Timeline of motor vehicle brands

This is a chronological index for the start year for motor vehicle brands. For manufacturers that went on to produce many models, it represents the start date of the whole brand; for the others, it usually represents the date of appearance of the main model that was produced.
This also gives an idea of what motor vehicles were appearing on the streets in each country around each date. Moreover, by showing which models were contemporary, it gives a first indication of how individual designers were being influenced by each other, and a flavor of the entrepreneurial spirit and dynamics of the pioneering days of motor vehicle manufacture.
Within each year, and country of origin, the lists are structured according to the type of vehicle first introduced. These include the following types: steam, electric, hybrid electric, internal-combustion, touring car, roadster, tonneau, phaeton, cyclecar, light car, voiturette, runabout, high wheeler, buggy, tricar, motor quadricycle, motor tricycle, motorcycle, coach, bus, fire-engine, truck, tractor, racing car, avant-train.

Veteran era

1852?

Russia. Motorcycle: Alexander Leutner & Co.

1860

Thomas Rickett's steam-powered car was particularly notable in the history of motor vehicle production inasmuch as several examples were made, and it was also advertised.
UK. Steam: Rickett

1861

US. Steam: Ware Steam Wagon

1873

The Bollée family played a significant part in the history of motor vehicle manufacture; the father with his steam car, and one of his sons, in 1895, with an internal-combustion engine design.
France. Steam bus: Amédée Bollée

1880

Netherlands: Spyker: carriages, later internal combustion.

1883

France. Steam: De Dion-Bouton

1884

France. Internal-combustion: Delamare-Deboutteville

1885

Karl Benz's vehicle was the first true automobile, entirely designed as such, rather than simply being a motorized stage coach or horse carriage. This is why he was granted his patent, and is regarded as its inventor. His wife and sons became the first true motorists, in 1889, when they took the car out for the specific task of paying a family visit.
Germany. Internal-combustion: Benz
UK. Internal-combustion: Butler
US. Electric: Armstrong Electric

1887

UK. Motorcycle: New Imperial

1889

The first Daimler car was a converted carriage, but with innovations that are still adopted today.
France. Steam: Peugeot
Germany. Internal-combustion: Daimler
UK. Internal-combustion: Santler
US. Internal-combustion rotary engine: Adams-Farwell

1890

Panhard and Levassor's design of a front-mounted engine established the layout of the majority of cars since then.
France. Internal-combustion: Panhard-Levassor

1891

US. Steam: Black; steam tractor: Avery; internal-combustion: Buckeye gasoline buggy

1893

France. Electric : Jeantaud
Germany. Internal-combustion: MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG
UK. Steam: Straker-Squire
US. Internal-combustion: Elmore, Duryea

1894

France. Internal-combustion: Audibert & Lavirotte, Berliet, Delahaye
UK. Electric: Garrard & Blumfield
US. Electric: Electrobat

1895

France. Internal-combustion: Léon Bollée, Corre, Rochet-Schneider
UK. Internal-combustion: [John Henry John Henry Knight (inventor)|Knight (inventor)|Knight], Lanchester
Austria-Hungary. Internal-combustion: Laurin & Klement
US. Electric: Morris & Salom
US. Internal-combustion: De La Vergne

1896

In the UK, the Locomotives on Highways Act 1896 replaced the hugely restrictive Locomotive Acts of 1861, 1865 and 1878 thereby finally freeing up the automotive industry in the UK. Knight had been convicted under the old act, the previous year, for not having a man precede his vehicle with a red flag, and Walter Arnold was the first person to be convicted, in January 1896, for exceeding the speed limit. Meanwhile, Serpollet was issued with what was effectively the first driving licence.
France. Steam: Gardner-Serpollet; internal-combustion: Clément-Gladiator, Dalifol, Darracq, Lorraine-Dietrich, Triouleyre; voiturette: Dalifol & Thomas, Goujon, Léon Bollée; motorcycle: Clément and Gladiator
Italy. Internal-combustion: Enrico Bernardi
Russia. Internal-combustion: Yakovlev-Frese
UK. Steam: Leyland; internal-combustion: Anglo-French, Arnold, Arrol-Johnston, Atkinson and Philipson; motorcycle: Excelsior, motor tricycle: Ariel
US. Internal-combustion: Altham, Black, Electric & internal-combustion: Brewster, Haynes-Apperson