Filed under: Etc.
Forbes goes digging for ten brands you haven't heard of (unless you read Autoblog)
There are more automakers in the world than the members of the Big 3, Big 6 and Exotic 8. There are cottage automakers, niche builders and boutique brands hiding in the world's every nook and cranny. Forbes recently compiled a list of the Top Ten Auto Brands You've Never Heard Of. Clearly Forbes and Autoblog do not share the same audience of readers, as you should be well aware of more than half the companies on the list if you read this site. There were a few that caught us by surprise, like Automotive Industries, an Israeli-based manufacturer that mainly produces military vehicles, and ZIL, a Russian limousine builder that supplied Stalin with wheels. We swear the LeBlanc Mirabeau has been seen on Autoblog before, but a search revealed no trace, and Autoblog Chinese has thoroughly covered Asian brands like Hongqi. (Click on a linked automaker in the list to see Autoblog's coverage of the brand.)
- Koenigsegg
- Tramontana
- Protomotors
- REVA
- Spyker
- Venturi
- Leblanc
- ZIL
- Hongqi
- Automotive Industries
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eric L. 12:23PM (8/14/2006)
Koenigsegg? All Top Gear fans know those cars very well - the only car the Stig ever wiped out with on a timed lap. The Koenigseggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg!!!
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rwdmtparkingonly 12:51PM (8/14/2006)
Every day on my way to work I see hundreds of hongqis, I can't beleive people aren't aware of that brand. (sorry, I tried but I couldn't resist)
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Rocket Punch 1:08PM (8/14/2006)
Venturi is pretty old and very well known. Koenigsegg is relatively new, but its got so much publicity lately I am sure its pretty well know now even in USA.
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Al Eisensteinium 1:10PM (8/14/2006)
Hongqi? Sounds like a racial comment, and I for one am deeply offended.
For those of you who are humor impaired, that meant as a joke.
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epp_b 1:13PM (8/14/2006)
['Koenigseggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg']
Actually, it's:
Koenigseggegeggeigegigigsigsgisgbbggaedabsbggegeggg :D
['Koenigsegg is relatively new, but its got so much publicity lately I am sure its pretty well know now even in USA.']
Well, it does hold the record for the highest ever speeding ticket, which the driver recieved in Texas. Yeehaw!
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PJ 1:23PM (8/14/2006)
Nice to see the Proto Motors mention. If you've never heard of the Spirra, check it out sometime.
rwd, you beat me to the inevitable hongqi joke :-)
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Howard Kerr 1:40PM (8/14/2006)
Protomotors? Sounds like a company that builds cars for movies or auto shows, doesn't it?
And the Leblanc? Considering the stellar acting abilities of the person with the same last name, who would buy a car from that company? I guess you could always tell folks "Leblanc...sort of the same as the guy who used to do the voice of Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck in cartoons".
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Trough 2:29PM (8/14/2006)
lol Hongqi = Honkey = the people who would never buy a chinese car over their F-250, but are fine with buying all of wal-mart's goods, which are all from china nowadays.
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ZipperSeven 2:50PM (8/14/2006)
There's a good article in both the most current evo magazine and Top Gear magazine about the new Koenigsegg. The best part is in evo, they mention how the shoot was delayed because "a certain Mr. Stig" tried to make the car eat a tire on a test lap. They also call the Stig-mandated rear spoiler the 'TG Special.'
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desertkarma 7:47PM (8/14/2006)
Zipper,
If you actually watch the Top Gear Season 8 episodes 1 and 4, you can watch the Stig eat the tire, and the 4 second improvement in lap time between runs with/without the Top Gear spoiler.
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ZipperSeven 8:14AM (8/15/2006)
desertkarma -
Oh yeah...I've got all of seasons 6, 7, & 8 (along with the Winter Olympics Special, which I think is their best work yet) as well as mixed eps from 4 & 5.
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glacia00 2:52PM (8/15/2006)
Never heard of a single one.
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