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The ‡ 
 esigns, evelops, manufactures, markets, an sells the
worl s motor vehicles. In 2009, more than 60 million motor vehicles,
incluing cars an commercial vehicles were prouce worlwie.

In 2007, a total of 79.9 million new automobiles were sol worlwie: 22.9
million in Europe, 21.4 million in Asia-Pacific, 19.4 million in USA an Canaa,
4.4 million in Latin America, 2.4 million in the Mile East an 1.4 million
in Africa. The markets in North America an apan were stagnant, while those
in South America an other parts of Asia grew strongly. Of the major
markets, China, Russia, Brazil an Inia saw the most rapi growth.

About 250 million vehicles are in use in the Unite States. Aroun the worl,
there were about 806 million cars an light trucks on the roa in 2007; they
burn over 260 billion gallons of gasoline an iesel fuel yearly. The numbers are
increasing rapily, especially in China. In the opinion of some, urban transport
systems base aroun the car have prove unsustainable, consuming excessive
energy, affecting the health of populations, an elivering a eclining level of
service espite increasing investments.
 
The first practical automobile with a Petrol engine was built by Karl
Benz in 1885 in Mannheim, Germany. Benz was grante a patent for his
automobile on 29 anuary 1886, an began the first prouction of automobiles
in 1888, after Bertha Benz, his wife, ha prove with the first long-istance trip
in August 1888 - from Mannheim to Pforzheim an back - that the horseless
coach was absolutely suitable for aily use. Since 2008 a Bertha Benz Memorial
Route commemorates this event.

Soon after, Gottlieb Daimler an ilhelm Maybach in Stuttgart in 1889


esigne a vehicle from scratch to be an automobile, rather than a horse-
rawn carriage fitte with an engine. They also are usually creite as
inventors of the first motorcycle in 1886, but Italy s Enrico Bernari, of
the University of Paua, in 1882, patente a 0.024 horsepower (17.9 
122 cc (7.4 cu in one-cyliner petrol motor, fitting it into his son s tricycle,
making it at least a caniate for the first automobile, an first
motorcycle;. Bernari enlarge the tricycle in 1892 to carry two aults
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Marque Country of origin Ownership Markets

<  ‡    ‡ ( apan

Global, except North


Daihatsu Subsiiary
America an Australia

Asia Pacific, North


Hino Subsiiary America an South
America

Lexus Division Global

Scion Division North America

Toyota Division Global


„  ‡ 
‡ ( Unite States

North America, Mile


Buick Division
East, East Asia

Global, except South


Caillac Division America, South Asia,
South East Asia, Pacific

Global, except Australia,


Chevrolet Division New Zealan, South
Korea

Daewoo Subsiiary South Korea


North America, Mile
GMC Division
East

Holen Subsiiary Australia, New Zealan

Europe (except UK,


Opel Subsiiary
Russia, South Africa, Asia

Vauxhall Subsiiary Unite Kingom


î 
‡   ( Germany
Aui Subsiiary Global
Bentley Subsiiary Global
Bugatti Subsiiary Global
Lamborghini Subsiiary Global
Porsche Subsiiary Global
Scania Subsiiary Global

Europe, South America,


SEAT Subsiiary North Africa, Mile
East

Global, except North


Škoa Subsiiary America an South
Africa

Volkswagen Subsiiary Global

Volkswagen Commercial
Subsiiary Global
Vehicles
S    ‡ ( Unite States
or Division Global
North America,
Lincoln Division Mile East, South
Korea
North America,
Mercury Division
Mile East
South America an
Troller Subsiiary
Africa

  ‡  ‡ ( apan


North America,
Acura Division
East Asia, Russia
Hona Division Global

 

‡  ‡ ( apan


Global, except
Infiniti Division South America an
Africa
Nissan Division Global
à      ( rance
Global, except
Citroën Subsiiary North America,
South Asia
Global, except
Peugeot Subsiiary North America,
South Asia

  ‡  ‡ ( South Korea


Hyunai Division Global

      ‡ ( apan


Inia, Mile East,
Maruti Suzuki Subsiiary
South America
Suzuki Division Global
< ‡   ( Italy

Global, except North


Abarth Subsiiary
America

Alfa Romeo Subsiiary Global

errari Subsiiary Global

Global, except North


iat Subsiiary
America

Global, except North


iat Professional Subsiiary
America

Global, except North


Irisbus Subsiiary
America

Global, except North


Iveco Subsiiary
America

Lancia Subsiiary Europe

Maserati Subsiiary Global


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The ‡ 
  

„
„ < was a part of a global financial
ownturn. The crisis affecte European an Asian automobile manufacturers, but
it was primarily felt in the American automobile manufacturing inustry. The
ownturn also affecte Canaa by virtue of the Automotive Proucts Trae
Agreement.

The automotive inustry was weakene by a substantial increase in the prices


of automotive fuels linke to the 2003-2008 energy crisis which iscourage
purchases of sport utility vehicles (SUVs an pickup trucks which have low fuel
economy. The popularity an relatively high profit margins of these vehicles ha
encourage the American "Big Three" automakers, General Motors, or,
an Chrysler to make them their primary focus. ith fewer fuel-efficient moels
to offer to consumers, sales began to slie. By 2008, the situation ha turne
critical as the creit crunch place pressure on the prices of raw materials.
Car companies from Asia, Europe, North America, an elsewhere have implemente
creative marketing strategies to entice reluctant consumers as most experience
ouble-igit percentage eclines in sales. Major manufacturers, incluing the Big
Three an Toyota offere substantial iscounts across their lineups. The Big Three
face criticism for their lineups, which were seen to be irresponsible in light of rising
fuel prices. North American consumers turne to higher-quality an more fuel-
efficient prouct of apanese an European automakers. However, many of the
vehicles perceive to be foreign were actually "transplants," foreign cars
manufacture or assemble in the Unite States, at lower cost than true imports.


‡
In 2008 the Chinese government reuce automotive taxes in orer to spur flagging
sales. In anuary 2009, Chinese auto-manufacturer Chery reporte unpreceente
monthly sales.(See also Automobile inustry in China.

 ‡
Citing falling prouction numbers, the State Bank of Inia reuce interest rates
on automotive loans in ebruary 2009.
or the first few months of 2009, Tata Motors conucte a wiesprea marketing
campaign heraling the ebut of the Tata Nano. Bille as "the people s car," the
manufacturer hopes the low cost will encourage customers to purchase the
vehicle espite the ongoing creit crisis.
%
 ‡‡
‡ ‡
   ‡
Environmental politics an relate concerns regaring carbon emissions have
heightene sensitivity to gas mileage stanars an environmental protection
worlwie. In a 2007 eition of his book |     
 , Al Gore criticize the
Big Three. "They keep trying to sell large, inefficient gas-guzzlers even though fewer
an fewer people are buying them." or example, apan requires autos to achieve
45 miles per US gallon (5.2 L/100 km; 54 mpg-imp of gasoline an China requires
35 mpg-US (6.7 L/100 km; 42 mpg-imp. The European Union requires 47 mpg-
US (5.0 L/100 km; 56 mpg-imp by 2012. By comparison, U.S. autos are require to
achieve only 25 mpg-US (9.4 L/100 km; 30 mpg-imp presently. Other nations have
aopte stanars that are increasing mpg requirements in the future.
hen California raise its own stanars, the auto companies sue.

The Big Three receive funing for a $25 billion government loan uring October
2008 to help them re-tool their factories to meet new fuel-efficiency stanars of at
least 35 mpg-US(6.7 L/100 km; 42 mpg-imp by 2020.
Automakers coul use these loans to "equip or establish facilities to prouce
͚avance technology vehicles͛ that woul meet certain emissions an fuel
economy stanars
%  

   
In 2008, a series of amaging blows rove the Big Three to the verge of bankruptcy.
Part of the cause was very high labor costs (much higher than the foreign plants in
the U.S.. The Big Three ha in recent years manufacture SUVs an large pickups,
which were much more profitable than smaller, fuel-efficient cars. Manufacturers
mae 15% to 20% profit margin on an SUV, compare to 3% or less on a car. hen
gasoline prices rose above $4 per gallon in 2008, Americans stoppe buying the big
vehicles an Big Three sales an profitability plummete. Robert Samuelson has
avocate a more consistent energy policy, arguing "wil swings between low an
high fuel prices have cripple the U.S. inustry by erratically shifting buyer
preferences -- to an from SUVs.

The annual capacity of the inustry is 17 million cars; sales in 2008 roppe to an
annual rate of only 10 million vehicles mae in the U.S. an Canaa. All the
automakers an their vast supplier network account for 2.3% of the U.S. economic
output, own from 3.1% in 2006 an as much as 5% in the 1990s. Some 20% of the
entire national manufacturing sector is still tie to the automobile inustry. The
transplants can make a profit when sales are at least 12 million; the Big Three
when sales are at least 15 million.

Porsche Automobil Holing SE has a 50.7 percent share in the Volkswagen
Group.However, Volkswagen Group will acquire Porsche AG, the automotive
manufacturer uner a new "Integrate Automotive Group". This
merger/acquisition is expecte to be fully complete in mi-2011.

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