Volkswagen Group is a German multinational conglomerate manufacturing vehicles and services. Headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, with operations in 153 countries. Owned by Porsche SE (31.4%), Lower Saxony (11.8%), and QIA (10.5%)
Mini was first produced as a car model by BMC in 1959. Original Mini featured distinctive front-wheel-drive layout. Mini Cooper S won Monte Carlo Rally four times between 1964-1967. Mini became independent brand in 1969, replacing Austin and Morris names
Founded by Henry Ford in 1903 with $28,000 investment. Introduced assembly line production in 1913, leading to Fordism. Acquired Lincoln in 1922 to compete with luxury brands. Produced military vehicles during World War II
First passenger tram was Swansea and Mumbles Railway in Wales, UK (1807-1960). American streetcars developed first in 1832, followed by European systems in 1855. Horse-drawn trams dominated until 1957 in UK, some still operate in Isle of Man
Founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as Toyota Automatic Loom Works. Developed first product Type A engine in 1934 and first passenger car in 1936. Changed name from "Toyoda" to "Toyota" in 1936 for simplicity. Survived World War II by producing trucks for Japanese Army
Tesla is an American automotive and clean energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning as Tesla Motors. Elon Musk became CEO in 2008, leading company's growth and expansion