List of Companies on mylifecar.com

Scion

Saleen

Panoz

asdf

Morgan

Lotus

Maserati

Volkswagen

Suzuki

Saturn

Saab

Rolls-Royce

Pontiac

Mercury

Mercedes - Benz

Maybach

Lincoln

1917. The Lincoln Motor Company is founded in Detroit by Henry Leland to build Liberty aircraft engines for the First World War.

1920. The first Lincoln car, the "L" series, is introduced.

1922. The Ford Motor Company acquires Lincoln at the urging of Edsel Ford.

1936. The Lincoln Zephyr, the first successful streamlined car, is introduced.

1940. Zephyr becomes the basis for the original Lincoln Continental - a car Frank Lloyd Wright declared to be the most beautiful in the world.

Lexus

Lamborghini

Kia

Jeep

Isuzu

1937. Tokyo Automobile Industries Co.,Ltd., the predecessor of Isuzu Motors Ltd. was established with capital of one million yen.

1961. Bellel passenger car was put on sale.

1963. Unveiled the Bellett passenger car and the KR compact truck WASP.

1967. Introduced TM 120-ton class truck, a large rear-engine type bus, and the passenger car "Florian."

1968. Launched the passenger car 117 Coupe.

1971. Signed capital agreement with General Motors Corporation (GM).

1974. Unveiled the Gemini, the first automobile produced in cooperation with GM.

1980. Unveiled the WFR Fargo series of wagons and vans.

1981. Unveiled the Piazza passenger car.

1983. Unveiled the Florian Aska passenger car.

Infiniti

Hummer

Ford

Ferrari

Dodge

Chrysler

Renault

Mitsubishi

Hyundai

GMC

Fiat

Citroën

Chevrolet

Buick

Nissan

Porsche

1931. Crowning his career, Ferdinand Porsche opens an office for ‘engineering and consultation on engine and vehicle design’ in Stuttgart on April 25. Created for such renowned manufacturers as Wanderer, Zündapp and NSU are not only entire vehicles, but such trend-setting detail solutions as the Porsche torsion bar suspension.

1933. For Auto Union, Porsche develops a Grand Prix racecar with a 16-cylinder engine in mid-ship configuration. The rear-engine vehicle concept designed for the compact car (Type 32) developed for NSU is ultimately incorporated in the Volkswagen Beetle.

1948. The 356 is the first sports car to bear the Porsche name. ‘No. 1’ is roadcertified in June. Only one month later, the lightweight mid-engine roadster wins its first class victory at the Innsbruck Stadtrennen.

1950. Porsche KG returns to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and commences series production of the Porsche 356.

1951. Porsche KG returns to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and commences series production of the Porsche 356.

1953. The Porsche 550 Spyder debuts at the Paris Auto Show. Driven by an extremely powerful 4-camshaft engine, the light and agile racecar scores countless international triumphs.

1956. Coinciding with the company’s 25th anniversary celebrations, the 10,000th Porsche 356 leaves the factory. At the Targa Florio the Porsche 550 A Spyder for the first time logs an overall victory.

1960. During its very first racing season, the Porsche 718 RS 60 scores overall victories at the Targa Florio and the 12 Hours of Sebring. In Formula 2, Porsche finishes first, second and third in the 150 Miles of Aintree, Great Britain, with the Type 718/2.

1962. In April, the 50,000th Porsche, a 356 B, rolls off the assembly line. In Weissach, the first segment of the new test grounds becomes operational. In Formula 1, the Porsche 804 wins the French Grand Prix.

1964. The Porsche 911 launched in the previous year as the ‘901’ goes into series production. The Porsche 904 Carrera GTS likewise designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche is acclaimed for its exceptional design and outstanding performance.

1965. Presented as the ‘Safety Cabriolet’, the Porsche 911 Targa is introduced and enters series production in 1966.

1967. Following the previous year’s success of the Porsche 906 Carrera 6, the Zuffenhausen factory team scores a triple victory with the Porsche 910 at the Targa Florio.

1968. Porsche achieves its first overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona with the Type 907-8.

1969. At the Frankfurt Auto Show, the mid-engine VW-Porsche 914 sports car makes its debut.

1974. At the Paris Auto Show during the height of the oil crisis, Porsche presents the 911 Turbo – the world’s first production sports car with exhaust turbocharger and pressure regulator.

1981. The Porsche 944 with a 163 hp, 4-cylinder engine rounds out the transaxle model line. In Le Mans an overall victory of the Porsche 936/81 crowns the company’s 50th anniversary.

1985. The high-performance, high-tech Porsche 959 is presented at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Shortly thereafter, it wins the Pharaoh’s Rally. In the following year, the 959 is likewise victorious in the Paris–Dakar Rally.

1993. At the Detroit Motor Show, Porsche displays the study for a roadster with boxer mid-engine named the Boxster. The totally revised 911 Carrera premieres at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

1996. After only 31/2 years development time, production starts on the Porsche Boxster. The 1 millionth Porsche rolls off the Zuffenhausen assembly line on July 15.

Subaru

Mazda

Volvo

Land Rover

Jaguar

Aston Martin

BMW

Acura

After a decade of research and development, Acura's debut in 1986 marked the beginning of a bold and spectacularly successful venture: the creation of an entirely new automobile division, and the first Japanese luxury car brand. Garnering awards from the very start, in 1987 the Acura Legend won Motor Trend's prestigious Import Car of the Year trophy, and the Integra made Car and Driver's Ten Best list the same year. Acura's penchant for building high-performance, innovative, and meticulously crafted vehicles developed into an award-winning line of vehicles that perpetually redefines luxury performance.

Honda

1948. Soichiro Honda incorporates Honda Technical Research Institute and renames it Honda Motor Co., Ltd., capitalized at one million yen.

1963. Honda markets first automobile S500 and lightweight truck T360 in Japan.

1970. Honda exports N600 automobile to U.S.

1979. Honda introduces the 4-door Accord sedan.

1982. Car and Driver magazine names the Honda Accord to its list of the Ten Best Cars for the first time.

1985. The Honda Accord/Vigor series receive the 1985-86 Japan Car of the Year Award.

1990. American Honda becomes first automaker with plans to offer standard driver and passenger airbags in all (Honda and Acura) models by the 1994 model year.

1991. The Honda Civic receives the 1991-92 Japan Car of the Year Award.

1992. Honda of America Mfg. builds its two-millionth automobile in Ohio.

1992. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. produces 20-millionth automobile in Japan.

1993. Honda of America Mfg., Inc. produces its three-millionth car since beginning U.S. operations in 1982.

1993. Honda of Canada Mfg., Inc. in Alliston, Ontario, produces the 500,000th automobile in its history, a Civic Hatchback.

1994. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. surpasses 10 million Honda/Acura automobile sales in the U.S.

1994. American Honda exports its 100,000th U.S.-made vehicle for the year, making the Honda Accord the No. 1 export model from North America in 1994.

1995. Automobile Magazine names the Honda Civic the 1996 Automobile of the Year.

1995. The Honda Civic receives the 1995-96 Japan Car of the Year Award.

1995. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. produces the 10 millionth Honda Civic.

1998. American Honda passes the 1 million mark in annual sales of Honda and Acura cars and light trucks for the first time in company history.

2000. Civic Coupe achieves 5-star ratings for both frontal and side impact tests by NHTSA and a "good" rating for offset barrier crash tests by IIHS.

2001. Fit earns the 2001-2002 Japan Car of the Year Award.

2001. Honda Accord recaptures the best selling car title in the U.S. in 2001.

2002. Japan version of all-new Accord earns the 2002-03 Japan Car of the Year Award - 3rd straight year a Honda model earned the award.

2002. Honda Fit series finishes 2002 as best-selling car in Japan, a first for Honda. Fit also goes on sale in Europe as "Jazz" model.

2003. Worldwide cumulative production of Civic series reaches 15 million units.

2003. Honda's cumulative worldwide production of automobiles reaches 50 million units.

2003. American Honda achieves 20 million cumulative automobile sales in America, as well as 50 million for the total number of Honda products (auto, motorcycle and power equipment) delivered to American customers since the start of operations in September 1959.

2004. All new Legend wins the Japan Car of the Year Award for 2004-2005 and Most Advanced Technology Award.

2005. Honda Civic named 2006 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

2005. Honda Ridgeline truck named 2006 Motor Trend Truck of the Year.

2006. Honda Civic and Ridgeline sweep North American Car and Truck of the Year awards.

2006. 2006 Civic and Ridgeline capture Canadian Car and Truck of the Year Awards from Automotive Journalist Association of Canada (AJAC).

Cadillac

1903. On October 17 the first production Cadillac emerges from the plant in Detroit. A year beforehand, company head Henry Martin Leland had presented his first prototype.

1909. Cadillac becomes part of General Motors.

1910. First employment of a breaker-point ignition system by Cadillac, which makes a major improvement in ignition reliability.

1915. Cadillac builds the first production car with a V8 engine. The 5.1-liter capacity creates 70 hp and enables a top speed of around 100 km/h.

1930. Cadillac builds the first production car with a V16 engine. The 7.4-liter unit creates 160 hp.

1948. Cadillac's Sixty Special model marks the first use of the tail fin in automotive design.

1954. Cadillac is the first carmaker in the world to standard-fit all models with power steering.

1959. The Cadillac Eldorado (6.4-liter capacity, 345 hp) marks the high point of the tail fin era.

1975. Cadillac is the first American manufacturer to employ electronic fuel injection.

1985. Cadillac is the first manufacturer to fit a car with a transverse V8 engine and front-wheel drive - the De Ville.

1998. The Cadillac Seville becomes the first vehicle in the world to feature adaptive seating.

Audi

The new company name, Audiwerke GmbH, became effective on 25 April 1910.

On 26 November 1968, Auto Union invited dealers and the press to attend the presentation of the newly designed Audi 100 at the Ingolstadt City Theatre. This model, developed by technical director Dr. Ludwig Kraus, took Audi into the competitive market segment of the upper mid-size class for the first time. The Audi 100 quickly became a bestseller and formed the basis for a new Audi model series that ensured the future independence of the Audi brand.

In March 1980, a four-wheel drive sports coupé caused a genuine sensation on the Audi stand at the Geneva Motor Show. The Audi quattro was the first high-performance vehicle with four-wheel drive. This drive concept had previously only been used on trucks and off-road vehicles. The permanent four-wheel drive system in the Audi quattro enjoyed worldwide success in motor sport and gradually found its way into the entire Audi model range.

In 1988 AUDI AG ventured into the premium class for the first time with the launch of the Audi V8. This new model was fitted with a 184 kW (250 bhp) 3.6-litre eight-cylinder alloy engine. Technical details included permanent four-wheel drive, four valves per cylinder and a four-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission.

In March 1994, AUDI AG presented its new model in the premium segment, the Audi A8, at the Geneva Motor Show. This was the first production model with all-aluminium body. At the same time a new naming process was introduced for the Audi models. From then on the Audi 80 was known as the A4, the Audi 100 was called the A6. They were followed in 1996 by the Audi A3, the first representative of the compact class. Production of the Audi A2, the first volume-built aluminium car, commenced in June 2000.

Toyota

The 50th anniversary of Toyota in the U.S.

"I believe that people buy Toyota because they find high quality in every aspect of the company," former Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) Executive Vice President Robert B. McCurry once said. Since TMS was first established 50 years ago, its tireless pursuit of quality across all areas of business, including products, design, engineering, production, management and dealerships, has been the key to the company's successful brand-building in the U.S.

The story of TMS began in October 1957, shortly after its first-ever import, the Toyopet Crown, hit U.S. shores. The Toyopet was popular in its homeland and performed well on Japan's narrow, winding streets, but it was unsuited to America's vast highways. As a result, the company began to encounter difficulties in its new market.

So TMS took a good look at the source of its business: people. What was driving their choice in cars? It saw that while Toyota had a good product in the Toyopet, Americans were looking for a nimbler and more powerful vehicle to help them go about their daily business. To be successful in America, Toyota would have to adapt to suit local needs.

Bentley

Destroyed Bentleys the stuff of legend

Among the Bentleys destroyed in yesterday's fire is the oldest surviving Bentley (chassis number 5, engine number 1), a 3-litre car built in September 1921 and used by Bentley as a demonstrator to sell one of the greatest all motoring breeds to the rich and racey.

The other machines undergoing restoration, rebuilding or simply being stored at Excel Engineering - an expert Bentley restoration outfit - date from between 1922 and 1931. Among them is YV9987, a 1927 4 1/2 -litre tourer: its distraught owner had brought it back to Solihull on Sunday for a 500-mile service after a complete restoration.

Vintage Bentleys are not just valuable, but the stuff of motoring legend on and off the track. These are the great Bulldog Drummond breed of green and black Bentleys that won the famous Le Mans 24-hour race five times for Britain, beating contemporary Bugattis and Alfa-Romeos. Ettorre Bugatti, in a famous quip, described the 35-cwt racer as the "world's fastest lorry".

Small wonder Jim Pike and Graham King, joint owners of Excel Engineering, risked severe injury in an ill-fated attempt to save the cars. These were not just any Bentleys, but the real thing: magnificent high-speed machines designed and built by one of the greatest of all British engineers W. O. Bentley (1889-1971) during the all too brief 12-year history of his headline-snatching, yet chronically underfunded manufacturing company.

Bentley Motors went bust during the Great Slump and was snatched up by its British rival Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce began making its own Bentleys in 1933, but the cars were softer, smoother and altogether less sporting than W O's automotive adrenalin pumps.

Rarity, racing pedigree and the sheer quality of the engineering that went into their construction have made vintage Bentleys some of the most valuable and sought after of all cars.

The legendary 4 1/2 -litre supercharged Bentleys are worth about pounds 1m today.

Launched in the teeth of the 1929 slump, this model was priced originally at pounds 1,720.

But Bentley dealers were forced to sell the last 50 cars for as little as pounds 950 as buyers for such luxury machines faced bankruptcy. As late as the early Sixties it was possible to buy one of these 110mph Twenties' supercars for well under pounds 600. Since then, prices have shot into the stratosphere.

Real Bentleys are rare because Bentley Motors went bankrupt because it built cars to a standard way above the ceiling of the company's finances.

Jonathan Glancey
The Independent - London
March 8, 1994