Whatever the case, the American automotive landscape will miss those brands and their memorable cars.
Since personal vehicles were invented in 1886, the growth of the automobile industry has faced different obstacles and challenges, from rising fuel costs and changes in consumer spending habits to increased volatility in raw materials pricing. Therefore. Every once in a while, some car brand, for one reason or another, will fail.
For nearly 100 years, the big three automobile manufacturers, General Motors, the Ford Motor Company, and the Fiat-Chrysler Corporation have dominated the American automobile industry. However, all three industry giants needed to shut down some of their brands to better survive. General Motors shut down Oldsmobile, Hummer, Saturn, and Pontiac. Ford shut down Mercury, and Fiat Chrysler discontinued Eagle and Plymouth in the early 2000s.
Whatever the case, the American automotive landscape will miss those car brands and their memorable vehicles. Below are 6 defunct American car brands and an explanation as to why they failed.
Mercury was a Ford Motor Company brand that lasted around 70 years before ceasing manufacturing in the final quarter of 2010. Mercury was established to provide Ford consumers with a premium car and serve as a bridge between the less expensive Ford vehicles and the more expensive Lincoln models. The fame and sales of Ford brand automobiles, on the other hand, had left the Mercury brand in a weakened position, and many of its devoted fans preferred to choose Ford models.
Mercury's market share had been stagnant or dropping for decades before it was phased out, and Ford Motor Company decided to focus on the Ford brand and its own luxury automobile division, Lincoln (It is one of America's premier luxury companies). When sales of Lincoln and Mercury dropped in the mid-1940s, the two brands combined.
RELATED: The 10 Best Mercury Classic Cars Ever Made
After an unsuccessful effort to sell the Hummer brand to a Chinese company, General Motors Co. (GM) stated in February 2010 that it would phase out the brand. The Hummer is a civilian version of the Humvee, a famous military vehicle. In 1982, AM General produced the first military Humvee prototypes to the United States Army. Their first manufacturing contract was for $ 1.2 billion. AM General was rumored to be working on a civilian version of the car.
In 1999, GM bought the product from AM General and began manufacturing and marketing it around the globe. Nevertheless, as clients became more concerned about vehicle gas mileage at the conclusion of its life, the Hummer experienced issues. Environmentalists chastised General Motors as consumers demanded more fuel-efficient vehicles.
General Motors launched a series of short teaser movies on January 30, 2020, confirming the resurrection of the Hummer vehicle. The automobile will be branded as the GMC Hummer EV this time, and it will be available in two models: a truck sub-brand and an electric SUV.
It is another brand of General Motors. Pontiac was positioned as a less expensive option to a higher-priced luxury vehicle. With famous models like the GTO and Trans Am, Pontiac became a fast, dynamic, muscular road racer in the late 1950s thanks to pioneering management.
In the 1970s and 1980s, fuel shortages and safety issues hampered the image of this vehicle. As a result of this, the brand suffered a slump and was eventually phased out in 2010.
Despite the fact that Pontiac was previously one of the greatest brands in the United States, the company's leadership was unable to come up with a plan that would enable the firm to survive.
RELATED: Top 7 Classic Pontiac Muscle Cars
Saturn was a privately held, employee-owned firm that functioned separately from GM and had far more independence than the rest of the company. It had a vehicle line that primarily consisted of small and midsize automobiles that, while popular, we're unable to make the company viable.
Saturn's independence was lost due to declining sales and red figures. As a result of the company's limited resources, its models deteriorated in quality. As a last resort, GM launched talks with the Penske Automotive Group dealership chain in 2008, but the negotiations fell down a year later. As a result, there was no choice but to stop producing the Saturn brand in 2010.
Oldsmobile, another GM brand, was formed in 1897 as the Olds Motor Vehicle Company. In 1908, Oldsmobile was acquired by General Motors. The 1940 Hydra-Matic vehicles were the first to include fully automatic gearboxes, which were introduced by Oldsmobile.
Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, it was known for its strong "Rocket V8" motor and great speed. Oldsmobile's Cutlass series, which competed with both Ford and Chevrolet, became the best-selling automobile in the United States in 1976.
Oldsmobile was shut down by General Motors in 2004 due to its poor performance and unprofitability.
RELATED: Top 7 Classic Oldsmobile Muscle Cars
The Plymouth division was established in 1928 as Chrysler's entry-level brand, a position it would happily fulfill during the 1960s with models like as the Belvedere, Fury, and Valiant sedans. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Plymouth added sports vehicles like the Barracuda, Duster, and Road Runner to its lineup.
Plymouth's gas-guzzling automobiles were phased out by the energy crisis of the mid-1970s, and despite the success of the Plymouth Horizon hatchback, Chrysler was on the verge of collapse by the end of that decade. Only one Plymouth model, the compact Neon, survived when the division dissolved in 2001.
RELATED: The 50 Most Popular Car Brands in America
| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Volkswagen |
Germany |
| #2 |  Toyota |
Japan |
| #3 |  Stellantis |
Netherlands |
| #4 |  Mercedes-Benz Group |
Germany |
| #5 |  Ford Motor |
United States |
| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Michelin |
France |
| #2 |  Bridgestone |
Japan |
| #3 |  Continental |
Germany |
| #4 |  Goodyear |
United States |
| #5 |  Sumitomo |
Japan |
