Take a look at once famous, now defunct automobile brands - Daewoo Motors: 1983 - 2002 | ET Autolytics

Take a look at once famous, now defunct automobile brands

One of the top selling American automobile brands, it was referred as the low priced brand in the market, thus giving tough competition to Chevrolet and Ford.

What set it apart from its competitors was it offered standard features like internal expanding hydraulic brakes.

Photo: 1999-2001 Plymouth Prowler

The company which use to make one of the best cars of its time came to an end, after 79 years of operation, because market for expensive luxury cars was cut by the depression. Duesenberg cars were built entirely by hand.

Photo: 1923 Duesenberg model

This Mysore based company sold licensed Jawa and CZ motorcycles under the brand Jawa and later Yezdi. Yezdi's were preferred rally bikes in the 80s and 90s.

Picture: Yezdi 250 Oilking C Type

We all have heard about Allwyn refrigerators and Allwyn watches, but the company use to manufacture trucks, scooters and bus coach building.

The first double decker buses in Hyderabad, introduced in 1963, were designed by Allwyn. It produced scooters under the brand name 'Allwyn Pushpak'.

The company also built Indian Army's medium capacity - Shaktiman Trucks.

Picture: Shaktiman Tipper

This short lived company manufactured the world's first production plug-in hybrid electric vehicles - the Fisker Karma. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the investors of the company.

Photo: Fisker Karma

This Chennai based automaker used to make variations of vehicles made in the UK by Standard-Triumph. Its first product was the Vanguard.

Picture: Standard Herald

This Coimbatore based company, once upon a time was the country's largest manufacturer of mopeds. Its first model was the Motobécane Mobylette sold under the name Suvega Super 50.

Photo: Motobécane Mobylette

API, founded in 1949 at Bombay (now Mumbai), use to manufacture the famous Lambretta scooters and auto components like clutch and braking systems.

It was the first Indian scooter manufacturer. Apart from this, the company made auto rickshaws, which are still sold in parts of Western Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Photo: Lambretta 48

Now, Renault is doing wonders in PV segment. But there was a time when the company use to manufacture trucks, buses, and military vehicles.

Photo: Renault Midliner

This South Korean automotive company made cars with names like Romeo, Juliet. Daewoo's best known car was Matiz, which came to India also.

Photo: Daewoo Matiz

Willys was best known for design and production of military Jeeps and civilian versions during the 20th century.

From 1912 to 1918, Willys was the second-largest producer of automobiles in the United States after Ford Motor Company.

Photo: Willys Six 4-Door Sedan 1931

Hummer brand of trucks and SUVs, which first started as a company to provide vehicles to military, went on to produce civilian versions of the same after General Motors bought it. It was dissolved as a result of GM's bankruptcy in 2009.

Photo: 2007 Hummer H3

Another company to face the heat of GM's bankruptcy in 2009 was Pontiac. It was established as a companion make for Chevrolet. It was more popular in Canada as a low priced vehicle.

Photo: 1936 Pontiac Master Six Coupe

This Swedish manufacturer has a lot of firsts with it in the automobile industry.

It is the first volume maker to offer diagonally split dual brake circuits, world's first to introduce headlamp wipers and washers, first manufacturer to produce a turbo engine with wastegate to control boost, and many more.

Saab is the exclusive automobile royal warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden.

Photo: 1955 Saab 92

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