How Well Do You Know American Auto Makers?

AUTO

By: J.P. Naomi

5 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Between 1896 and 1930, there were more than 1,800 auto manufacturers in the United States. Only a few survived! Take this quiz now to see how well you know these American auto makers!

Which car is regarded as the first affordable American automobile?

Introduced in 1908, Ford Motor Company's Model T first sold at $850. By 1924, the price had dropped to $290 as production became more efficient.

Advertisement

Which American manufacturer has produced the Lincoln brand since 1922?

The Lincoln Motor Company was founded in Dearborn, Michigan in August 1917. It sold to Ford in 1922 for $8 million.

Advertisement

Which of the following is NOT considered one of America's Big Three in the automotive industry?

Nissan is one of Japan's big three automotive companies.

Advertisement

Which auto maker is thought to have revolutionized the auto industry in America?

Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863 in Greenfield Township, Michigan. He was married to Clara Jane Bryant until his death in 1947.

Advertisement

The crest of this American auto brand is based on a coat of arms...

The Cadillac brand was named after Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded Detroit, Michigan. The crest is based on his coat of arms.

Advertisement

This brand is known as General Motors Truck Company...

Founded on July 22, 1911, GMC has headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. It produces regular cars, commercial vehicles and trucks.

Advertisement

Jeep's first vehicle was built for what purpose?

The Jeep was founded in 1941. Its headquarters are now in Toledo, Ohio.

Advertisement

Ford introduced the wood-paneled station wagon whose style is nicknamed _______ across the auto industry.

Ford introduced the wood-paneled station wagon in 1929. Its last year of this style production was 1951.

Advertisement

Henry Ford is believed to have said said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said ________."

Henry Ford had only one child, Edsel Ford, who died at the age of 49 in 1943.

Advertisement

Which major auto manufacturer now owns the Dodge and Ram brands?

Chrysler was founded by Walter P. Chrysler. Its headquarters are located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

Advertisement

Which of the following brands has the highest volume of sales in the US?

Chevrolet is known as the American "bowtie" brand. It was founded by General Motors in 1911.

Advertisement

Which American auto manufacturer owns the Plymouth and DeSoto brands?

Fiat Chrysler is better-known simply as Chrysler. In 2014, its revenue topped more than $83 billion!

Advertisement

In which year was Tesla, Inc. founded?

Tesla was founded in Delaware on July 1, 2003 as Tesla Motors. It later became Tesla, Inc. and now has its headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

Advertisement

Which American brand makes the fastest production car?

The Chevy Corvette Z06 is the fastest available production car. It takes 2.95 seconds to go from 0 - 60 mph.

Advertisement

Premier Automotive Group was formed by Ford in the 2000s to include several European brands, as well as American brands Lincoln and _______.

Unfortunately, Mercury didn't last too long. In 2011, it ceased production after more than 70 years.

Advertisement

Starting in 1932, which American brand featured a ram head as part of its logo?

Dodge has been in business for more than 117 years!

Advertisement

Horace and John _________ founded a machine shop in the early 1900s and were later memorialized as one of America's leading auto brands.

The Dodge Brothers Company was originally a supplier of parts and assemblies to automakers in the Detroit area. When both brothers died in 1920, their family sold their company to Dillon, Read & Co.

Advertisement

The Plymouth car brand produced by Fiat Chrysler is named after ________.

The Plymouth logo features a rear view of the Mayflower ship that landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. The name was also inspired by Plymouth binder twine.

Advertisement

Which car brand held the top spot in American car sales before Chevrolet and Ford?

Oldsmobile was founded on August 21, 1897, by Ransom Olds. Despite its longtime popularity and success, the company went defunct on April 29, 2004.

Advertisement

Which executive has held leadership roles at both Chrysler and Ford?

Lee Iacocca worked at Ford from 1946 - 1978. He then joined Chrysler and helped turn the company around in the 1980s.

Advertisement

Which American car brand gets its name by slurring the initials G.P. together, also known as General Purpose?

Starting out as a military vehicle, the Jeep was transformed into a regular vehicle for general purpose. It is thought to have gotten its name by putting the initials GP together very quickly.

Advertisement

________ is the truck division that was separated from Dodge after Fiat Chrysler's takeover in 2010.

Dodge Ram pickup trucks were so popular that Chrysler created it as a new brand in 2010.

Advertisement

Which manufacturer is the most successful when it comes to NASCAR titles?

Chevrolet is the most successful in NASCAR, having won 39 titles and the most recorded wins by a manufacturer!

Advertisement

Both Ford and _______ sold a Model A car...

It was because of Henry Martyn Leland that the Model A was sold by both manufacturers. He worked with Henry Ford, and later founded Cadillac.

Advertisement

Who founded Chevrolet in 1911?

William Durant was a co-founder of General Motors, alongside Frederic Smith. Later he not only founded Chevrolet but, also founded Frigidaire in 1916.

Advertisement

When did Ford first offer the porthole top on its Thunderbird?

The porthole top was available on the 1956 and 1957 Ford Thunderbird models. It became an option on the '57.

Advertisement

What was the nickname given to the three core engineers who started the Chrysler Corporation?

Carl Breer, Fred Zeder and Owen Skelton were also known as the Studebaker engineers.

Advertisement

Which American auto manufacturer was the first to install a car radio?

Ford first offered the car radio in 1933 with several radio options by Motorola.

Advertisement

In which year did Chrysler stop production on its historic Slant Six engine in cars?

Following the Slant Six, Chrysler began installing the 239 V6 in 1987. Its first line of vehicles with this new engine was the Dodge Dakota.

Advertisement

Which General Motors vehicle became known for its plastic body panels in the early 1990s?

Plastic body panels were discontinued by Saturn after its 2007 model year.

Advertisement

Which American auto manufacturer currently produces the Acadia?

General Motors began production on the Acadia in 2007. Its predecessor was the GMC Envoy XL.

Advertisement

The _______ Bug was a race car built in 1910 by this manufacturer by the same name.

Buick was founded in 1899 as Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company. It became Buick Motor Company in 1903.

Advertisement

Which type of vehicle is considered to have zero emission?

Fuel-cell cars have no emissions, whereas the other three all release varying degrees of emissions.

Advertisement

Tesla Motors was founded by Martin _________ and Marc Tarpenning in 2003.

Other notable contributors to the founding of Tesla include Elon Musk, JB Straubel, and Ian Wright.

Advertisement

If you sell a car in the United States in the year 2025, get ready because you'll have to meet this fuel economy standard...

In 2011, both carmakers and the federal government agreed on 54.5 mpg as the new standard for fuel economy. It was less than what the government wanted, but will certainly help environmentalists.

Advertisement

Explore More Quizzes

About Autoversed

Welcome to Autoversed: your online auto destination. If you consider a vehicle more than just means of transportation; if you treat your ride with love and care; if, even after years of driving, the feeling of accelerating hard on the open road still gets you revved up – you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you’re a daily commuter looking for a reliable ride, a car enthusiast thinking about your next hot rod, or a parent who needs to get the kids from A to Z, Autoversed has something for you. We’ve got the lowdown on hot exotic rides, pricy luxury vehicles, eco-friendly green machines, rugged off-roaders, and more. Come take a look!