Automakers Automakers are one of the world's biggest producers and merchandisers of a product. It is also one of the biggest buyers of raw materials such as iron, copper, and rubber. One out of every seven jobs in the U.S. is directly related to the manufacture and use of motor vehicles. In the United States, the three major manufacturers are General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, each of which produces cars that still bear the names of the original independent companies. General Motor cars include Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac. Ford Motor Company's cars include Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln. Chrysler Corporation cars include Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge.
Top 16 automakers by volume 2006 Total motor vehicle production of the auto industry:(Note that these figures don't include thousands of cars manufactured by countries like China so it's hard to track the exact total number). General Motors 8,926,000 Total global production: 69,706,838
World's largest vehicle manufacturers The table below gives the world's largest fifteen motor vehicle manufacturers. 1. General Motors United States - 8,926,160 vehicles It is not uncommon for automakers to hold stakes in other automobile manufacturers - Porsche holds a large stake in the VW Group. These ownerships can be explored under the detail for the individual companies. However there are 4 relationships between the "top 15" manufacturers listed in the table above:
Through the years, the "Big Three" had managed to acquire foreign automakers like Jaguar, Volvo, Opel, Land Rover in a bid to be more competitive to the Japanese car makers which consistently captured market share. In 2006, more than 69 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide. In 2006 16 million new automobiles were sold in the USA, 15 million in Western Europe, 7 million in China and one million in India. In 2007 the markets in Canada, USA, Western Europe and Japan are stagnating, while those in South America (especially Brazil) and Asia grow. Although the locations of the headquarters of the major volume producers of motor vehicles are confined to a relatively small number of countries, their manufacturing facilities are distributed in many other countries around the world.
Total motor vehicle production: Japan 11484000
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