COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 532111

Passenger Cars Rental

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

18companies1912–1967founding years18still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedSixt AGFoundedSixt AG
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedNissan Motor Co., Ltd.FoundedNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
1933
FoundedIcelandairFoundedIcelandair
1937
FoundedArriva PLCFoundedArriva PLCFoundedVolkswagen AktiengesellschaftFoundedVolkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
1938
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedPHH ArvalFoundedPHH Arval
1953
FoundedArnold Clark Automobiles Ltd.FoundedArnold Clark Automobiles Ltd.
1954
FoundedEnterprise Rent-A-Car CompanyFoundedEnterprise Rent-A-Car Company
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedThe Hertz CorporationFoundedThe Hertz Corporation
1967
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Sixt AG →
Active · founded 1912 · Germany
Sixt AG is Germany's number one car rental company and it continues to expand into all of Europe.
Sixt AG →
Active · founded 1912 · Germany
Sixt AG is Germany's number one car rental company and it continues to expand into all of Europe.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1933 · Japan
Early 1940s:During World War II, the company makes military trucks and engines for airplanes and torpedo boats.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1933 · Japan
Early 1940s:During World War II, the company makes military trucks and engines for airplanes and torpedo boats.
Icelandair →
Active · founded 1937 · Iceland
Icelandair (Fluglei'ir hf.), Iceland's largest publicly traded company, has played off its unique mid-Atlantic location…
Icelandair →
Active · founded 1937 · Iceland
Icelandair (Fluglei'ir hf.), Iceland's largest publicly traded company, has played off its unique mid-Atlantic location…
Arriva PLC →
Active · founded 1938 · United Kingdom
Arriva PLC is one of Europe's leading and fastest-growing publicly traded transportation companies.
Arriva PLC →
Active · founded 1938 · United Kingdom
Arriva PLC is one of Europe's leading and fastest-growing publicly traded transportation companies.
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1938 · Germany
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, a company born in the shadow of Nazism, rose to become the world's third largest…
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft →
Active · founded 1938 · Germany
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, a company born in the shadow of Nazism, rose to become the world's third largest…
PHH Arval →
Active · founded 1953
PHH Arval, formerly PHH Vehicle Management Services, operates as the second-largest fleet management company in the…
PHH Arval →
Active · founded 1953
PHH Arval, formerly PHH Vehicle Management Services, operates as the second-largest fleet management company in the…
Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd. →
Active · founded 1954 · Scotland
In the meantime, Arnold Clark remained solidly at the helm of the company he'd founded nearly 50 years before.
Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd. →
Active · founded 1954 · Scotland
In the meantime, Arnold Clark remained solidly at the helm of the company he'd founded nearly 50 years before.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company →
Active · founded 1957
Early 1970s:A branch manager in Orlando begins offering customers a free ride to the rental office, beginning the…
Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company →
Active · founded 1957
Early 1970s:A branch manager in Orlando begins offering customers a free ride to the rental office, beginning the…
The Hertz Corporation →
Active · founded 1967
The Hertz Corporation is the world's largest car rental company, handling more than 30 million rentals worldwide with…
The Hertz Corporation →
Active · founded 1967
The Hertz Corporation is the world's largest car rental company, handling more than 30 million rentals worldwide with…
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