United States flag

North America

United States Car Brands

American automakers built their identity around scale, horsepower and the open highway. From Detroit's 'Big Three' to a new wave of Silicon Valley electric startups, the United States pairs a century of mass-production heritage with some of the boldest reinvention in the modern industry.

15
Documented brands
Dodge · 1900
Oldest marque
RAM · 2010
Newest marque

Home of the assembly line, the muscle car and the modern EV startup.

Car brands made in the USA

These are the American car brands — marques owned by US-headquartered automakers, from Detroit's legacy manufacturers to the new wave of electric-vehicle makers. This is the answer to "which car brands are made in America".

Most popular car brands in the USA

These marques consistently rank among the top-selling and most popular car brands in America, spanning domestic mass-market leaders, best-selling Japanese and Korean imports and the electric front-runner Tesla. Exact rankings shift year to year.

  1. 1Ford car logoFord
  2. 2Chevrolet car logoChevrolet
  3. 3Toyota car logoToyota
  4. 4Honda car logoHonda
  5. 5Nissan car logoNissan
  6. 6Jeep car logoJeep
  7. 7Hyundai car logoHyundai
  8. 8Kia car logoKia
  9. 9GMC car logoGMC
  10. 10RAM car logoRAM
  11. 11Subaru car logoSubaru
  12. 12Tesla car logoTesla

Foreign car brands sold in the US, by origin

Beyond American marques, the US market is home to dozens of imported and US-assembled brands. Here are the Japanese, Korean, German, British, Italian and Swedish car brands sold in the United States, grouped by their country of origin.

Japan flag

Japanese car brands in the USA

9

Japanese brands are among the best-selling in the US. Suzuki left the US car market in 2012 and is no longer listed here.

South Korea flag

Korean car brands in the USA

3

All three Korean marques are sold in the US, with Genesis serving as the group's dedicated luxury division.

Germany flag

German car brands in the USA

6

German brands anchor the US premium and performance segments. Opel and Smart are not currently sold in the US.

United Kingdom flag

British car brands in the USA

8

British marques compete mainly in the luxury and sports-car segments of the US market.

Italy flag

Italian car brands in the USA

5

Italian brands range from Fiat's compact cars to the supercars of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Sweden flag

Swedish car brands in the USA

2

Volvo and its electric-performance spin-off Polestar are both sold in the US.

China flag

Chinese car brands in the USA

As of the current model year, no mainstream Chinese-brand passenger car is officially sold new in the United States — steep import tariffs and regulatory hurdles have kept brands such as BYD, Chery and Geely out of the retail market. Notably, Chinese group Geely owns Sweden's Volvo and Polestar, which ARE sold in the US, and BYD supplies electric buses and commercial vehicles. Chinese electric car brands are widely expected to seek US entry as those barriers evolve.

Frequently asked questions

How many American car brands are there?
This registry documents the major active and historic marques originating in the United States. The count reflects nameplates with their own logo and brand identity, from Detroit's legacy manufacturers to contemporary electric-vehicle makers.
What are the 'Big Three' American car brands?
The 'Big Three' refers to General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) — the three largest U.S.-based automakers. Their portfolios include household names such as Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Jeep and Dodge.
Which is the oldest American car brand?
Buick and Cadillac are among the oldest surviving American marques, both tracing their roots to the earliest years of the 20th century, when Detroit emerged as the centre of the automotive world.
Which car brands are made in America?
American-owned brands built by US-headquartered manufacturers include Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Lincoln, plus the newer electric makers Tesla, Rivian and Lucid. Note that 'made in America' can also refer to assembly location — many foreign brands build cars in US factories too.
What are the top-selling car brands in the USA?
The most popular car brands in the US consistently include Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Jeep, Hyundai, Kia, GMC, Ram, Subaru and Tesla. The exact ranking shifts year to year, but this group dominates the top of the sales charts.
What Japanese and Korean car brands are sold in the USA?
Japanese brands sold in the US include Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, Subaru, Mitsubishi and the luxury divisions Lexus, Acura and Infiniti. Korean brands are Hyundai, Kia and the premium marque Genesis.
Are there Chinese car brands sold in the USA?
No mainstream Chinese-brand passenger car is officially sold new in the US yet, largely due to import tariffs and regulations. However, Chinese group Geely owns Volvo and Polestar, which are sold in the US, and Chinese electric-vehicle makers are widely expected to pursue US entry in the future.
What is the difference between car brands made in and sold in the USA?
Brands 'made in' the USA are American companies such as Ford, Tesla and Jeep. Brands 'sold in' the USA include those American marques plus dozens of imported and US-assembled foreign brands — Japanese, Korean, German, British, Italian and Swedish among them.

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