Some car brands, like Ford and Volkswagen, have been around since cars were invented. Others, however, started strong but ended up in the trash heap of defunct companies.

Edsel

An unqualified flop, Edsel was a brand of cars produced by Ford and named after Henry Ford’s son. Despite extensive market research, it turns out the market wanted lower-cost, compact cars, not bigger, more expensive cars. The Edsel brand only lasted for two years, closing for good in November of 1969 at which point, the Edsel brand had lost $350 Million — that works out to about $3.7 Billion dollars in 2025.

AMC

The American Motors Corporation was probably best known for the Hornet, Gremlin and Pacer models, as well as, their acquisition of Jeep in 1970. The company was constructed through many mergers and acquisitions which initially included Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company and sought to compete alongside Ford, GM and Chrysler. AMC's run ended in 1987 when they were purchased by Chrysler. Unfortunately for the defunct automaker, Chrysler was only really interested in AMC's Jeep brand, which is the only part of the company still in existence today.

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Studebaker

A pioneer in electric vehicles, Studebaker moved from producing some of the earliest electric vehicles to gas-powered cars in 1904. They company enjoyed a reputation of quality and reliability during the 1910s and 20s, until the stock market crash in 1929 and the ensuing depression. After failing to fully rebound and a failed merger with Packard, Studebaker began to diversify away from automobiles and into industries like commercial refrigeration, missle and space technology, and home and office appliances.

Packard

Packard was a luxury automaker that operated in the United States from 1899 to 1959. The company is said to have introduced the modern steering wheel, air-conditioned vehicles and the V12 engine. In 1954 Packard acquired Studebaker and became the Studebaker-Packard Corporation with the intention of eventually merging with AMC, but the two companies' CEOs did not see eye-to-eye when it came to the company's vision. The Packard name was finally dropped in 1962.

Saab

Swedish car manufacturer Saab was founded in 1945 and has since earned an almost cult-like following. After 50 years of producing precisely engineered cars and a takeover by General Motors, the Saab brand began to buckle under the high price tags of its luxury offerings. After a failed aquisition by Swedish automaker Koenigsegg, the brand filed for bankrupcy in 2011, then coled for good in 2014.

Duesenberg

Founded in Indianapolis, The Duesenberg Automobile & Motors Company crafted some of the most prestigious and luxurious cars in the world. Many were driven by movie stars, who were able to customize their cars to particular specifications. Actor Gary Cooper’s customized Model J sold for $22 million in 2018.

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Tucker

This short-lived brand made the Tucker 48, which was designed by Preston Tucker and built in Chicago during the 1940s. It was heralded as a safe car with innovative features and modern styling. However, due to negative publicity possibly instigated by the Big Three (General Motors, Ford and Chrysler), only 51 vehicles were made before the company declared bankruptcy and ceased operation in 1949.