From then on they built their own trucks under the name: Benz Gaggenau with production peaking during WWI.

A company called Bergmann Industriewerke (earlier Bergmann’sche Werke) was producing vehicles and engines in Gaggenau. Around 1905, Benz & Cie. acquired this company. The factory became Benz’s second major production site and vehicles built there were often branded “Benz Gaggenau”.

In 1926, Benz & Cie. merged with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft forming Daimler-Benz (now Mercedes-Benz Group).

After this the “Benz Gaggenau” name disappeared the Gaggenau plant continued as part of Mercedes-Benz truck production.

Benz Gaggenau points to a specific chapter of the Benz story, not a separate standalone car brand.

He called himself an inventor and car builder. He even could show some patents. He was an engineer as well: an Honoris Causa from an American university.

He definitely has built beautiful cars: about 75 since 1947. The most of them were small race cars which were very beloved directly after the war, but there followed wonderful sport coupes and touring cars as well. His cars were mostly provided with speeded up Fiat-engines, but Bandini built a lot of cars with American Crossley-engines as well.

That four cylinder engine wasn’t old-fashioned in Bandinis time at all, which was from 1947 till 1952. It had upper camshafts which were driven by a standing shaft. A lot of times, Bandini provided the Crossley-engine with a self-made cylinder head with two camshafts and another crank-shaft, also made by himself of course. The turn of the engine stipulated the cylinder capacity.

During the golden time of the company (the fifties), there worked fifteen mechanics and man could build one car each month. In 1960, Bandini built even his engines in not less then seven different versions: from 760 cc till 1300 cc. When the mid engine came into fashion, Bandini was one of the first who built them in these ways: in spiders and coupes, for the circuit or for the sporting weekend driver.

Ilario Bandini was also the driver of his car and won a lot of races, specially hill climbs, but also took part in Millemiglia.

Bandinis aslo won the national SCCA championship (H Modified class) in 1955 and 1957.

Since 1959 he completed Bandini 850-1000 (1300 16 valve) engines and the last car he completed, the 1000 16 V supercharged was when he was 80 years old (1991).

He also endorsed steering wheels, from the 60s, and wheels from the 70s, all Bandini signed. His home town Forlì dedicated a square to Ilario Bandini.

(Special thanks to Michele Orsi Bandini for all content and assistance).

I’ve had four Audis. A 2010 R8 v10 with a gated shift and full carbon engine bay. A 2005 manual S4 B6 sedan, 2006 manual S4 B7 Avant, and a pristine 2001 225 TT manual Quattro coupe. Still have the latter. Every one of them was amazing, and I wish I still had them all. One of my biggest regrets is selling the Avant (yes, even more than the R8). I searched for it for years, and to this day I am not entirely clear why I sold it.

The brand was a trailblazer. Industry leading interiors and a trend setter in lighting design with a lineup desired by enthusiast and the general public alike that included innovations like…

• 1980: Pioneered modern performance AWD with Quattro

• 1982: First to widely mass-produce fully galvanized bodies

• 1989: First modern high-speed direct-injection turbodiesel (TDI)

• 1994: First large-scale aluminum space-frame luxury sedan (A8)

• 2001: Helped popularize gasoline direct injection (FSI)

• 2004: Popularized LED daytime running lights as a design signature

• 2008: First production car with full LED headlights (R8)

• 2013: First production matrix LED adaptive headlights

It is outlined in A Legacy Story in Five Cylinders.

Even the name of the company, how it got started and why the “four rings” became a standard for simplicity and understated elegance. It just seemed unstoppable.

So I will touch just a bit on their past…

The History of the Four Rings. A brief summary.
The Audi four rings emblem denotes one of Germany’s oldest automobile manufacturers. It symbolizes the merger in 1932 of four previously independent motor vehicle manufacturers: Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. These companies are the foundation stones on which the present-day AUDI AG is built.

Horch.
At the end of the 19th century, there were already a number of car manufacturers in Germany. One of them was August Horch & Cie., founded on November 14, 1899 in Cologne. August Horch was one of the pioneer figures of automotive engineering. Before setting up business on his own, he worked for Carl Benz in Mannheim for three years as Head of Automobile Production.

In 1904, August Horch relocated his company to Zwickau and transformed it into a share-issuing company. However, in 1909 August Horch withdrew from the company he had founded, and set up a new enterprise under the name of “Audi”.

Audi.
The company established by August Horch in Zwickau on July 16, 1909 could not use its founder’s name for reasons of fair trade. Horch found a new name for the company by translating his name, which means “hark!”, “listen!”, into Latin. The second company to have been set up by August Horch commenced operations under the name Audi Automobilwerke GmbH, Zwickau, on April 25, 1910.

Wanderer.
In 1885, the two mechanics Johann Baptist Winklhofer and Richard Adolf Jaenicke opened a repair business for bicycles in Chemnitz. Shortly afterwards they began to make bicycles of their own, since demand at that time was very high. These were sold under the brand name Wanderer, and in 1896 the company itself began to trade as Wanderer Fahrradwerke AG.

Wanderer built its first motorcycle in 1902. The idea of branching out into automobile production was finally put into practice in 1913. A small two-seater by the name of “Puppchen” heralded in Wanderer’s tradition of motor car production that was to last several decades.

DKW.
Originally founded under the name Rasmussen & Ernst 1902 in Chemnitz, the company was moved to Zschopau in the Erzgebirge region in 1907. The company initially manufactured and sold exhaust-steam oil separators for steam-raising plant, mudguards and lighting systems for motor vehicles, vulcanization equipment and centrifuges of all kinds.

The company’s founder Jorgen Skafte Rasmussen began to experiment with a steam-driven motor vehicle in 1916, registering DKW as a trademark. In 1919 the company, by now renamed Zschopauer Motorenwerke, switched to the manufacture of small two-stroke engines, which from 1922 on served as a springboard for its success in building motorcycles under the brand name DKW. The first small DKW motor car appeared on the market in 1928.

Auto Union AG, Chemnitz.
On June 29, 1932, Audiwerke, Horchwerke and Zschopauer Motorenwerke - DKW merged on the initiative of the State Bank of Saxony to form Auto Union AG. A purchase and leasing agreement was concluded at the same time with Wanderer, for the takeover of its Automobile Division. The new company’s head offices were in Chemnitz.

Following the merger, Auto Union AG was the second-largest motor vehicle manufacturer in Germany. The company emblem, with four interlinked rings, symbolized the inseparable unity of the four founder-companies. The brand names Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer were retained. Each of the four brands was assigned a specific market segment within the group: DKW assumed responsibility for motorcycles and small cars; Wanderer built midsize cars; Audi manufactured cars in the deluxe midsize class, and Horch produced deluxe top-of-the-range automobiles.

Auto Union GmbH, Ingolstadt.
In 1945, after the end of the Second World War, Auto Union AG was expropriated by the occupying Soviet forces. The company’s leading figures consequently moved to Bavaria, where a new company was founded in Ingolstadt in 1949 under the name of Auto Union GmbH, to uphold the motor vehicle tradition of the company with the four-ring emblem. The first vehicles to leave the company’s production line after its new start were DKW’s successful models with two-stroke engines — motorcycles, cars and delivery vans.

A new Auto Union model appeared on the market in 1965, the company’s first post-war vehicle with a four-stroke engine. To emphasize this dawning of a new era, a new product name was likewise needed: the traditional name of Audi was resurrected. A short time later, the last DKWs rolled off the production line in Ingolstadt. From then on, the new models with four-stroke engines were produced under the brand name “Audi”. A new era had begun in another sense, too: the Volkswagen Group acquired the Ingolstadt-based company in 1965.

NSU.
NSU was founded in 1873 in Riedlingen, on the Danube, by the two Swabian mechanics Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll. Seven years later they moved the company to Neckarsulm. For its first twenty years, the company manufactured knitting machines.

Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinenfabrik diversified into bicycles in 1886. From then on, the bicycle was to have a decisive influence on the company’s fortunes. Motorcycle production commenced at NSU in 1901, and five years later the first motor car was built there. Automobile production activities were halted again in 1929, to allow the company to concentrate on building two-wheelers. It was almost thirty years later, in 1958, that production of cars recommenced in Neckarsulm.

On March 10, 1969, Auto Union GmbH of Ingolstadt merged with NSU Motorenwerke AG, of Neckarsulm. The new company bearing the name Audi NSU Auto Union AG, with its head offices in Neckarsulm, was created retrospectively as of January 1.

1969. Union GmbH and NSU Motorenwerke AG merge.
The two firms Auto Union GmbH and NSU Motorenwerke AG merged in 1969. As a consequence of this, the product portfolio of “Audi NSU Auto Union AG” had expanded to more than ten model ranges encompassing a multitude of technical concepts. Marketing employee Hans Bauer put this technical diversity and finesse in a nutshell by coining an advertising slogan that was as brilliantly simple as it was ingenious: Vorsprung durch Technik!

Audi AG.
The last NSU left the production line in March 1977, and from then on the company manufactured exclusively Audi cars. About this time, the company’s bosses began to consider streamlining the company’s rather cumbersome name of Audi NSU Auto Union AG. With the objective of giving the company and its products the same name, in 1985 Audi NSU Auto Union AG was renamed simply AUDI AG. To coincide with the change of name, the company’s registered headquarters were transferred from Neckarsulm to Ingolstadt.

The Audi Quattro changed everything in modern times. When it came out in 1984 it was simply unbeatable. It was followed by the groundbreaking S2 Avant in 1990, and by the early 2000s, they were the one to beat.

Audi’s brand has evolved since then, but always with varied applications of the four rings, with a wonderful custom typeface by designer Erik Spiekermann in 1997.

But when I heard that Audi was going to drop the four rings I honestly thought it was an April fools day joke. It could not be true.

It was showcased with the launch of the Audi E Concept electric Sportback at Auto Shanghai 2025 which revealed the new “AUDI” wordmark instead of the four rings.

Now, I know this is only for China (somehow it makes it even worse for me, and I’m not sure why) but nevertheless, I thought it was just another enormously bad call by the folks in charge and I was baffled.

Audi is working closely with SAIC Motor to develop next-generation EVs for China. They have been testing “badge-less” or “simplified branding” on concept EVs as well as some China-focused models and the language used to “sell” this direction is just as ridiculous.

“Minimal, tech-forward design”, “Clean surfaces without traditional emblems” or “Strong emphasis on digital identity over physical badges”.

Audi is adapting to this expectation, where a logo feels “old-world” rather than futuristic.

It is testing a future where the badge matters less than the experience, especially in China’s fast-moving EV market but I disagree with the theory that a badge will “matter less”. A badge, logo, brand - whatever you want to call it is the signature that represents who you are, what you do and what you stand for. I don’t see that going away. And it shouldn’t.

Additionally, a “word mark” is the same as a “mark”. It does the same thing. It is a reflection of the company. This is just word salad that only means something to the “marketing” teams that build 100-page branding guidelines that certainly mean nothing to a consumer who simply wants a good, reliable, affordable and beautiful vehicle.

Speaking of “future experience”, they would not be in this situation if they had continued their industry leading achievements from the previous generations.

Now we have fake exhaust sound, cheap plastics in interiors that not too long ago changed the industry, dashboards full of screens, “piano black” surfaces that scratch at the slightest touch, tech that dates as fast as an iPhone and reliability issues that J.D. Powers ranks below the industry average on their “Initial Quality Study”. According to them, Audi is not a top-tier reliability brand. In 2024, Audi ranked 28th out of 34 brands.

A very long but detailed recap of the Audi decline is perfectly and lovingly outlined in this video A film by Audis desperate community by Auditography. I highly recommend it. A shorter recap is covered in this video, The unexpected end of Audi.

There are a few cars they still make that I would love to have, like the Audi RS6 Avant Performance, which starts at $130,700. I added a handful of options and the price ballooned to $164,790 and there was plenty of opportunity to go higher, but even this model includes features that I feel fall short.

The brand is shifting heavily toward SUVs and EVs. 65%–70% of sales in the U.S. are SUVs. Audi has been phasing out traditional two-door coupes, and by 2025–2026 the lineup is essentially gone in the U.S. I understand that is the world we live in. I just miss the “good old days” and they say.

I know that Audi is not abandoning the four rings globally, but this does not lessen the damage in my mind. The fact that this was even considered is a sign that something is not well. in fact, I almost feel they should pick a lane. My lane has four rings.

PS • The four Audi images at top are not generated. Long before AI, I hired 1stCar - a concept car designer and illustrator to draw every car I have ever owned. He did such a great job, people think they are AI. All for a book called “los CARros de CARlos”.

While I try to address varied categories of the automotive industry, I primarily do so through the lens of design, branding, photos, emblems, marketing, and other forms of creativity of this amazing sector.

In just over 130 years, the degree of innovation continues to surprise and amaze me.

I am particularly attracted to the time when it was all done by hand embracing a more artistic approach.

The marketing and branding of a vehicle seemed to take as much effort as the vehicle itself. It was as full of pride, excellence, and craftsmanship as the vehicle it represented.

Many marks included historical stories, specifically designed characters, multiple uses of animals, and typography elegantly crafted and drawn by true masters.

These marks became part of the vehicle’s aesthetics. They were embedded in the personality and attributes of the car and represented the optimistic approach to general design of the time.

I have documented endless examples and each time I am exposed to a new one I think that I have covered them all. Then a new surprise seems to always comes along and I see another amazing one that I have never seen before.

Naturally, through this process, I started to see more modern branding applications. Unfortunately, I see examples of brands that have had a historical impact only to be turned into what I see as a travesty of graphic design.

I have been meaning to write about this for some time, but the current redesign of the Chrysler logo pushed me over the edge. It was introduced with the Chrysler Halcyon Concept in 2024. It was developed internally by the design and brand teams at Stellantis and led directionally by Chrysler’s design leadership under Ralph Gilles (Chief Design Officer of Stellantis).

Chrysler has had many variations of their logo and emblem, but below are just a handful of examples that the new logo above replaces.

Of course, some would argue that all of this is just a matter of opinion, but I do believe that there are craftsmen and creative leaders that posses the capacity to guide the rest of us towards a more refined and mature aesthetic, however I feel something has been lost in the new executions.

The GM logo.

The current GM logo was updated and released in January of 2021. It was created in collaboration with the brand consultancy Wolff Olins.

The update was part of GM’s broader electric vehicle strategy and repositioning, aligning with campaigns like “Everybody In,” meant to present GM as a forward-looking, tech-driven mobility company.

In my view, there is nothing here that speaks to “everybody in”, “electric vehicle strategy” or even “forward-looking”. In fact, one of the main reasons I dislike this approach is that it embraces an “art-deco” typographical feel with an early 2000s dated gradient, at a time when GM was all about “the future”.

While the previous underlined, upper case GM in a blue box was arguably not the best, it did have better readability, reproduction and certainly history.

The destruction of brand equity.

Then there is the self inflicted wound. And the BMW “M” brand is the catalyst for this rant.

In 1972, BMW founded BMW Motorsport GmbH as a wholly owned subsidiary, built specifically to handle racing and high-performance development and led by Jochen Neerpasch. In 1993, BMW Motorsport GmbH was renamed BMW M GmbH.

The first true BMW “M” car was the BMW M1 (introduced in 1978). It was designed as a homologation car for racing with styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Early examples like the BMW M535i (1979) bagged started the watering down of the “M” brand trend, but during the 1990s–2000s BMW began concentrated brand expansions with “M Sport” trim packages becoming widely available with “M” branding appearing on steering wheels, shift knobs and exterior trim. This is when “M” started becoming lifestyle branding.

There are now three different levels of “M”. Full “M” cars (M3, M4, M5), middle tier “M Performance” models like the M340i and M550i, and the “M Sport package” (mostly cosmetic) and where most of the confusion comes from.

It has become so bad that the consumer has switched from knowing that “M” stood for Motorsport, to now seeing it a simply representing “marketing”.

The obvious downside is that it dilutes the meaning of “M” by creating confusion about what’s “real” and many enthusiasts have begun to push back.

Of course BMW is not alone. Audi has followed with the “S” moniker in the same manner by slapping “S line” on anything they can sell for more. The “S line” is a sport appearance package, not a full performance model.

The first true “S” model from Audi was the Audi S2, introduced in 1990. Before the S2, Audi’s performance identity was led by cars like the 1984 Audi Sport quattro, but they didn’t use the “S” naming.

Mercedes and AMG.

As I was writing this post I came across this well documented subject by Carisma called “The Day Mercedes Stopped Building Cars for Their True Customers”. It covers the brand’s twenty year decline during a desperate need and desire for “volume”. It’s worth a watch.

Jaguar.

One can argue that the brand was in trouble and needed something fresh. Clearly. Their sales were abysmal. But it wasn’t because of a logo. It was because theirs cars did not measure up.

The answer was not to erase their astonishing past, eliminate the brand’s loyal market and reposition the company similar to a perfume. The brand consciously removed all historical images from all of their social media platforms. This was the most self inflicted damage I have seen in recent time. I hope they make it and come up with something desirable. And I am probably going to be proven wrong, but while I actually like the concept shown, and have nothing against EVs, I don’t see how a $100,000 plus, huge luxury electric sedan is going to do it.

And I haven’t even talked about the logo, which was introduced in 2024 as part of a major brand reset led by Jaguar Land Rover’s in-house creative team that introduced a minimal, fashion-like wordmark, and removed the classic “Leaper” (jumping jaguar symbol) from primary branding.

Jaguar began as Swallow Sidecar Company, later becoming SS Cars Ltd. The name “Jaguar” first appeared in 1935 on the SS Jaguar models but the company didn’t become Jaguar Cars until 1945.

The Leaper quickly became one of the most recognizable hood ornaments in automotive history. Jaguar then introduced the “Growler” front-facing jaguar head as a grille badge in the 1950s.

The Ford Mustang.

This car is as American as it gets. The Mustang debuted on April 17, 1964 at the New York World’s Fair — and it was an instant sensation. Over 1 million units sold in just 18 months, making it one of the most successful launches in automotive history.

It was developed under Lee Iacocca and it created a whole new class: the “pony car”. There are countless models of this car, now in its seventh generation.

The Mustang isn’t just a car—it’s a cultural icon. It is a symbol of freedom and individuality and has deep roots in American car culture. It is one of the longest-running nameplates in automotive history.

In 1969, Ford Motor Company introduced the Mach 1 to reinforce the Mustang’s performance identity and compete in the growing muscle car market.

It was special because it came standard with V8 power (no six-cylinder option). It had a distinctive “shaker” hood scoop attached to the engine, matte black hood treatment and bold striping with sportier interior and woodgrain accents.

It was an immediate success—over 72,000 units sold in 1969 alone, making it one of the most popular Mustang variants ever.

So imagine my disgust when I learned that Ford decided to come out with an electric SUV, and call it a Mustang Mach E in 2019.

To be very clear, I have no issue with electric cars, and I actually like the look of this EV SUV. I just can’t understand why in all of the meeting they surely had, no one put a stop to using the equity of the Mustang brand like this.

Many Ford Mustang enthusiasts and traditionalists are extremely upset at the company’s decision, and I completely agree.

Other examples of this decline for me includes fake exhaust audio in the cabin, calling a four door sedan or even an SUV a “coupe”, labeling an electric vehicle a “turbo” model, expanding the subscription model on features like heated seats, creating non repairable parts, and eliminating the consumer’s right to repair.

These habits are now industry wide.

it emerged during the cyclecar boom—a period when small, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive cars were in high demand after World War I.

By the end of the 1920s, Rally had expanded its model range. It developed a recognizable winged “Paris Rally” emblem and shifted from pure cyclecars toward more conventional small automobiles

The 1931 models (in the ad below) reflects this transition. Still sporty and compact, but more refined and “complete” as proper cars, styled with stronger Art Deco influence.

Rally became known for good handling, competitive pricing and a slightly more “serious” feel than bare-bones cyclecars.

Like many small manufacturers, Rally struggled as the market changed. Cyclecars fell out of favor and larger automakers (like Citroën and Peugeot) began producing affordable, mass-produced cars.

Economic pressure from the Great Depression hit smaller firms hardest. By the mid-to-late 1930s, the company faded and ceased production.

It was known both for its own achievements and for those obtained with transformations of the Buik Abadal car.

It underwent so many transformations that its name was recognized as its own brand, although most of the time it was limited to changing part of the body for its sporty versions, especially the one made in 1923 and who won the “Cuesta de las Perdices” climb in Madrid, the “Cuesta de la Reina” in Malaga or the “Pujada a l’Ordal” in Barcelona. The engine used was a six-cylinder Buick, which allowed speeds of the order of 100 km / h.

1922 Abadal Buick.

This extremely rare example is currently at Col·lecció d’Automòbils Salvador Claret in Sils, Girona.

The company entered car manufacturing with an ohc 1847 cc four-cylinder model which could develop 36 bhp at 3600 rpm. A sports version with 1981 cc engine was offered, as was a six-cylinder version of 1991 cc; later six-cylinders were offered with engines of 2179 cc.

Among the company’s last cars was an ohv straight-8 of 3532 cc. Ansaldos were generally of good quality and modern design, and competed in many races. When Wikov began manufacture in Czechoslovakia in 1928, they built the 1453 cc Ansaldo Tipo 10.

(some text source: Wikipedia)

The Detroit Electric was an early battery-electric automobile first built in 1907 in Detroit, Michigan. It was manufactured by Anderson Electric Car Company, which had evolved from the Anderson Carriage Company (a carriage maker founded in 1884).

Between 1907 and 1939, the company built roughly 13,000 Detroit Electric vehicles. In 1920 the company name was changed to The Detroit Electric Car Company, reflecting its focus on electric automobiles rather than carriages and bodies.

Detroit Electric (1907-1939) was an automobile brand produced by the Anderson Electric Car Company in Detroit Michigan. Anderson had previously been known as the Anderson Carriage Company (untill 1911), producing carriages and buggies since 1884. Production of the electric automobile, powered by a rechargeable lead acid battery, began in 1907. For an additional $600.00 an Edison nickel-steel battery was available from 1911 to 1916.

The electric vehicle was mainly sold to women drivers and physicians who desired the dependable and immediate start without the physically demanding hand cranking of the engine that was required with early internal combustion engine autos. The cars were advertised as reliably getting 80 miles (130 km) between battery recharging, although in one test a Detroit Electric ran 211.3 miles (340.1 km) on a single charge. Top speed was only about 20 miles per hour (32 km/h), but this was considered adequate for driving within city or town limits at the time.

The company production was at its peak in the 1910s selling around 1000 to 2000 cars a year. Towards the end of the decade the Electric was helped by the high price of gasoline during World War I. In 1920 the name of the Anderson company was changed to “The Detroit Electric Car Company” as the car maker separated from the body business (it became part of Murray Body) and the motor/controler business (Elwell-Parker).

As improved internal combustion engine automobiles became more common and inexpensive, sales of the Electric dropped in the 1920s but the company stayed in business producing Detroit Electrics until after the Stock Market crash of 1929. The company filed for bankruptcy, but was acquired and kept in business on a more limited scale for some years building cars in response to special orders. The last Detroit Electric was shipped 2-23-39, but in its final years the cars were manufactured only in very small numbers.

Notable people who owned Detroit Electrics cars included Thomas Edison, Charles Proteus Steinmetz and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. who had a pair of model 46 roadsters. Clara Ford, the wife of Henry Ford, drove Detroit Electrics from 1908 when Henry bought her a model C coupe with a special child seat, through the late teens. Her third car was a 1914 model 47 Brougham.

An electric car is depicted in the Donald Duck comic books as the car of the character Grandma Duck but the car depicted is more likely a Baker or a Rauch & Lang.

(Part of this article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It includes content from this Wikipedia article.)

1916 Detroit Electric Model 57 Brougham.

The company was founded in 1904 in Turin, Italy, by Felice Nazzaro, one of the most celebrated racing drivers of the early 20th century. Turin at the time was Italy’s automotive capital, home to firms like FIAT, Itala, SPA, and Diatto. Nazzaro’s reputation as a fearless and technically astute driver gave the brand instant credibility.

Unlike many manufacturers founded by industrialists, Nazzaro was created by a racing driver for racing-minded automobiles—a philosophy that strongly shaped its products.

Felice Nazzaro (1874–1948) was among the greatest drivers of the pre-WWI era. His victories included the Targa Florio (1907), the French Grand Prix (1907) and multiple wins driving for FIAT, including the legendary 130 HP racer.

Nazzaro produced high-quality touring and sporting cars, typically powered by large-displacement four-cylinder engines. Although smaller than FIAT or Itala, Nazzaro cars were respected in long-distance road races and reliability trials, where durability mattered as much as speed. The brand benefited from Felice Nazzaro’s fame, but it never scaled up to industrial volumes.

By the early 1910s, competition in the Italian automobile industry intensified. Large manufacturers with greater capital began to dominate, and small specialist firms struggled. Production at Nazzaro slowed significantly, and the company ceased automobile manufacturing before World War I, likely around 1915–1916.

The story begins with Giovanni Battista Ceirano, a watchmaker from Cuneo who moved to Turin. Like many early automotive pioneers, Ceirano came from precision crafts rather than heavy industry.

Ceirano founded Ceirano GB & C. in 1898 and built a small car called the Welleyes, designed with help from engineer Aristide Faccioli. The Welleyes was advanced, light, and reliable—exactly what Italy needed at the time.

The Crucial Turning Point: Birth of FIAT (1899)

Ceirano lacked the capital to industrialize production. In 1899, he sold the Welleyes design, the factory and the patents to a group of investors led by Giovanni Agnelli.

This transaction directly led to the founding of FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino).

FIAT’s first car, the Fiat 3½ HP, was essentially a refined Welleyes. Without Ceirano, FIAT would likely not exist in its original form.

The Ceirano Brothers & Multiple Marques (1900–1920s)

After leaving FIAT, Giovanni Battista and his brothers (Matteo, Ernesto, and Giovanni) continued independently, creating a constellation of influential marques:

Major Ceirano-linked brands:

• Fratelli Ceirano (1901)

• STAR (Società Torinese Automobili Rapid)

• SCAT (Società Ceirano Automobili Torino)

• Itala

• SPA

Many became technically innovative and internationally successful, particularly Itala and SPA.

Ceirano N 150.

The N 150 model (currently at Col·lecció d’Automòbils Salvador Claret in Sils, Girona) was the second of its production. It has a 1500 c.c. engine. and four cylinders; however, what characterized him most was that he looked like an exact, small copy of the Lancia Lamba.

Rünge Karosserie was one of the many small but highly skilled German coachbuilders that flourished during the interwar period, when automobiles were still as much crafted objects as industrial products. Active primarily in the 1920s and early 1930s, Rünge operated in Wuppertal, an industrial city whose metalworking and precision trades supported a thriving culture of bespoke manufacture.

At the time, most premium automobiles were sold as rolling chassis—engine, frame, and drivetrain—leaving customers to commission a body that reflected their taste, status, and practical needs. Rünge filled this role quietly and competently, building custom bodies for established German marques such as Mercedes-Benz, Horch, Adler, and others. Their output included stately limousines, elegant cabriolets, and formal touring cars, often tailored for private owners rather than mass markets.

Unlike large firms such as Erdmann & Rossi or Gläser, Rünge remained a regional atelier, favoring craftsmanship over publicity. This modest scale is part of why the company is little known today. Yet surviving cars and period badges—most notably the enamel shield bearing a stylized eagle and the name “RÜNGE”—reveal a workshop that took pride in its work. The eagle emblem, rendered in relief on a soft enamel field, symbolized solidity, precision, and German artisanal tradition rather than corporate ambition.

The decline of Rünge followed the broader fate of independent coachbuilders. By the mid-1930s, manufacturers increasingly offered factory-bodied cars, while economic pressure and later wartime production ended most bespoke bodywork. Rünge disappeared without fanfare, leaving no large archives, only scattered traces: a badge on a grille, a name in a registry, a photograph in a period album.

Today, Rünge survives as a whisper of an era—a reminder that early automobiles were collaborative creations, shaped not only by engineers and brands, but by small workshops whose hands gave machines their human form.

This technology promised quieter, smoother operation than conventional poppet-valve engines.

The company was founded as the Lyons Motor Car Company in Indianapolis, Indiana, around 1908–1909. Founder W. H. Lyons secured rights to manufacture engines under the Charles Yale Knight sleeve-valve patents and to emphasize this advanced technology, the cars were branded Lyons-Knight.

Sleeve-valve engines used sliding sleeves instead of spring-loaded valves. Extremely quiet operation, smooth power delivery and reduced valve noise and vibration were some of the advantages promoted at the time.

While this technology was also used by prestigious marques such as Daimler (UK), Minerva and Panhard, Lyons-Knight positioned itself as a refined, near-luxury American alternative using European-style engineering ideals.

Despite technical merit, the company struggled financially. High manufacturing costs, complexity and maintenance demands of sleeve-valve engines and rapid advances in conventional valve technology resulted in Lyons-Knight ceasing automobile production by around 1911–1912.

Many dealer-placed “Lyons-Knight” ads continued after 1912. These were not factory ads, selling remaining stock and promoting servicing, prestige, or Knight-engine affiliation.

The marque represents a moment when engineering elegance and quietness were seen as the future of motoring—before simplicity and scalability won out.

After core production slowed or stopped, inventory remained and unsold new cars, engines, or rolling chassis could remain in dealer stock for years.

Built in 1899, it became the first automobile ever to exceed 100 km/h (62 mph), proving that electric power was not only viable but dominant at the dawn of the automobile age.

La Jamais Contente was designed and driven by Camille Jenatzy, a Belgian engineer, race driver, and electric-vehicle pioneer. Born in Schaerbeek, Belgium, Jenatzy was the son of a rubber manufacturer and had deep technical knowledge combined with a competitive racing spirit.

At the end of the 19th century, there was intense rivalry between electric, steam, and internal combustion vehicles. Jenatzy was locked in a public speed duel with French electric-car manufacturer Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat, each repeatedly breaking speed records within months of one another.

Unlike conventional carriage-style automobiles of the era, La Jamais Contente was radically futuristic with a streamlined torpedo-shaped body, decades ahead of its time. It was constructed from partinium (an early aluminum alloy) for reduced weight and had Two direct-drive electric motors, each producing about 25 kW (≈68 hp total) and powered by Fulmen batteries. The vehicle was mounted on Michelin pneumatic tires, still experimental at the time.

The driver sat high and exposed, with no windshield, seatbelt, or protection—illustrating how experimental early racing still was.

On April 29, 1899, at Achères near Paris, Jenatzy drove La Jamais Contente to a certified speed of 105.882 km/h (65.79 mph). This made it the first car to surpass 100 km/h, the fastest land vehicle on Earth at the time and an electric vehicle world speed record holder.

1899 La Jamais Contente.

This original example is at Musée National De L’automobile in Mulhouse, France.

1899 La Jamais Contente replica.

The replica is at Autoworld in Brussels, Belgium.

The German Hataz Kleinautofabrik was a short lived company (1920 to 1925). It was a cyclecar without any commercial success that used Steudel proprietary engines.

Liège was one of Europe’s major arms-manufacturing centers, and Nagant quickly became a high-precision weapons manufacturer, supplying firearms to military and government clients.

The “NAGANT LIÈGE” emblem above belongs squarely to the pre-1914 period, when the company proudly emphasized its city of origin.

Nagant’s most famous legacy in this field is the Nagant revolver, adopted by several European armies—most notably Russia, where the 1895 Nagant M1895 revolver became standard issue and remained in service for decades.

This background is important: Nagant entered automobiles not as coachbuilders, but as precision engineers, which strongly influenced the quality and seriousness of their early cars.

Nagant began automobile production around 1899–1900, initially building cars under license from Rochet-Schneider of France. By 1903–1904, Nagant was producing its own designs, no longer licensed.

Between 1904 and World War I, Nagant became Belgium’s most important automobile manufacturer. They produced Touring cars, Luxury vehicles and Competition and racing cars. Nagant cars were not flamboyant, but they were respected and feared for their durability—a reputation inherited directly from their arms-manufacturing culture.

1910 Nagant Type 7000-J.

In the pioneering years of the automobile, aesthetic considerations played only a minor role.
Engineers dominated early vehicle development, and automobiles were little more than motorized carriages for wealthy clients. Most manufacturers therefore limited production to the chassis and drivetrain, leaving external coachbuilders to construct the bodywork. The continued use of terms such as coachwork and carrosserie reflects this direct lineage from horse-drawn vehicles. Functional design, however, was seldom a priority.

This phaeton (currently at Autoworld in Brussels, Belgium) is distinguished by the inclusion of two folding seats, increasing total seating capacity to seven. The body design is derived from the Roi-des-Belges style, reportedly conceived at the request of King Leopold II. Seeking the comfort of club chairs similar to those in his private salon, the king commissioned the Parisian coachbuilder Rothschild to develop this configuration.

In a traditional Roi-des-Belges body, access to the passenger compartment is provided via a rear door. In this example, however, the coachbuilder D’Ieteren opted for more practical side doors.

In the mid-twenties they sold quite well, offering a better 20hp engine. There were a lot of AGA taxi cabs in Berlin. The last AGA was the AGA-SPEZIAL proudly presented at the International Automobil exhibition in Berlin in 1928 but it was never produced and AGA closed production the same year.

The company’s first two cars, the Type A and the Type B were unoriginal but reliable.

In 1907, one of these was given to the Empress Auguste Viktoria. The next year, AEG got out of the car business, but NAG continued alone, introducing a 15hp called Puck, which later be developed into a model known in Germany as the Darling.

During the recovery after World War I, NAG produced smaller numbers of 2.5-liter C4s. The economic situation was so serious, NAG partnered with Brennabor, Lloyd, and Hansa to form GDA, and proved successful for NAG.

In 1926, Protos was acquired from Siemens-Schuckert and the next year, NAG again expanded by taking over Presto. In 1934, NAG ceased car production.

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1913 NAG Rennsportwagen.

NAG Protos.

Simplex’s production numbers very very low due to their specialized product line, and in 1912, was sold after the death of its founder. It was sold to new owners in 1914 and went on to produce cars under the Crane-Simplex brand until 1917, when it entered war production and stopped making cars.

The name Unimog is an acronym for the German “UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät”, Gerät being the German word for machine or device.

Daimler Benz took over manufacture of the Unimog in 1951 and they are currently built in the Mercedes truck plant in Wörth am Rhein in Germany.

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The company was founded in 1850 as Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft, a wagon and carriage manufacturer, and in 1897 produced the first motor car in central Europe, the Präsident.

In 1919 it changed its name to Tatra after the Tatra mountains. Tatra is the third oldest car maker in the world after Daimler Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot. Production of Tatra cars ceased in 1999 but the company still produces a range of primarily all-wheel-drive 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, 10x10, and 12x12 trucks.

After the World War I Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau was renamed Kopřivnice vozovka, and in 1919 the name Tatra was given to the car range. Leopold Pasching took over control and in 1921 Hans Ledwinka returned again to develop the revolutionary Tatra 11.

The new car, launched in 1923 featured a rigid backbone tube with swinging semi-axles at the rear giving independent suspension. The engine, front mounted, was an air cooled two cylinder unit of 1056 cc. The T11 was replaced in 1926 by the similar T12 which had four wheel brakes. A further development was the 1926 T17 with a 1,930 cc water-cooled six- cylinder engine and fully independent suspension. In 1927 the company was formally renamed Tatra a.s..

Tatra’s specialty was luxury cars of a technically advanced nature, going from aircooled flat-twins to fours and sixes, culminating (briefly) with the OHC 6 litre V12 in 1931. In the 1930s, under Austrian engineer Hans Ledwinka and his son Erich, and protected by a high tariff and absence of foreign assemblers, Tatra then began building advanced, streamlined cars, which started in 1934 with the large Tatra T77, the world’s first production aerodynamic car. The fastback T77’s drag coefficient of 0.212 is rarely bettered even by the sleekest of modern cars. It featured (as did almost all subsequent big Tatras) a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 engine, which was in technical terms very sophisticated for the time.

Ledwinka discussed his ideas with Ferdinand Porsche who used many Tatra design features in the 1938 Kdf-Wagen, later known as the VW Beetle. This is particularly evident when compared with the smaller T97 model which had a rear-mounted, air-cooled, flat-4 engine and rounded body styling. Tatra immediately started legal action, but the matter was not resolved until 1961 when Volkswagen was ordered to pay 3,000,000 Deutsche Marks in damages.

After the 1938 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany, Tatras continued in production, largely because Germans liked the cars. Many German officers met their deaths driving heavy, rear-engined Tatras faster around corners than they could handle. At the time, as an anecdote, Tatra became known as the Czech Secret Weapon for the scores of officers who died behind the wheel; at one point official orders were issued forbidding German officers from driving Tatras.

The factory was nationalised in 1946 when the Communist Party came to power. Although production of prewar models continued, a new model, the Tatra T600 Tatraplan was designed -- the name celebrating the new Communist planned economy. It went into production in 1947. In 1951, the state planning department decided that the Tatraplan should henceforth be built at the Skoda plant in Mladá Boleslav, leaving Tatra free to concentrate on trucks, buses and railway equipment.

A mere three years later, amid much dissatisfaction among officialdom about the poor-quality official cars imported from Russia, Tatra was again given permission to produce a luxury car, the Tatra T603. A fair successor to the prewar cars, it was also driven by a rear-mounted, air-cooled V8 and had the company’s trademark aerodynamic styling. Uniquely, the Tatra T603 featured three headlights, and the first prototypes had a central rear stabilising fin, though this was lost for production. Tatra T603s were built until 1975, a twenty-year era as one of Communism’s finest cars.

In 1968 a replacement was developed; the Tatra T613. It was styled by the Italian styling house of Vignale and was a more modern, less rounded shape. It was not until 1973 that any were actually produced by the factory, and volume production did not begin until the following year.

With orders and production almost at a standstill after the fall of Communism Tatra decided to stop building the T613 in 1996.

Sales were poor, and having in its history produced a total of 90,000 cars, Tatra finally abandoned their manufacture in 1999 to concentrate on trucks.

The United States Terex Corporation acquired the majority ownership (71%) of Tatra in late 2003. As of late 2006, however, majority ownership (80.51%) lies in the hands of Tatra Holdings s.r.o., an international consortium comprising Vectra Limited of U.K., Sam Eyde of the U.S., KBC Private Equity of Belgium, Meadowhill s.r.o. of Czech Republic and Ronald Adams of the U.S.

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1937 Tatra Limousine Type 87

Hans Ledwinka’s talent and imagination had shaped this firm’s development since 1912. He designed a backbone-type chassis and, with this model, he created his spectacular vision of an aerodynamic car.

The V-type 8-cylinder air-cooled engine is mounted at the rear of the car, thereby freeing up an exceptional amount of space for the passenger compartment. This example is currently at Musée National De L’automobile in Mulhouse, France.

1947 Tatra Type 87.

1952 Tatra Trataplan 600.