Big Three ( automobile manufacturers ) - wikipedia Big Three ( automobile manufacturers ) In the automotive industry of the United States of America, the term Big Three refers to the three major American automotive companies : General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler ( FCA US ) ( recently, some sources claim Tesla, Inc. to have taken the spot of FCA US ). Germany 's Big Three are Volkswagen AG, Mercedes - Benz ( Daimler AG ) and BMW. Japan 's Big Three are Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. Contents 1 United States 2 Japan 3 Germany 4 Notes 5 See also United States See also : Automotive industry in the United States General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US are often referred to as the `` Big Three, '' being the largest automakers in the United States. They were for a while the largest in the world and two of them are still a mainstay in the top five. The Big Three are also distinguished not just by their size and geography, but also by their business model. All three have their headquarters in the Detroit area. The majority of their operations are unionized with the United Auto Workers and Canadian Auto Workers. Ford has held the position of second - ranked automaker for the past 56 years, being relegated to third in North American sales after being overtaken by Toyota in 2007. That year, Toyota produced more vehicles than GM although GM still outsold Toyota that year. At that time, GM had 77 consecutive calendar years of top sales. For the first quarter of 2008, Toyota finally overtook GM in sales. In the North American market, the Detroit automakers retained the top three spots, though their market share is dwindling. Honda passed Chrysler for the fourth spot in 2008 US sales. Since then, because of Toyota 's controversy surrounding their recent unintended acceleration recall, Toyota has fallen back to fourth place in sales, with Honda trailing in fifth place, allowing the Detroit Three to reclaim their Big Three title. Union labor can result in higher labor costs than other multinational automakers, including those with plants in North America. The 2005 Harbour Report estimated that Toyota 's lead in labour productivity amounted to a cost advantage of $350 US to $500 US per vehicle over American manufacturers. The UAW agreed to a two - tier wage in recent 2007 negotiations, something which the CAW has so far refused. Delphi, which was spun off from GM in 1999, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after the UAW refused to cut their wages and GM is expected to be liable for a $7 billion shortfall. In order to improve profits, the Detroit automakers made deals with unions to reduce wages while making pension and health care commitments. GM, for instance, at one time picked up the entire cost of funding health insurance premiums of its employees, their survivors and GM retirees, as the US did not have a universal health care system. With most of these plans chronically underfunded in the late 1990s, the companies have tried to provide retirement packages to older workers, and made agreements with the UAW to transfer pension obligations to an independent trust. In 2009, the CBC reported that the non-unionized Japanese automakers, with their younger American workforces and fewer retirees will continue to enjoy a cost advantage over the Big Three. Despite the history of their marques, many long running cars have been discontinued or relegated to fleet sales, as the Big Three shifted away resources from midsize and compact cars to lead the `` SUV Craze ''. Since the late 1990s, over half of their profits have come from Sport utility vehicles, while they often could not break even on compact cars unless the buyer chose options. Ron Harbour, in releasing the Oliver Wyman 's 2008 Harbour Report, stated that many small `` econoboxes '' of the past acted as loss leaders, but were designed to bring customers to the brand in the hopes they would stay loyal and move up to more profitable models. The report estimated that an automaker needed to sell ten small cars to make the same profit as one big vehicle, and that they had to produce small and mid-size cars profitably to succeed, something that the Detroit three had trouble doing. SUV sales peaked in 1999 but have not returned to that level ever since, due to high gas prices. The Big Three have suffered from perceived inferior initial quality and reliability compared to their Japanese counterparts, which has been difficult to overcome. They have also been slow to bring new vehicles to the market, while the Japanese are also considered the leader at producing smaller, fuel - efficient cars. Falling sales and market share have resulted in the Big Three 's plants operating below capacity ( GM 's plants were at 85 % in November 2005, well below the plants of its Asian competitors ), leading to production cuts, plant closures and layoffs. They have been relying heavily on considerable incentives and subsidized leases to sell vehicles. which was crucial to keeping the plants running, which in turn drove a significant portion of the Michigan economy. These promotional strategies, including rebates, employee pricing and 0 % financing, have boosted sales but have also cut into profits. More importantly such promotions drain the automaker 's cash reserves in the near term while in the long run the company suffers the stigma of selling vehicles because of low price instead of technical merit. Automakers have since been trying to scale back on incentives and raise prices, while cutting production. The subprime mortgage crisis and high oil prices in 2008 resulting in the plummeting popularity of best - selling trucks and SUVs, perhaps forcing automakers to continue offering heavy incentives to help clear excess inventory. The Big Three sued California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to prevent a tailpipe emissions requirement. In response, Governor Schwarzenegger told the Big Three to `` get off their butt ''. In 2008, with high oil prices and a declining US economy due to the subprime mortgage crisis, the Big Three are rethinking their strategy, idling or converting light truck plants to make small cars. Due to the declining residual value of their vehicles, Chrysler has stopped offering leases on its vehicles. In 2009, General Motors and Chrysler filed for and emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring in the United States. General Motors of Canada did not file for bankruptcy. The United States and Canadian government control are reported as temporary. On June 10, 2009, Chrysler Group LLC emerged from a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy and was sold to the Italian automaker Fiat. On June 3, 2011, Fiat bought out the remaining U.S. Treasury 's stake in Chrysler for $500 million increasing its ownership of the automaker to 53 %. On January 21, 2014, Fiat bought out the remaining stake in Chrysler Group that it did not already hold from the United Auto Workers ' employee medical benefit retirement trust. Due to the corporate structure of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles which is no longer owned or controlled by US investors, some media sources now list Detroit as having a `` Big Two '' ( GM and Ford ) as opposed to a `` Big Three ''. Some media sources are now including Tesla in the `` Big Three '' because it is the third largest US owned automobile manufacturer with a valuation ( $34.16 B ), much higher than FCA ( $9.05 B ). Japan Main article : Japanese automotive industry Japanese automakers Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, among many others, have long been considered the leaders at producing smaller, fuel - efficient cars. Their vehicles were brought to the forefront, due to the 1973 oil crisis which had a major impact on the auto industry. For instance, the Honda Civic was considered superior to American competitors such as the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto. The Civic is the best - selling car in Canada for 12 years in a row. As well, the Nissan 240Z was introduced at a relatively low price compared to other foreign sports cars of the time ( Jaguar, BMW, Porsche, etc. ), while providing performance, reliability, and good looks. This broadened the image of Japanese car - makers beyond their econobox successes, as well as being credited as a catalyst for the import performance parts industry. Before Honda unveiled Acura in 1986, Japanese automobiles exports were primarily economical in design and largely targeted at low - cost consumers. The Japanese big three created their luxury marques to challenge the established brands. Following Honda 's lead, Toyota launched the Lexus name with the LS 400 which debuted at $38,000 in the U.S. ( in some markets being priced against mid-sized six cylinder Mercedes - Benz and BMW models ), and was rated by Car and Driver magazine as better than both the $63,000 Mercedes - Benz W126 and the $55,000 BMW E32 in terms of ride, handling and performance. It was generally regarded as a major shock to the European marques ; BMW and Mercedes - Benz 's U.S. sales figures dropped 29 % and 19 %, respectively, with the then - BMW chairman Eberhard von Kuenheim accusing Lexus of dumping in that market. Nissan 's Infiniti became a player on the luxury market mostly thanks to its popular Q45. The vehicle included a class - leading ( at the time ) 278 hp ( 207 kW ) V8 engine, four wheel steering, the first active suspension system offered on a motor vehicle, and numerous interior luxury appointments. These made it competitive against the German imports like Audi, BMW and Mercedes - Benz, which by the time of Infiniti 's release had overtaken Cadillac and Lincoln in dominating the luxury segment of the American market. In 1990, four years after the debut of the Legend and Integra, Acura introduced the NSX, a midship V6 powered, rear - wheel - drive sports car. The NSX, an acronym for `` New Sports eXperimental '', was billed as the first Japanese car capable of competing with Ferrari and Porsche. This vehicle served as a halo car for the Acura brand. The NSX was the world 's first all - aluminum production car, and was also marketed and viewed by some as the `` Everyday Supercar '' thanks in part to its ease of use, quality and reliability, traits that were unheard of in the supercar segment at the time. The success of the Japanese automakers contributed to their American counterparts falling into a recession in the late 1970s. Unions and lobbyists in both North America and Europe put pressure on their government to restrict imports. In 1981, Japan agreed to Voluntary Export Restraints in order to preempt protectionism measures that the US may have taken, where it be tariffs or import quotas. Consequently, Japanese companies responded by investing heavily in US production facilities, as they were not subject to the VER. Unlike the plants of domestic automakers, Japanese plants are non-unionized ( save for NUMMI ), so they have lower wage expenses and do not face the risk of strikes. The VER was lifted in 1994 upon agreement of all members of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ( GATT ). Establishing US production facilities was also a significant step in improving public relations, along with philanthropy, lobbying efforts, and sharing technology. Europe has still largely maintained its protectionism policies against Japanese cars, though their varies considerably. Toyota has always been by far Japan 's largest automaker, and it recently overtook perennial world leader GM in both production and sales by early 2008. As the most aggressive of Japan 's companies when it came to expanding into light trucks and luxury vehicles, this proved largely successful. Their high - end brand Lexus became the top - selling luxury marque worldwide in 2000, despite being only started up in 1989. Consequently, Toyota 's stock price has traded at a much higher premium than other automakers. Nissan regained its position on second place, financial difficulties in the late 1990s caused it to lose its place to Honda before. Nissan is Japan 's second largest automaker and ranks sixth in the world, behind Toyota, GM, Volkswagen, Ford, and Hyundai. Suzuki, Mazda, and Mitsubishi are in a distant fourth, fifth, and sixth place compared to the Japanese Big Three. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are all in the BusinessWeek magazine 's The 100 Top Global Brands by dollar value, as ranked by leading brand consultancy Interbrand. The Toyota marque was valued at US $22.67 billion, ranking it ninth among all global brand names - automotive or non-automotive, edging out that of Mercedes - Benz. 2010 end of year production figures from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers shows that Toyota holds the number 1 spot, Nissan number 6, and Honda number 7. Germany Main article : Automobile industry in Germany The German trio Audi, Mercedes - Benz and BMW are often referred to as `` Germany 's Big Three '', although the actual major automobile manufacturers are the Volkswagen Group ( producer of Audi ), Daimler AG ( producer of Mercedes - Benz ), and BMW. Other major German manufacturers are Opel and Ford - Werke, but are not considered as part of this grouping, although they are among the top selling brands in Europe - they are both foreign - owned ( Opel is a subsidiary of Groupe PSA, whilst Ford Werke is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company ), and are largely Germany based and carry out much of their research and development in the nation. Volkswagen Group has long been the largest automaker in Europe. As of 2007 it edged out Ford to rank third in the world after General Motors and Toyota. It is also the parent group of Audi, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Bentley. Daimler AG holds major stakes in other automakers including Mitsubishi Fuso. BMW also produces Mini branded vehicles, and has been the parent company of Rolls - Royce Motor Cars since 1998. BMW, Mercedes - Benz and Audi make up about 80 % of the global luxury market. Notes Jump up ^ Bill Vlasic, Once Upon a Car : The Fall and Resurrection of America 's Big Three Auto Makers -- GM, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler ', William Morrow, ISBN 0 - 06 - 208860 - 2 Jump up ^ Cafariello, Joseph ( 2014 - 10 - 02 ). `` Comparing America 's New Big 3 Automakers ''. Seeking Alpha. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 08. Jump up ^ Speedmonkey. `` Why the German Big Three could become the European Big Five ''. Oppositelock.kinja.com. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 22. Jump up ^ Dvorak, Phred ( 2013 - 11 - 21 ). `` Japan 's Big Three Car Makers Show Different Corporate Styles - Japan Real Time - WSJ ''. Blogs.wsj.com. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 22. Jump up ^ Palmer, Brian ( 2012 - 02 - 29 ). `` Why are all the big American car companies based in Michigan ? ''. Slate.com. Retrieved 2017 - 02 - 22. Jump up ^ Bunkley, Nick ( 2008 - 04 - 24 ). `` G.M. Says Toyota Has Lead in Global Sales Race ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Toyota Claims World 's Best - Selling Automaker Title ''. U.S. News Rankings & Reviews. 2008 - 04 - 24. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Big Three automakers retain U.S. positions ''. MSNBC. 2005 - 01 - 04. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ Ohnsman, Alan ; Mike Ramsey ( 2008 - 09 - 04 ). `` Honda Passes Chrysler as Asia Brands Widen U.S. Share ''. BloomBerg.com. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 26. Jump up ^ `` ' Big Three ' automakers not so big ''. The Age. Melbourne. 2008 - 09 - 04. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 26. ^ Jump up to : Van Praet, Nicolas ( 2008 - 06 - 04 ). `` CAW Girds For War ''. Financial Post. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 28. ^ Jump up to : `` The not - so - Big Three ''. CBC News. CBC. 2008 - 06 - 03. Archived from the original on 2 July 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 08 - 08. Jump up ^ `` CAW says `` no two - tier wages '' in bargaining ``. CanadianDriver. 2008 - 03 - 27. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 28. Jump up ^ Carty, Sharon ( 2007 - 03 - 02 ). `` Delphi files Chapter 11 after union, GM talks break down ''. USA Today. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 28. Jump up ^ Shepardson, David ( 2007 - 04 - 09 ). `` Parting shot : Delphi exec Steve Miller blasts UAW in new book ''. Detroit News. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 28. Jump up ^ Welch, David ( 2005 - 08 - 25 ). `` Bankruptcy Is Delphi 's Trump Card ''. BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 28. Jump up ^ `` German auto union head suggests GM cut US costs ''. Wsws.org. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ `` UAW, General Motors Temporarily Table Health Care Trust Negotiations After Five - Day Deadlock on Issue ''. Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report. Kaisernetwork.org. 20 September 2007. Retrieved 2009 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Storied Ford Taurus reaches end of line ''. Detroit News. 2006 - 10 - 23. Retrieved 2007 - 08 - 14. Jump up ^ Final Ford Taurus interview. ABC News. 2007 - 07 - 26. Jump up ^ `` So long, friend. Ford producing last Taurus next week ''. Autoblog. Retrieved 2007 - 07 - 26. Jump up ^ `` Ford Taurus : Oedipus Wrecks ''. The Truth About Cars. Retrieved 2008 - 04 - 05. Jump up ^ ALISA PRIDDLE. `` Chevrolet Volt and Aveo, Pontiac G3 Among Small Cars That Need Big Profits - Car News / Latest News &amp ; amp ; amp ; amp ; Reviews / Car Shopping / Hot Lists / Reviews / Car and Driver - Car And Driver ''. Caranddriver.com. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ John D. Stoll ; Liz Rappaport & Matthew Dolan ( July 30, 2008 ). `` GM, Ford Scale Back Car Leases as Era Ends - WSJ.com ''. Wsj.com. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ `` The discounting treadmill - BusinessWeek ''. Businessweek.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ Arnold Schwarzenegger at LA Auto Show 60 Minutes Interview Energy Green - YouTube video Jump up ^ Krisher, Tom ( 2008 - 07 - 03 ). `` Why Honda is growing as Detroit falls behind ''. San Francisco Chronicles. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ Isidore, Chris ( 2008 - 06 - 03 ). `` GM : Trucks out, cars in ''. CNN Money. Archived from the original on 25 October 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ White, Jerry ( 2000 - 05 - 27 ). `` GM, Ford idle 1,365 workers -- auto industry layoffs signal coming downturn in US economy ''. World Socialist Website. Archived from the original on 28 September 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ Plummeting Resale Values Lead Chrysler to End Leases. 27 July 2008. Nick Bunkley. 26 July 2008. Jump up ^ `` Court Approves Sale of Chrysler LLC Operations to New Company Formed with Fiat ''. News.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2009 - 06 - 06. Jump up ^ `` Fiat May Increase Chrysler Stake to 51 % Before IPO ''. Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 04. Jump up ^ Higgins, Tim ; Welch, David ( 2011 - 06 - 03 ). `` Fiat Buys some of U.S. 's Chrysler Stake, Right to UAW Shares ''. Business Week. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 04. Jump up ^ Healey, James ( 2014 - 01 - 21 ). `` Done deal : Fiat owns Chrysler ''. USA TODAY. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 08. Jump up ^ Clothier, Mark ( 2014 - 10 - 12 ). `` Fiat Chrysler Moves to NYSE in Challenge to Detroit Two ''. Bloomberg. Jump up ^ Parker, Tim ( 1969 - 12 - 31 ). `` The Sad Story Behind The Rumored Chrysler IPO - General Motors Company ( NYSE : GM ), Ford Motor Company ( NYSE : F ) ''. Benzinga. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 08. Jump up ^ Cafariello, Joseph ( 2014 - 10 - 02 ). `` Comparing America 's New Big 3 Automakers ''. Seeking Alpha. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Lexus LS 400, LS 430 and LS 460 Generations : Setting the Standard in the Most Comfortable Way Possible ''. Edmunds.com. 2003 - 03 - 13. Archived from the original on 1 April 2007. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 08. ^ Jump up to : Detroit, S.C. Gwynne ( 1990 - 09 - 17 ). `` Zen and the Art of Automotive Maintenance ''. Time Magazine. Retrieved 2007 - 04 - 29. Jump up ^ The Legend was built on the Accord platform, and the Integra was built on the Civic platform. Acura History page > timeline Jump up ^ Nicolas Van Praet. `` Caw Girds For War ''. Financialpost.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ `` PERC - The Property and Environment Research Center : Voluntary Export Restraints on Automobiles ''. Perc.org. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ `` Why Toyota Is Afraid Of Being Number One ''. Aol.businessweek.com. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ `` About Press Release Articles ''. Lexus.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. ^ Jump up to : `` World Motor Vehicle Production : World Ranking of Manufacturers Year 2010 '' ( PDF ). OICA. Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Toyota Named World 's Top Automotive Brand - AutoWeb News ''. Autoweb.com.au. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. Jump up ^ `` BusinessWeek Reports Interbrand 's Annual Ranking of the 100 Top Global Brands in August 2nd Issue. Most Successful Companies on This Year 's List Are Building Communities Around Their ' Cult Brands ' ''. Prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2009. Retrieved 2008 - 11 - 01. ^ Jump up to : `` Global Luxury Car Market Report 2017 - Research and Markets ''. Retrieved 2017 - 10 - 17. See also Automotive industry Effects of the 2008 - 2009 automotive industry crisis on the United States FCA US LLC Marques Current Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat Automobiles ( USA ) Defunct AMC ( 1966 -- 1988 ) Commer ( 1905 -- 1979 ) Barreiros ( 1959 -- 1978 ) DeSoto ( 1928 -- 1961 ) Eagle ( 1988 -- 1998 ) Fargo ( 1920 -- 1972 ) Hillman ( 1907 -- 1976 ) Humber ( 1898 -- 1975 ) Imperial ( 1955 -- 1975, 1981 -- 1983 ) Karrier ( 1908 -- 1977 ) Plymouth ( 1928 -- 2001 ) Singer ( 1905 -- 1970 ) Simca ( 1934 -- 1977 ) SRT ( 2013 -- 2014 ) Sunbeam ( 1901 -- 1976 ) Valiant ( 1960 -- 1966 ) Divisions and subsidiaries Current Chrysler Australia Chrysler Capital Chrysler Canada Dodge Jeep Mopar Ram Trucks Street & Racing Technology ( SRT ) Road Track ( R / T ) Defunct Chrysler - Plymouth ( 1928 -- 2001 ) American Motors Corporation ( 1954 -- 88 ) Chrysler Australia ( 1951 -- 81 ) Chrysler Europe ( 1967 -- 81 ) Chrysler UK ( 1970 -- 81 ) Envi ( 2007 -- 09 ) Former Eurostar Automobilwerk Global Electric Motorcars Chrysler First Financial Services Corporation Joint ventures and alliances Current United States Council for Automotive Research Defunct Diamond - Star Motors DaimlerChrysler -- Mitsubishi alliance Global Engine Alliance People Walter Chrysler Lee Iacocca Bob Lutz C. Robert Kidder Thomas W. LaSorda Sergio Marchionne Louis Rhodes Places Chrysler Building Chrysler Headquarters and Technology Center Factories Proving grounds Products Engines ( Hemi, Pentastar, WGE ) Platforms Transmissions Vehicles Other Big Three Cerberus Capital Management Chrysler Classic Racing Daimler - Chrysler ( 1998 -- 2007 ) History ( Chapter 11 reorganization ) Parent Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Category Ford Motor Company Marques Current Ford Lincoln Troller Discontinued Continental Edsel Mercury Merkur Meteor Monarch FPV Former Aston Martin Daimler Jaguar Lagonda Land Rover Th ! nk Volvo Divisions and subsidiaries Current Automotive Components Holdings Chariot Ford of Argentina Ford Brasil ( Troller ) Ford of Canada Ford of Europe ( Ford of Britain, Ford Germany, Ford Romania ) Ford India Ford Motor Company of New Zealand Ford Motor Company Philippines Ford Motor Credit Company Ford Performance ( Ford Team RS ) Motorcraft Special Vehicle Team Discontinued Ford of Australia ( FPV ) Ford of Russia Ford SAF Lincoln - Mercury Premier Automotive Group Special Vehicle Operations Former Aston Martin Lagonda Cosworth Ford Aerospace Hertz Corporation Jaguar Cars Kwik - Fit Land Rover New Holland Agriculture Visteon Volvo Car Corporation Joint ventures and shareholdings Current Aston Martin Lagonda ( 8 % ) AutoAlliance International ( 50 % ) AutoAlliance Thailand Changan Ford Mazda ( 35 % ) Ford Lio Ho Ford Otosan ( 41 % ) Ford Sollers ( 50 % ) Ford Vietnam ( 60 % ) Getrag Ford Transmissions ( 50 % ) Jiangling Motors ( 49 % ) Defunct Autolatina Ford Union Matford Mazda Samcor Facilities and products Engines Factories Platforms Proving grounds Transmissions Vehicles People Designers Ford Family Henry Ford ( Founder ) William Clay Ford Jr. ( Executive Chairman ) Jim Hackett ( CEO ) List of CEOs Other Big Three Dodge v. Ford Motor Co. Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Co. Fordlândia The Ford Show History Kinetic Design New Edge Pay on production United States Council for Automotive Research Founded : June 16, 1903 Headquarters : Dearborn, Michigan Commons Automotive marques of General Motors Wholly owned Current Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GMC Holden Discontinued Acadian ( 1962 -- 1971 ) Alpheon ( 2010 - 2015 ) Asüna ( 1992 -- 1995 ) Beaumont ( 1966 -- 1969 ) Bedford ( 1930 -- 1986 ) Cartercar ( 1905 -- 1915 ) Daewoo ( 1982 -- 2011 ) Elmore ( 1893 -- 1912 ) Envoy ( 1959 -- 1970 ) GM Diesel ( 1938 - 2000 ) Geo ( 1989 -- 1997 ) Hummer ( 1992 -- 2010 ) LaSalle ( 1927 -- 1940 ) Marquette ( 1929 -- 1930 ) McLaughlin ( 1918 -- 1942 ) Oakland ( 1907 -- 1931 ) Oldsmobile ( 1897 -- 2004 ) Passport ( 1988 -- 1991 ) Pontiac ( 1926 -- 2010 ) Ranger ( 1968 -- 1976 ) Rainier ( 1905 -- 1911 ) Saturn ( 1985 -- 2010 ) Scripps - Booth ( 1913 -- 1923 ) Sheridan ( 1920 -- 1921 ) Statesman ( 1971 -- 1984 ) Viking ( 1929 -- 1931 ) Yellow Coach ( 1925 -- 1943 ) Former Lotus ( 1986 -- 1993 ) Saab ( 1989 -- 2010 ) Opel ( 1929 -- 2017 ) Vauxhall ( 1925 -- 2017 ) Shareholdings and joint ventures Current Baojun Jie Fang ( 50 % ) Ravon ( 25 % ) Wuling Former Fiat ( 2000 -- 2005 ; up to 20 % ) Isuzu Motors ( c. 1971 -- 2006 ; up to 49 % ) Subaru ( c. 1999 -- 2006 ; 20 % ) Suzuki ( 1985 -- 2008 ; up to 15 % ) PSA Peugeot Citroën ( 2012 - 2013 ; up to 7 % ) UzDaewoo ( 1992 - 2015 ; up to 50 % ) Marques of SAIC - GM - Wuling ( GM up to 44 % ) Category Automotive industry in the United States Automotive industry Economy of the United States Transportation in the United States American vehicle manufacturers ( list ) AGCO Challenger Tractor Massey Ferguson AM General American Expedition Vehicles American Growler Amp Electric Vehicles Anteros Coachworks Arcimoto Armour Group, Inc. ATK motorcycles Aurica Motors Autocar Blue Bird Boulder Electric Vehicle Brammo Brunton Stalker Caterpillar FCA US Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram CNH Industrial Case CE Case IH Commuter Cars Cushman Cycle - Scoot DeLorean Chenowth Racing Products Eagle Bus Environmental Performance Vehicles Equus Elio Motors Faraday Future Fisker Inc. Ford Lincoln SVT General Dynamics Land Systems General Motors Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GMC Gillig Glaval Bus GreenTech Harley - Davidson HDT Global Hennessey HME John Deere Karma Automotive Legacy Local Motors Lockheed Martin Lingenfelter Lenco Industries Mack Trucks Millennium Luxury Coaches Morgan Olson Mosler Automotive MotoCzysz Motor Coach Industries Myers Motors Navistar International IC Bus International Nissan Commercial Vehicles North American Bus Industries Oka Oshkosh Pierce Paccar Kenworth Peterbilt Panoz Phoenix Motorcars Polaris Industries Global Electric Motorcars Indian Victory REV Group Champion Bus Collins ElDorado National E-One Fleetwood Goshen Coach Holiday Rambler Laymor Wheeled Coach Saleen Shelby American SSC North America Starcraft Bus Superformance Tesla Textron Marine & Land Systems Trans Tech TranStar Racing Ultimaster VIA Motors Visionary Vehicles Wheego Electric Cars ZAP Zimmer Motorcars Foreign vehicle manufacturers with US operations AB Volvo USA BMW US Manufacturing Company BYD Auto America Changan USA Daimler North America Daimler Trucks North America Thomas Freightliner Western Star FAW Group USA Fiat USA FHI America Honda of America Acura Hyundai USA Isuzu America Kia Motors America Mazda America Mitsubishi Motors North America New Flyer Industries ( 1 ) New Flyer NABI Motor Coach Industries Nissan USA Peugeot USA SAIC Motor USA Suzuki America Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Lexus Scion Volkswagen Group of America Wanxiang America Active factories BMW US Manufacturing Company Fiat Chrysler factories Ford factories General Motors factories Honda of America factories Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Mercedes - Benz U.S. International Nissan North America Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. Tesla Factory Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant Components companies Allison BorgWarner Caterpillar Cummins Delphi Detroit Diesel Ingersoll Rand Eaton Firestone Goodyear Nexteer Remy International Timken Torrington Visteon Insurance and finance companies Allstate Ecompass Insurance Esurance Ally Financial Erie Insurance Group Farmers Insurance Group 21st Century Insurance Farmers Insurance GM Financial GMAC Insurance Kemper Direct Progressive Safe Auto State Farm Design studios Calty Design Research Designworks By state Massachusetts Former manufacturers ( 2 ) Coda FMC Defunct vehicle manufacturers Allis - Chalmers American Austin American LaFrance American Motors Hudson Essex Terraplane Nash Rambler Armor Holdings Armored Motor Car Company Auburn Automobile Avanti Motor Corporation Avery BMC Carbon Motors Corporation Checker Motors Corporation Commonwealth Cord Case CNH Global Duesenberg Durant Flint Locomobile Mason Rugby Star Excalibur FCA US Eagle Plymouth Street & Racing Technology ( still used as a trim for dodge vehicles ) Fiberfab Fitch Four Drive Fisker Automotive Fisker Coachbuild Force Protection Ford Continental Edsel Mercury General Motors Cartercar Elmore GM Diesel Geo Hummer LaSalle Marquette McLaughlin Oakland Oldsmobile Pontiac Saturn Scripps - Booth Sheridan Viking Yellow Coach Green Vehicles Grumman Henney International Harvester Jeffery Kaiser - Frazer Allstate Frazer Henry J Kaiser Willys Marathon Motor Works Marmon Roosevelt Marvel Motors Matbro Mercer Monaco Coach Muntz Car Company Oliver Farm Equipment Packard Peerless Motor Company Pierce - Arrow Sebring Vanguard Sterling Trucks Studebaker Erskine Rockne Stutz Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation United Defense VL White Wildfire Defunct factories Brampton Assembly ( AMC ) Diamond - Star Motors Fiat Chrysler factories closed Ford factories closed General Motors factories closed NUMMI Packard Automotive Plant Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Related topics AAA Chicago Auto Show Interstate Highway System National Highway Traffic Safety Administration New York International Auto Show North American International Auto Show SAE International ( 1 ) Although New Flyer is Canadian, their Subsidiaries, NABI and Motor Coach Industries, are headquartered in the U.S. ( 2 ) Former meaning the company is no longer in the automotive manufacturing business Category Portal Automotive industry in Germany Automotive industry Economy of Germany Transport in Germany Companies Active vehicle producers BMW BMW i BMW Motorrad Borgward Daimler Mercedes - Benz Setra / EvoBus Smart Maybach Apollo Automobil Krauss - Maffei Rheinmetall RMMV Volkswagen Group Audi MAN RMMV Porsche Volkswagen Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Foreign owned Ford of Europe Ford - Werke Iveco Magirus Opel Hyundai Europe Defunct vehicle producers Auto Union DKW Horch NSU Wanderer Trabant Hansa Goliath North German Automobile and Engine Artega Automobile Fuldamobil Goggomobil Components ATR Behr Bosch Blaupunkt ETAS Group BBS Bühler Motor Continental Dräxlmaier Group Dürr AG Getrag Hella Hermann Peters KSPG Löwe Automobil Mahle Mann + Hummel Petri Schaeffler Voith ZF Friedrichshafen ZF Sachs Motorsport and tuners Abt Sportsline AC Schnitzer Alpina Audi Sport AMG Bitter Brabus BMW M Carlsson G - Power Gemballa Hamann Motorsport Hartge Je Design Koenig Specials Mansory Opel Performance Center PPI Automotive Design Rieger Tuning Ruf Automobile Steinmetz Opel Tuning Services Daimler Financial Services Mercedes - Benz Bank Sixt Related topics ADAC AMI Leipzig ASAM DTM Frankfurt Motor Show German Association of the Automotive Industry Nürburgring Defunct companies and marques above are shown in italics Automotive industry in Japan Automotive industry in Japan Economy of Japan Transport in Japan Companies Vehicle producers ASL Duesen Bayern Subaru Corporation Blitzen Subaru Honda Acura Isuzu Kawasaki Kawasaki Motorcycle & Engine Mazda Amati Autozam Ẽfini Eunos M2 Xedos Mitsubishi Group Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Mitsubishi Motors ( 20 % ) Mitsubishi Fuso ( 10.71 % ) Mitsuoka Nissan Cony Datsun Infiniti Kurogane Ohta Otomo Prince Shatai Tama Suzuki Hope Toyota Daihatsu Scion Lexus Hino WiLL UD Trucks Yamaha Active Factories Toyota Factories Defunct Factories - Components Aisin Seiki Akebono Brake Bridgestone Calsonic Kansei Clarion Denso Fujitsu Ten GS Yuasa Hitachi HKS IHI Corporation Jatco JECS JTEKT Kawasaki Kayaba Industry Mabuchi Motor Mikuni Mitsuba Corporation NGK NHK Spring Nidec Nisshinbo NSK NTN Corporation Sumitomo Riko Sumitomo Rubber Industries Takata Corporation Tokico Toyo Tire & Rubber Company Toyota Boshoku Tsubakimoto Chain Yanmar Yazaki Corporation Yokohama Rubber Company Zexel Motorsport and tuners 5Zigen A'PEXi Autech Blitz Car Make T&E Dome Enkei GReddy HKS Impul JUN Auto Kojima Mazdaspeed Mine 's Mugen Motorsports Nismo Rauh - Welt Begriff Rays Engineering RE Amemiya RS Watanabe SARD Spoon Sports Subaru Tecnica International Tanabe Speed Star Racing Tein Toda Racing Tomei Tommykaira Top Secret TOM 'S Toyota Racing Development Veilside WALD International WedsSport Yashio Factory Services Autobacs Seven Tokyo Trading Yanase Imported Cars Related topics Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association Tokyo Motor Show Tokyo Auto Salon Used vehicle exporting J - NCAP National Highway Expressways Category Portal Note : defunct companies and marques above are shown in italics Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Big_Three_(automobile_manufacturers)&oldid=809410253 '' Categories : Automotive industry Car manufacturers of the United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Polski Русский Svenska Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 8 November 2017, at 22 : 47. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where does ford rank in the auto industry
Answer: second