Car Europe Brings Old Traditions Back

Added: 11/17/2005

Despite the fact that the first car was produced in Germany, Europe's domination was quickly lost. Few years later French Chevrolet was introduced to the United States, the same fate suffered Germany's Opel and Sweden's Saab. Ford, the prominent American car producer, has recently taken possession of Land Rover, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo. Chrysler now owns Hillman, Singer, Humber, Sunbeam and SIMCA.

Speaking about Car Europe, we should definitely mention Rootes Group, which included Hillman, SIMCA, Chrysler, Sunbeam, Singer and Matra. All these car producers were famous either for their high quality or their high performance. Most of them were regarded as the first producers of motor vehicles. After Rootes failed, the companies began to operate under the Chrysler UK name, which also fell into decay shortly afterwards and sold Rootes Group to Peugeot. The last car Europe produced by Rootes Group was the Horizon, which survived in the United States in 1990. It is difficult to predict the future of other companies, which haven't been included into Rootes Group.
Many European cars producers started shortly after the World War I, which put them in an unstable position. One of such companies is Hillman, founded by William Hillman, who started his business by making bicycles in 1907. The company has proven to be successful after the introduction of its 9 horsepower model in 1913.
Singer started producing cars in 1800s and showed the signs of growth after its first car success in 1912. Singer Tens were bought by William Rootes, who resold them at a profit to start his business. In 1955 the company joined Rootes Group.
Sunbeam started in 1901, though its first modern and popular cars appeared in 1906. The company had a racing success, which continued into the 1920s. After Sunbeam was purchased by Rootes Group in 1929, the company's brand was eliminated. Few years later it was brought back as Talbot.
SIMCA started making its own cars in 1951, though the company was founded in 1934 and engaged in building Fiats for France. The company faced an immediate success shortly after its first car was produced. When Chrysler bought 15% of SIMCA's shares it started making Aronde line in Australia under Chrysler brand name. In 1967 Chrysler owned 77 % of Simca, but still didn't manage to control the company's operations. In 1978 SIMCA became a part of Peugeot.
Car Europe is also associated with the distinguished car producer Rolls-Royce, which operates in England. The company was owned by German giants BMW and Volkswagen until the year 2003, when it came into the sole ownership of BMW. Rolls- Royce is regarded as the maker of the finest and the most prestigious cars in the world. Its name is associated with luxury and excellence.
Car Europe remains prominent for its performance and luxury. Italy, Germany and Britain succeeded in gaining and maintaining the reputation of influential and successful car producers. BMW and Volkswagen have proven to be serious players. Peugeot and Renault manage to hold their positions. The same can be said about England's Rover, which makes a comeback. Some of the car makers operate independently, while others are owned by some larger enterprises.
The leading European car manufacturers are concentrated in England, France, Germany and Italy. German cars are known for their high quality and reliability. The widely reputed car makers include BMW, VW, Audi, Mercedes and Opel. France is famous for its Peugeot, which is regarded as elite and prestigious. Another famous French car producers are Peugeot, Renault and Citroen. The largest car company in Italy is Fiat, in England - Rolls-Royce.

Rate this article:

Bad

Good

Article comments:

No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!

Return to top of the page