The automotive industry is an ever-changing industry, with more than 40 automotive brands on the market, but do you know that they are controlled by only a few? Fourteen major car companies possess a combination of 62 brands, selling upwards of 17 million cars and trucks sold each year.

The industry is very consolidated, leaving only a few companies, such as Tesla, Mazda, Subaru, McLaren, etc., as a limited group of companies, not a conglomerate. Outside of the US, more brands than those named below sell some of the top cars, including everything from tiny cars to exotics.

In an article on the Visual Capitalist, the author states, “Each dollar you spend is a vote, so make sure it goes to a company and product that you believe in.” it’s like an illusion of choice. Where do you fit into this category? Does knowing these skew your thoughts on brands and cars you would purchase in the future? How do you think that these companies compare to their sister companies? These are some questions that instantly came to my mind when researching this.

Will you be swayed to continue to purchase from these more prominent companies or stay with a company like Subaru, Mazda or enter the world of electric with a Tesla?

Reference below is a diagram from Business Insider that explicitly shows us the top conglomerates. Ford, PSA, Tata, Daimer, Volkswagon, Honda, Toyota, GM, BMW Group, Nissa, FCA, Geely, Renault, and Hyundai are fourteen leading companies controlling the combined 62 brands.