peugeot Type 1
Known as the Peugeot Type 1, the first vehicle developed under Armand Peugeot's direction was a steam-powered tricycle. Designed with help from Léon Serpollet, the Peugeot Type 1 was powered by a single-cylinder engine and an oil-fired boiler. It produced 5 hp and had a top speed of 16 mph.
Pierre Poschadel, Wikimedia Commons
They're Best Known For: Peugeot 205 GTI
Of all of Peugeot's fantastic hatchbacks that they're known for in Europe, easily among their greatest is the Peugeot 205 GTI. Unveiled in June 1984, the 205 GTI was the high-performance variant of the Peugeot 205 supermini car. It was powered by a 1.9L engine that produced 126 hp and had an all-leather interior. Popular across Europe, the 205 GTI is considered one of the most iconic cars from the world's oldest company.
Tatra
From France to the Czech Republic. Tatra was founded in 1850 by Ignaz Schustala. Today, it mostly specializes in building military vehicles and trucks, but they got their start producing horse-drawn carriages before shifting to motorized vehicles in 1890 after becoming a joint-stock company. In 1897, they built the first petrol engine-powered car in Central and Eastern Europe: the Präsident.
user:KapitanT, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Who Founded Tatra?
Ignaz Schustala is the man responsible for founding the Tatra company in 1850. He was an entrepreneur born in the Austrian Empire that would later become the Czech Republic. He plied his trade as a carriage maker in Vienna, before opening a small workshop at his brother's home in Moravia. By 1870, Tatra had made 1,200 carriages.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
Their First Car: The Präsident
The idea for the Präsident came about in 1890, as Tatra would enter into a licensing agreement for Benz engines, after seeing the Benz Viktoria, a four-wheeled car which had just completed a 1,600-mile driving tour of Europe. Using the Benz engine and bodywork from a horse-drawn carriage, the Präsident featured four seats, with the rear two seats able to be covered by a canopy. The Präsident's top speed was 19 mph with steering by handlebars.
Pudelek (Marcin Szala), Wikimedia Commons
Tatra's Best-Known Model: The Tatra 603
Long after the passing of Ignaz Schustala, Tatra would develop its best-known model in the wake of World War II: the Tatra 603. A rear-engine luxury car built between 1956 and 1975 and powered by a 2.5L V8 engine developed in-house, the 603 produced just 100 hp, with a top speed of 106 mph.
Spurzem - Lothar Spurzem, Wikimedia Commons
Tatra's Obscure Supercar: The MTX
The supercar that you've never heard of: the Tatra MTX V8. Built in 1991 by the company in a somewhat feeble attempt to compete with the big wigs in Europe, the MTX was powered by a (you guessed it) 3.9L V8 engine that produced 302 hp with top speed of 165 mph. Only four Tatra MTX's were ever built before the company suffered an unfortunate factory fire which destroyed all other builds and permanently shuttered the development of the MTX.
Opel
This German car manufacturer is another oldie that never really took off in North America. Opel was founded in 1862 by Adam Opel, a sewing machine manufacturer. The company began manufacturing bicycles in 1886 and even produced the world's first rocket program under the leadership of Fritz Opel, Adam's grandson. In 1899, the company unveiled its very first car: the Opel Patent Motor Car.
More On Its Founder, Adam Opel
Born in 1837 in Hesse, Germany, Adam Opel was a keen machinist with a curious mind. After taking an interest in sewing machines as a young man of the mid-19th century, Opel would return to his native Germany after four years of traveling in Europe. He founded Opel as a family business in 1863 out of his grandfather's disused horse stall, building sewing machines before transitioning to bicycles. He passed away in 1895, never living to see the company's first car for which he'd laid the groundwork.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
Their First Car: The Opel Patent Motor Car
The Opel Patent Motor Car was the first car built by Opel. Unveiled in 1899, the car was powered by a single-cylinder engine that produced 3.5 hp. Of course, this isn't the modern car, but the motorized open-top carriage had a top speed of 16 mph. This was the company's first ever motorized car and a huge departure from their successful bicycle business.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
Their Most Popular Cars In America: The Opel Kadett & Opel GT
Despite achieving best-selling car status in Germany by 1913, and indeed all of Europe by 1930, Opel's entry into the North American market (with success) took a few more years, when they unveiled the Opel Kadett in 1936, followed by the Opel GT some 30 years later.
More On The Opel Kadett
Opel's first real success in the North American market would come in 1967, with the unveiling of the Opel Kadett B, a four-seater, front-engine, rear-wheel drive family car. Powered by an inline-four engine that produced just 54 hp, it was considered an economy car. Available through Buick dealers, the Kadett B sold like wildfire in the 1960s.
Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons
A Sports Car From Germany: The Opel GT
This success led Opel to think that it might be able to produce a sportier car for the American market. This led to the introduction of the Opel GT, the company's first American-centric sports car. The GT used most of the mechanics from its sedan cousin, the Kadett, but with a far sportier 1.9L camshaft engine that produced 83 hp and had a top speed of 113 mph.
Alf van Beem, Wikimedia Commons
Mercedes-Benz
Of course, one of the best-known and oldest car brands in the world is Mercedes-Benz. Well, more specifically, just Benz, as they didn't merge with Mercedes until 1926. The Benz Company was founded by the father of modern automotive transport, Carl Benz, in 1886 when he built the world's first automobile: the Benz Patent Motorwagen.
Their First & The World's First Car: The Benz Patent Motorwagen
Unveiled in 1886, the Benz Patent Motorwagen was the very first car put into production and the world's first practical automobile. The motorized tricycle used a single-cylinder Benz-developed engine that produced 0.9 hp with a top speed of 10 mph. He unveiled the invention to the public on July 3 in Mannheim, Germany, with about 25 being built between 1886 and 1894.
Alonso de Mendoza, Wikimedia Commons
Iconic Mercedes-Benzes: The 540K, 300SL, & C36 AMG
Mercedes-Benz has been making iconic cars since the merger of Daimler and Benz in 1926, using the name "Mercedes" for the first time that year. There are numerous examples of their iconic cars over the years, so we've narrowed it to the opulent, sporty, and trend-shifting C36.
The Opulent Car Used By The Nazis: The 540K
The 540K isn't just an iconic Mercedes-Benz car because of its gorgeous styling, curvy lines, hidden wheels, open-top... Just beautiful. It was powered by a 5,440cc straight eight-cylinder engine that produced 115 hp, or 180 hp when paired with a supercharger. The 540K was so popular that various members of the Nazi High Command used the car, including Reinhard Heydrich, "the man with the iron heart".
Rudolf Stricker, Wikimedia Commons
The Gorgeous Gull-Wing: The 300SL
Built from 1954-1955, the Mercedes-Benz 300SL was unveiled first in the United States: an attempt by Mercedes to break into the American car market. Powered by a 3.0L straight-six engine, it produced 175 hp and was capable of reaching 162 mph top speed, making it the world's fastest production car. Combine that sporty look and performance with gull-wing doors? An instant classic.
The Blender: The Mercedes C36 AMG
The first official car produced by Mercedes-AMG, the high performance division of Mercedes-Benz, the C36 was a top-of-the-line C-class variant, unveiled in 1994 and produced until 2000. Powered by a 3.6L six-cylinder engine and a turbocharger that produced 190 hp with a top speed of 120 mph, it was the first car produced by AMG and is considered a modern classic among high-performance car lovers.
Tokumeigakarinoaoshima, Wikimedia Commons
Škoda
Another Czech manufacturer on our list of the oldest car manufacturers is Škoda, founded in 1895 under a different name: Laurin & Klement. The company began by manufacturing bicycles and soon began to manufacture cars by 1905, becoming the second-largest manufacturer in the Czech Republic after the aforementioned Tatra. Let's examine some of Škoda's most iconic vehicles.
Thesupermat, Wikimedia Commons
The Founders Of Škoda: Vaclav Klement & Vaclav Laurin
In 1894, 26-year-old Vaclav Laurin purchased a bicycle from a German manufacturer, but was displeased with his inability to find spare parts locally. He brought the bicycle to the manufacturer with a letter, written in Czech, asking them to carry out repairs. They replied with, "If you want us to answer you, we insist that you convey your message in a language we understand". Seeing a business potential, Laurin and his friend (also named Vaclav) opened Klement & Laurin, a bicycle manufacturing company, in 1895.
Skoda Auto Archive, Wikimedia Commons
From Bikes To Automobiles: The First Škoda
Within four years, Škoda had become the best-selling bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer in Europe and began to manufacture cars by 1905. The "Voiturette A" was a four-wheeled, engine-powered car with a canopy. Little is known about the specs of the Voiturette A, but it would set the stage for Škoda's entry into the European car market.
Cherubino, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The First Car Under A New Name: Škoda 422
The first car produced by Škoda under that nameplate was the Škoda 422, built in the early 1920s. Powered by a 1.2L inline-four engine, it produced 30 hp and had a top speed of 43 mph. Its curvy lines, enlarged headlights, and canopied top was typical of the 1920s car designs. It put Škoda on the map and laid the groundwork for nearly 100 years of innovation.
de:Benutzer:Ralf Roletschek, Wikimedia Commons
Their Best-Selling Nameplate: The Octavia
After Škoda was acquired by Volkswagen in 1991 to save them from bankruptcy, they began building practical family sedans and sportier cars. Sharing it's nameplate with an earlier version, built between 1959 and 1976, the fourth-generation Octavia was unveiled in 1996 and is the brand's most popular model.
Oldsmobile
Finally! An American car manufacturer makes our list. Oldsmobile was originally established as the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897, after being founded by Ransom E Olds, who had previously worked at the family steam engine production company. Considered one of America's pioneering automotive brands, let's explore the oldest car company in the Land of the Free.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
More On Ransom E Olds
Ransom E Olds is considered one of America's earliest automotive pioneers. Born in Geneva, Ohio, in 1864, he'd built the first American car by the time he was 22 and is the father of the modern automotive assembly line, producing the first mass-produced car, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, in 1901.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
Oldsmobile's First Car: The Curved Dash
In 1901, Olds' factory in Lansing, Michigan burned to the ground with all of his 11 built prototypes being lost, except for one: the "Curved Dash" car. The first car produced en masse using interchangeable parts, the Curved Dash was a runabout: a canopied car with no doors or windows or windshield, based on a horse-drawn carriage. Powered by a 1.6L one-cylinder engine, the car produced 5 hp and had a top speed of 20 mph.
Lars-Goran Lindgren Sweden, Wikimedia Commons
Classic Oldsmobile Models, From Luxury To High-Performance
As America's oldest car company, Oldsmobile has run the gambit of automotive manufacturing, producing luxurious sedans to powerful muscle cars. Let's explore some of their most iconic models.
The Luxury Option: An Oldsmobile 98
The first-generation Oldsmobile 98 was built in 1941, designed by Harley Earl, and offered as a two-door coupe or convertible, or a four-door sedan or convertible. The 98 was a front-engine rear-wheel drive luxury car that shared a body with the Pontiac Torpedo and Buick Roadmaster. Powered by a 3.5L straight-six Oldsmobile engine, the 98 produced 110 hp and was propelled to a top speed of 100 mph.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, Wikimedia Commons
A Sportier Luxury: The Oldsmobile Toronado
In 1966, Oldsmobile was trying desperately to keep up with the Corvettes and Cadillacs of this world. They unveiled the Oldsmobile Toronado, the first front-wheel drive American car since 1937. The Toronado was a full-size coupe with a long, swooping hood and hidden headlights. Powered by a 7.0L Rocket V8 engine, the Toronado produced 385 hp with a top speed of 135 mph.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, Wikimedia Commons
The Muscle Car: Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
Considered a classic in the Oldsmobile lineup is the Cutlass Supreme. The first generation, unveiled in 1965, was rightly known as the "Holiday Sedan", with its long body, convertible-style roof, and a deluxe interior that was meant for wealthy vacationers. The Cutlass Supreme was powered by a 5.4L V8 that produced 300 hp and is considered a classic American muscle car.
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Ford Motor Company
While other companies are older than Ford, which was founded in 1903 by Henry Ford (for example, Land Rover was founded in 1896), none have made as big a mark on the automotive world. While Carl Benz may be the father of modern automotives, it was Henry Ford who brought automobiles to the masses. Let's explore the history of America's most iconic car company.
Ford Motor Company. Photographic Department, Wikimedia Commons
Henry Ford: The Man Who Changed American Travel
While Oldsmobile may have been the first man to create an assembly-line style production of his cars, Henry Ford was the man responsible for making cars widely available and affordable to the American public. He began with the Ford Model A, producing the car for five years in different versions, before the Model T became available.
The Model T: The One That Changed Everything
Although a few hundred of each of Ford's previous models had sold each year between 1903 and 1908, the Ford Model T, unveiled on October 1, 1908, would be the one that changed everything. Powered by a 2.9L inline-four engine that produced 29 hp, the Model T was built on an assembly line, making it cheaper. The Model T started at $780 in 1910 and was $290 by 1924, selling over 15 million units between 1908 and 1927. It's the most influential car in American history and of the 20th century.
Harry Shipler, Wikimedia Commons
The Ford Mustang: An All-American Muscle Car
Rounding off our list of the world's oldest car companies, we come to possibly one of the most recognizable cars in history from that company: the Ford Mustang. Released in 1964, the Mustang has undergone many changes in its seven generations of innovation, but the old classic is by far one of the best. Powered by a 4.3L or 4.7L V8 engine, the Mustang could produce 271 hp and has an iconic look that's unmistakably "American muscle".
Kroelleboelle, Wikimedia Commons
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