Genealogy of Automobile Companies

A flowing history of more than 100 automobile companies across the complete time span of the automobile industry. From 1900 to 1925 over 3,300 organizations were formed to produce automobiles in the United States. In 1910 alone 400 new startups entered the industry. Most attempts lasted less than two years. While car sales exploded (from 1910 to 2010 US sales rose from 200,000 to 11.5 million cars) the strongest entrepreneurs bought out rivals and combined forces. Today, ten companies account for about 90% of all US automobile sales.

“It's always fascinating to see where brands came from. That's why the Genealogy of Automobile Companies is so much fun. It's essentially a family tree for the entire automotive industry ... the closer you look, the more you realize the depth.”
FastCo Design

This graphic uncovers and explains how the industry was created and how it arrived at its present form. At the core is a full genealogy of over 100 companies from the Big Five to the small defunct companies. Folded into the genealogy is the relative market share of US sales for each company.

Designed and created by Larry Gormley. Larry's work has won numerous design awards and he is a frequent contributor to periodicals about graphic design. The fonts and colors used in the graphic are inspired by the art deco style of the 1920s and 1930s. The combination provides both an elegant and warm feel to the overall design.

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