Invented in 1885 by German engineer Carl Benz, the automobile has truly taken the world by storm. There is almost no other invention that has influenced humanity so fast in such a short time. Most importantly, it has completely revolutionized transportation, making it easier and faster to travel both short as well as long distances.
Cars nowadays belong to the biggest industries in the world, selling millions of units every year and generating revenues of billions opon billions of Dollars. There are now actually more cars in the world than humans. Cars are today available in different sizes, for different priorities and in different price ranges from relatively cheap cars, to middle class to very expensive luxury cars. Some car models even manage to remain popular best-sellers over several decades. It is therefore only logical that the biggest car companies in the world also belong to the biggest companies in the world in general.
The following ranking lists the top 10 biggest car companies by generated revenues, based on the most up-to-date numbers. You probably heard of all of those companies, but may be surprised by the order they appear in this ranking.
Note: This ranking of the Top 10 Biggest Car Companies considers the biggest car manufacturers as whole. This means that the generated revenue by single car brands that belong to one of the biggest car companies will be counted as additional revenue for the parent company to which the respective car brand belongs.
The 10 Biggest Car Companies in the World 2022
1. Volkswagen
Volkswagen AG
Revenue: $263.6 billion
Year of Foundation: 1937
Based in: Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
Cars produced last year: ~ 8.9 million
Number of employees (worldwide): ~ 307,000
Owned Car Brands: VW, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, SEAT, Skoda, MAN
2. Toyota
Toyota Motor Corporation
Revenue: $258.7 billion
Year of Foundation: 1937
Based in: Toyota, Aichi, Japan
Cars produced last year: ~ 9.5 million
Number of employees (worldwide): ~ 366,000
Owned Car Brands: Toyota, Lexus, Ranz, Daihatsu, Hino
3. Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz AG
Revenue: $182.5 billion
Year of Foundation: 1926
Based in: Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Cars produced last year: ~ 2.8 million
Number of employees: ~ 288,000
Owned Car Brands: Mercedes-Benz, Smart
4. Ford
5. Honda
6. General Motors
7. BMW
8. SAIC
9. Stellantis
10. Hyundai
The 10 Biggest Car Companies in the World 2022
(at a glance)
(as of February 2022, by most recent revenue numbers in U.S. Dollars)
| Top 10 Biggest Car Companies in the World: |
|---|
| 1. VOLKSWAGEN Revenue: $263.6 billion |
| 2. TOYOTA Revenue: $258.7 billion |
| 3. DAIMLER Revenue: $182.5 billion |
| 4. FORD Revenue: $127.1 billion |
| 5. HONDA Revenue: $125.2 billion |
| 6. GENERAL MOTORS Revenue: $122.5 billion |
| 7. BMW Revenue: $117.1 billion |
| 8. SAIC Revenue: $107.6 billion |
| 9. STELLANTIS Revenue: $104.8 billion |
| 10. HYUNDAI Revenue: $93.2 billion |
The 10 Biggest Car Companies in the world based on most recent revenues generated by worldwide sales, in U.S. Dollars.