Short answer
89 car brands in the archive have ended or paused production, including Alpine, Abadal and Alta.
Quick read
Defunct and Discontinued Car Brands: Key Facts
- Brands on this list
- 89
- Countries
- 17
- Oldest brand
- Alpine (1955)
- Most brands from
- United States (25)
Defunct and Discontinued Car Brands at a Glance
| Brand | Country | Founded | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
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France | 1955 | Revived (1995): the brand is part of Groupe Renault today |
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Spain | — | Ended (1930): The last car was a 1930 prototype luxury sedan with a 3.5-liter Continental engine, but nothing followed the first sample. |
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Greece | — | Ended (1978): the company operated in its larger Elefsis factory until 1978 |
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United Kingdom | — | Revived (1967): In 2023 its successor company began making classic Alvis models again. |
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Romania | — | Ended (2003): Production ended in 2003, when the Romanian state sold 68.7% of the company to Cross Lander. |
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Turkey | — | Ended (2011): In 2003 Çiftçiler Holding became the only owner. |
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Italy | — | Revived: The ATS name was revived in 2012 and again in 2017 with the ATS GT. |
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United Kingdom | — | Dormant (1987): The trademark is owned by the Chinese firm SAIC Motor. |
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Italy | — | Ended: The marque survived in Italy until Y10 production ended in the mid-1990s. Wikipedia gives 1995 in one place and 1996 in another. |
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United Kingdom | — | Ended (1960): Cash flow problems pushed the company into liquidation on 12 December 1960, ending car production after about 4,100 cars. |
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France | — | Ended (1980): The Berliet marque was phased out by 1980 after the 1978 merger with Saviem. |
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Italy | — | Revived (2014): it was later sold to Ideactive, owned by Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci, who revived the brand in 2022 |
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Italy | — | Dormant (1969): The original company failed in 1969 after building around 140 cars at its Livorno factory. In 2020 the name was acquired by Pegasus Brands, which announced plans to revive the marque. |
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Germany | — | Ended (1961): The group was forced into liquidation in 1961 after cash-flow problems and a loss of confidence by the Bremen government. |
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United Kingdom | — | Revived (2020): In 2021 a company owned by Jason Wharton registered rights to the name and announced plans for a revival |
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United States | — | Ended (1925): The company was liquidated in 1925, and the sources used here describe no successor. |
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France | — | Ended (1949): the company produced 33,962 cars between 1901 and 1949 |
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South Korea | — | Ended (2011): The Daewoo car brand itself has been phased out, although Daewoo Electronics survives as a separate company. |
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Japan | — | Ended (2022): Datsun was owned by Nissan. Nissan phased out the brand in March 1986, relaunched it in June 2013 for low-cost vehicles in emerging markets, and discontinued it again in April 2022. |
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United Kingdom | — | Ended (2026): It was declared dissolved on February 17, 2026, according to Wikipedia. |
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Italy | — | Revived (2004): an Italian bankruptcy court approved the sale of the company to Hong Kong–based Consolidated Ideal Team Ventures for 1,050,000 euros |
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France | — | Revived (1953): Laurent Tapie, a French businessman, has owned the rights to the Delage brand since 2019. |
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Italy | — | Ended (1929): Car production ended in 1929. |
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Germany | — | Dormant (1969): The DKW trademark is owned by Auto Union GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Audi AG, which also holds the rights to other historical Auto Union marks. |
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United States | — | Ended (1937): The company was sold and dissolved in 1937 after the Great Depression |
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United States | — | Ended: Chrysler announced the end of Eagle in September 1997. |
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Australia | — | Dormant: Young Timers Garage, a luxury car dealer in Keysborough, Victoria, bought Elfin in May 2023 from the Walkinshaw Group. It has announced plans to revive the brand. |
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China | — | Ended (2014): In 2014 Geely merged its Emgrand, Haoqing and Englon brands into one Geely brand. |
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United Kingdom | — | Ended (2007): MAN discontinued ERF as a marque in 2007, when it ceased supplying ERF-badged trucks. |
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United Kingdom | — | Ended (2006): Paccar ceased to use the marque in 2006. |
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Australia | — | Ended (2014): the FPV brand and its range were discontinued in 2014, after 12 years of production and marketing. |
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United States | — | Ended (1934): The Franklin companies collapsed financially in April 1934 and the company was adjudged bankrupt. |
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Poland | — | Ended (2011): Ukrainian group UkrAVTO later became the majority shareholder with 84.31% of shares. |
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United States | — | Ended (1997): Geo was discontinued after the 1997 model year and merged into Chevrolet. |
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China | — | Ended (2024): It was folded into Geely Auto in March 2023 and incorporated into the Geely Galaxy brand in October 2024. |
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United Kingdom | — | Ended (1973): Gilbern had been sold several times after a 1968 takeover by Ace Capital Holdings. |
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Germany | — | Ended (2016): In January 2016 a Hong Kong consortium, Ideal Team Venture, bought it and renamed it Apollo Automobil. |
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China | — | Ended (2015): In 2015 Changan announced it would discontinue all Hafei production and convert existing lines to serve Changan Ford. |
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United Kingdom | — | Dormant (1976): the French company still owns the rights to the Hillman name |
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Spain | — | Revived (1938): The relaunched car company, Hispano Suiza Cars, belongs to the Peralada Group, which is owned by the Suqué Mateu family |
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Australia | — | Ended (2020): the company ceased trading at the end of 2020 |
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Germany | — | Dormant (1940): Audi holds the Horch name. Daimler-Benz transferred the trademark rights to Audi in the mid-1980s. |
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Australia | — | Ended (2020): General Motors announced the closure of Holden Special Vehicles on 18 August 2020. |
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United States | — | Ended (1957): The marque was folded into American Motors Corporation in 1954 and the name was dropped after 1957. |
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United States | — | Revived (2010): General Motors owns the Hummer name. GM bought the brand from AM General in 1999 and retired the brand in 2010. |
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United States | — | Ended (1939): Hupmobile production ended in late summer 1939 after the Skylark, built from the Cord 810 dies. |
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United States | — | Ended: The company no longer exists under that name. The construction division went to Dresser Industries in 1982 and the farm equipment division to Tenneco's Case Corporation in 1984 |
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Italy | — | Ended (1997): it announced that sales of the marque would stop at the end of June 1997 |
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Italy | — | Revived (1974): The ISO Rivolta name returned in 2017 with a Zagato-built GTZ limited to 19 cars. |
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United Kingdom | — | Revived (1976): Jensen Motors ceased trading in 1976. Later owners revived the name, including the S-V8 built in Liverpool from 2001 |
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United States | — | Ended (1955): The last Kaisers were produced in the United States during the 1955 model year. |
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United Kingdom | — | Ended (2021): The company was liquidated on 31 May 2021. |
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United Kingdom | — | Dormant (2016): The brand name has been dormant since 2016. |
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United Kingdom | — | Revived: In 2013 Andrew and Lawrence Whittaker bought the original Lister intellectual property and the Pearce-era Lister Cars. |
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Germany | — | Ended (1963): after Carl F. W. Borgward bought Hansa in 1929 it became part of the Borgward Group |
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United States | — | Ended: It emerged in March 2024 as Nu Ride Inc., and its Endurance truck assets were sold to LAS Capital |
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United Kingdom | — | Revived (1971): The original company went out of business in 1971 and was revived several times. |
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United Kingdom | — | Dormant (2019): Marlin Sports Cars ceased trading as of May 2019 and was put up for sale with no further production planned. Kevin Richardson bought the company in April 2021. |
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Germany | — | Revived (2012): Since 2015 it has been a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz, sold as Mercedes-Maybach. |
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Germany | — | Dormant (2012): the car manufacturing arm filed for bankruptcy in August 2012. Melkus Motorsport and a Dresden dealership still carry the family name. |
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United States | — | Dormant (2011): Wikipedia notes that Mercury remains a registered Ford trademark. |
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United States | — | Ended: Merkur was a brand of Ford Motor Company, marketed by its Lincoln-Mercury division. |
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United Kingdom | — | Revived (1987): The Morris trademark is owned by the Chinese automaker SAIC, which acquired it from the bankrupt subsidiary Nanjing Automotive. |
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United States | — | Ended (2013): The company ended in June 2013, when all its assets were acquired by Rossion Automotive. |
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United States | — | Ended (2004): GM announced the shutdown in December 2000 and ended production in April 2004. |
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Italy | — | Ended (1967): OSCA ended operations in 1967. |
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United States | — | Ended (1959): Studebaker-Packard retired the marque in 1959. |
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France | — | Ended (1967): In 2018 Renault Trucks Defense, ACMAT and Panhard were combined under the single brand Arquus. |
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United States | — | Ended (1938): Pierce-Arrow returned to independent ownership in 1933. |
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United States | — | Ended (2001): DaimlerChrysler decided to drop the make after a limited run of 2001 models. |
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United States | — | Ended (2010): Pontiac was owned, built and sold by General Motors from its launch in 1926. |
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United Kingdom | — | Dormant (1969): BMW owns the Riley trademark. Riley became part of Lord Nuffield's organization in 1938 and was merged into British Leyland in 1968. |
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United Kingdom | — | Dormant (2005): The Rover trademark belongs to Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by Tata Motors. |
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Sweden | — | Dormant (2011): The name is still owned by Saab AB, the aerospace and defense company. |
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United States | — | Ended (2009): Saturn was owned by General Motors for its whole life. |
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Japan | — | Ended (2016): Scion was a marque of Toyota. It was sold only in the United States and Canada and was serviced at Toyota dealers. |
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France | — | Ended: the former assets of Simca belong to Stellantis, the ultimate successor of Peugeot, Fiat and Chrysler. The brand itself no longer builds cars. |
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United States | — | Ended (2008): Daimler Trucks North America announced the end of the brand on October 14, 2008. |
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United States | — | Dormant (1966): Colorado businessman Ric Reed acquired the rights to the name in 2001. Neither effort led to production, and current ownership should be checked with a trademark search. |
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United States | — | Ended (1938): the company is generally listed as defunct in 1938 |
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United Kingdom | — | Ended (2020): The company went into liquidation in 2020. |
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United Kingdom | — | Dormant (1984): BMW owns the Triumph car trademark. It came with the Rover Group, which BMW bought in 1994, and BMW kept the Triumph and Riley names when it sold Rover. |
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Brazil | — | Dormant (2021): The brand and its technology were not put up for sale, only the industrial complex. |
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United States | — | Revived (1993): Vector Aeromotive built cars from 1989 to 1993, then MegaTech took control and moved it to Florida to build the M12. Wiegert later revived Vector Motors |
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Germany | — | Dormant (1941): The brand was then acquired by Cologne-based Zweirad Einkaufs Genossenschaft (ZEG). |
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Germany | — | Ended (1991): The marque was built by the state-owned VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach in East Germany from 1956 to 1991. |
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China | — | Revived (2022): WM Motor stopped production at the end of 2022 and filed for pre-restructuring bankruptcy in October 2023. In September 2025 a new owner took over as restructuring investor |
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United States | — | Ended (1963): In 1963 the American business became Kaiser-Jeep Corporation and the Willys name disappeared. Ford took control of the Brazilian arm in 1967. |
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Serbia | — | Ended (2008): Production of Zastava cars ended on 20 November 2008, with the Zastava 10 continuing briefly as the Punto Classic. |
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Defunct and Discontinued Car Brands: Entry Details
Alpine
France · Founded 1955How the Alpine logo grew from a round 1950s badge with a slanted A into today's blue A and wordmark, what the name refers to, and which Alpine cars made the brand famous.
- What happened
- Revived (1995): the brand is part of Groupe Renault today
- Segment
- Sports cars
- Archived logo versions
- 3
Abadal
SpainHow the Abadal shield badge of a short-lived Barcelona carmaker looked, what its lettering says, who founded the marque, and which Abadal cars survive.
- What happened
- Ended (1930): The last car was a 1930 prototype luxury sedan with a 3.5-liter Continental engine, but nothing followed the first sample.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Alta
GreeceA look at the winged Alta badge, the Greek maker of three-wheeler trucks, motorcycles and microcars, and what is documented about its history.
- What happened
- Ended (1978): the company operated in its larger Elefsis factory until 1978
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Alvis
United KingdomHow the Alvis red inverted triangle replaced an earlier winged green triangle, who started the Coventry company, and which Alvis cars and armored vehicles mattered.
- What happened
- Revived (1967): In 2023 its successor company began making classic Alvis models again.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
ARO
RomaniaHow the ARO shield and lowercase wordmark identified Romania's off-road vehicles from 1957 to 2003, what the name stands for, and which models defined the brand.
- What happened
- Ended (2003): Production ended in 2003, when the Romanian state sold 68.7% of the company to Cross Lander.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Askam
TurkeyA look at the Askam logo, the Turkish truck maker's blue emblem and wordmark, plus the company's Chrysler roots, its Fargo and DeSoto trucks, and its end.
- What happened
- Ended (2011): In 2003 Çiftçiler Holding became the only owner.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
ATS
ItalyHow the round ATS badge with its lowercase wordmark and red dragon changed from the 1962 blue enamel look to the black 2012 revival, and who built the cars behind it.
- What happened
- Revived: The ATS name was revived in 2012 and again in 2017 with the ATS GT.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Austin
United KingdomFrom a winged steering-wheel emblem to the chrome Austin script, see how the British carmaker's badge changed, who built the cars behind it, and what became of the name.
- What happened
- Dormant (1987): The trademark is owned by the Chinese firm SAIC Motor.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 4
Autobianchi
ItalyHow the Autobianchi logo moved from Bianchi's eagle to a rounded triangle with a stylized A, who stood behind the brand, and which small cars made it matter.
- What happened
- Ended: The marque survived in Italy until Y10 production ended in the mid-1990s. Wikipedia gives 1995 in one place and 1996 in another.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 14
Berkeley
United KingdomA look at the round Berkeley badge with its red and silver B, the British microcar maker from Biggleswade, and the sports cars it built from 1956 to 1960.
- What happened
- Ended (1960): Cash flow problems pushed the company into liquidation on 12 December 1960, ending car production after about 4,100 cars.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Berliet
FranceSee how the Berliet logo moved from a bold script wordmark to the locomotive-front badge and a later geometric mark, and which Berliet vehicles became icons.
- What happened
- Ended (1980): The Berliet marque was phased out by 1980 after the 1978 merger with Saviem.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 3
Bertone
ItalySee how the Bertone logo moved from a blue-and-chrome crest to the stylized b monogram, what the mark shows, and which Bertone designs became icons.
- What happened
- Revived (2014): it was later sold to Ideactive, owned by Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci, who revived the brand in 2022
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 3
Bizzarrini
ItalyA look at the red and gold Bizzarrini eagle badge from Livorno, what is and is not documented about it, and the engineer and cars behind the name.
- What happened
- Dormant (1969): The original company failed in 1969 after building around 140 cars at its Livorno factory. In 2020 the name was acquired by Pegasus Brands, which announced plans to revive the marque.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Borgward
GermanyHow the Borgward rhombus went from a Bremen radiator badge to a revived 2010s emblem, what its red-and-white quarters show, and which Borgward cars mattered.
- What happened
- Ended (1961): The group was forced into liquidation in 1961 after cash-flow problems and a loss of confidence by the Bremen government.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 4
Bristol
United KingdomHow the Bristol Cars roundel pairs a ship-and-castle shield with a black ring, what is documented about it, and which Bristol cars became classics.
- What happened
- Revived (2020): In 2021 a company owned by Jason Wharton registered rights to the name and announced plans for a revival
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Cole
United StatesTrace the Cole Motor Car Company logo from its swash-C "Cole" nameplate to the eagle-and-shield roundel and Aero-Eight hood ornament, and see why the Indianapolis automaker closed in 1925.
- What happened
- Ended (1925): The company was liquidated in 1925, and the sources used here describe no successor.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Corre La Licorne
FranceThe unicorn badge of Corre La Licorne, the Paris-area car maker that ran from 1901 to 1947, with its name story, history and key cars.
- What happened
- Ended (1949): the company produced 33,962 cars between 1901 and 1949
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Daewoo
South KoreaHow the Daewoo logo moved from an oval monogram to the fan-shaped group mark and the silver three-part emblem, who redesigned it, and which Daewoo cars mattered most.
- What happened
- Ended (2011): The Daewoo car brand itself has been phased out, although Daewoo Electronics survives as a separate company.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 5
Datsun
JapanHow the Datsun logo moved from a red disc and blue band to script badges and a chrome oval, what the name means, and which Datsun cars became icons.
- What happened
- Ended (2022): Datsun was owned by Nissan. Nissan phased out the brand in March 1986, relaunched it in June 2013 for low-cost vehicles in emerging markets, and discontinued it again in April 2022.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 10
David Brown
United KingdomThe David Brown badge pairs a Union Flag with the founder's name. See what it shows, where the company built its cars, and which models it made.
- What happened
- Ended (2026): It was declared dissolved on February 17, 2026, according to Wikipedia.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
De Tomaso
ItalyHow the De Tomaso T badge grew out of an Argentine cattle brand and a sideways national flag, how it changed through revivals, and which cars made the Modena name famous.
- What happened
- Revived (2004): an Italian bankruptcy court approved the sale of the company to Hong Kong–based Consolidated Ideal Team Ventures for 1,050,000 euros
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 4
Delage
FranceSee how the Delage oval wordmark has stayed nearly unchanged from 1905 to the 2019 revival, who founded the French marque, and which Delage cars became icons.
- What happened
- Revived (1953): Laurent Tapie, a French businessman, has owned the rights to the Delage brand since 2019.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Diatto
ItalyA look at the Diatto oval badge, the Turin carriage builder behind it, its link to Maserati, and the cars it made until 1929.
- What happened
- Ended (1929): Car production ended in 1929.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
DKW
GermanyHow the green DKW shield came to mark two-stroke motorcycles and front-drive cars, how it joined the Auto Union rings, and which DKW models became icons.
- What happened
- Dormant (1969): The DKW trademark is owned by Auto Union GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Audi AG, which also holds the rights to other historical Auto Union marks.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 4
Details are shown for the 24 best-known brands. All 89 brands are in the table above.
Defunct and Discontinued Car Brands: Analysis
Why car brands disappear
Car brands disappear when a company fails, merges into a larger group, or retires a name that no longer sells. Some names return years later under new ownership, so the history of a badge often outlasts the company that first used it.
Where these brands come from
United States has the most brands on this list (25 of 89), followed by United Kingdom (20) and Germany (9). In all, 17 countries are represented.
FAQ: Defunct and Discontinued Car Brands
Which car brands have ended or paused production?
Alpine, Abadal, Alta, Alvis, ARO, Askam, ATS, Austin, Autobianchi and Berkeley, and 79 more in the table above.
Which is the oldest brand on this list?
Alpine, founded in 1955.
How is this list compiled?
Status and year are extracted from each brand page's own sourced answer to 'What happened to this brand?'. The note quotes the supporting sentence; brands that later returned are marked Revived.
Sources & methodology
Status and year are extracted from each brand page's own sourced answer to 'What happened to this brand?'. The note quotes the supporting sentence; brands that later returned are marked Revived. Each brand page lists its own sources, and the logo images are an educational reference archive.
Maintained by Artsiom Dusau, a software engineer and BMW 4 Series owner. Editorial policy