Since the birth of the first car, ** has gone through a history of more than 100 years. In the long history, some brands have continued to this day and become eternal classics, but there are also some once glorious car brands that have disappeared into history due to various factors.
What are some of the shining car brands that have disappeared? Why did they disappear? This article will take you to explore the secret.
A once-glorious pre-World War II luxury brand
Friends who have seen the movie "The Great Gatsby" will definitely be shocked by the gorgeous scenes in it.
Before World War II, there were indeed such a group of ultra-luxury brands, using the most advanced technology, the most advanced materials, and the most extreme design at that time to create the most top-of-the-line cars, reflecting the glitz of that era.
Dusenberg is a typical representative of that era.
Dusenberg SJ from The Great Gatsby
The Dusenberg brand was founded in 1920 and is known for:"Rolls-Royce of America".。In the early days of the brand, Dusenberg won the French Grand Prix and the Indy 500 with the outstanding performance of the inline eight-cylinder engine.
Dusenberg's most classic is the J-model, an SJ version with a supercharger, which can be regarded as the top-of-the-line Dusenberg. The maximum power is 320 hp and the top speed is more than 200 km/h, which was 100 years ago!
Gorgeous Dusenberg sj
Unfortunately, the launch of the Model J coincided with the Great Depression in the United States, with the ultra-luxury car market struggling and the parent company Cord in crisis. In 1937, Dusenberg officially ceased production, and a total of 481 J-models were produced.
After World War II, Dusenberg was inCar collection marketAll the way, a Dusenberg J in excellent condition can sell for millions of dollars.
Like Dusenberg, there were many short-lived ultra-luxury brands before World War II. Spain's Hispano-Suiza was once a model of European luxury cars; The famous Bugatti was also discontinued for nearly half a century, until it was resurrected at the end of the 20th century, and then it was acquired by Volkswagen and became a legend again.
The Bugatti 57SC is the ultimate in elegance
The ultra-luxury cars of the early 20th century are like works of art. Although many of the brands no longer exist, the unique designs reflect the prosperity of the times and are enough to make these treasures go down in history.
A victim of a multi-brand strategy
Britain has also had many great car brands, and Daimler is one of them.
In 1902, Daimler received a royal warrant from King Edward VII, establishing Daimler's position in the luxury car market.
The Daimler DE36 is a luxurious one
After World War II, Rolls-Royce was granted a royal warrant, and although Daimler was still a favorite of many members of the royal family, its status was no longer what it used to be. In 1960, Daimler, which was not doing well, was acquired by Jaguar and became Jaguar's high-end product line, similar to the current Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
The last Daimler stand-alone model, the DS420, was introduced in 1968 and was based on the Jaguar Mark X with a redesigned body. After the DS420 was introduced, it became the first choice of many royals.
The Daimler DS420 used by the British royal family
In 1989, Jaguar was acquired by Ford, and there were no Daimler stand-alone models after that. In 2008, India's Tata Group acquired Jaguar, and the Daimler brand disappeared.
At the end of the 80s, Ford and GM started a multi-brand strategyGlobal acquisitions may seem like a vastness, but they have actually indirectly led to the demise of some brands. Jaguar is lucky, and there are some brands that have disappeared into history.
At that time, Ford's brands included Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Land Rover, Daimler, Aston Martin, and Volvo, but this grand occasion did not last long, and those acquired brands have been **.
Under the impact of the economic crisis, Ford's own brand Mercury also fell into a development crisis, positioning and Ford highly overlapped, its models gradually discontinued, and the Mercury brand was officially closed in 2010.
Mercury who regretted his exit.
Another giant in the United States, General Motors, has experienced the same situation. In addition to shutting down Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Saturn, it also put the acquired Swedish brand Saab in trouble.
Ford's acquisition of Volvo, GM's acquisition of Saab, and the acquisition of two Swedish car brands by two American giants seem to complement each other, but they laid the groundwork for Saab's subsequent bankruptcy.
The economic crisis in 2008 forced GM to sell Saab. Although Ford did not have a good time during that time, the sale of Jaguar Land Rover to Tata and Volvo to Geely ensured the continued development of the brand.
The "Save Saab" campaign organized by fans spontaneously.
Saab's ** did not go well, first the Swedish niche sports car brand Koenigsegg, and then the Dutch niche sports car brand Sjuker.
In 2010, Sage reached an agreement with GM, but a Dutch sports car brand with a total production of only a few hundred units made it difficult to get Saab up and running. In 2011, Saab formally filed for bankruptcy protection.
Saab left like this, which became a regret in the hearts of many fans.
The fate of the resurrected brand is not the same
There is a brand disappearance, and of course there will be a brand rebirth. A brand that was once glorious has more to tell than a brand new brand has more to tell.
Bugatti's rebirth, although bumpy, was indeed successful. With the latest and most advanced technology, the Volkswagen Group has continued the legend of Bugatti's speed, which has been recognized all over the world.
But there are also exists"German Borgward".Such a farce, Borgward did have a place in the German car market, but after the production was discontinued in the 60s of the 20th century, Borgward disappeared.
The classic Borgward isabella
Until the 21st century, China's Foton Motor bought the Borgward brand, calling it one of the four major German luxury brands on a par with "Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi", and launched models such as BX5 and BX7.
Although it is packaged as "German origin", the Borgward BX5 is only an ordinary domestic SUV, and the product power is not outstanding, so it is difficult to be recognized.
In 2022, Beijing Borgward will go bankrupt and liquidate, although it will be resurrected but unsuccessful.
Borgward's rebirth was not successful.
If there is no strong technical research and development strength, it is difficult for the once glorious historical brand to have the glory of the year.
How many new power brands can be left?
In recent years, with the rapid development of China's new energy, many new power car brands have sprung up, but in fact, most of the brands have disappeared.
Overtaking in new energy corners has given many new brands opportunities, but it has also eliminated many manufacturers. It is reported that in 2018, there were more than 450 electric vehicle manufacturers in China, but by 2023, they will be able to operate normallyThere are only more than 40 new energy vehicle companies left
In other words, more than 400 brands have disappeared before anyone knows about them.
Many of the former new energy brands have disappeared.
However, China's "new energy battlefield" has not yet entered the final game, and there will be more new energy brands to be eliminated.
For friends who want to buy a car, choosing a stable brand is actually quite crucial.
With the development of history, there will definitely be old brands disappearing, and there will be new brands appearing. It is also these brands that constitute a complete history of automobile development and continue to move forward.