26 Car Brands That Start With S (Origins, Owners & History)

Car brands that start with S include two aircraft manufacturers that moved into cars, a wagon builder founded in 1852, and one of the great cautionary tales in the industry. Subaru, Suzuki, Škoda, SEAT, Smart and SAIC cover the current names — alongside Saab, Saturn, Studebaker and Shelby.

This guide covers 26 car brands beginning with S, with country of origin, founding year, current ownership and what each is known for.

Car Brands Starting With S: Complete List

Current Manufacturers

Subaru

The car division of Fuji Heavy Industries, itself descended from the Nakajima Aircraft Company. Subaru is unusual for building almost its entire range around two features: a horizontally opposed boxer engine, which sits low and improves the centre of gravity, and symmetrical all-wheel drive. The Impreza WRX built its reputation through three consecutive World Rally Championship manufacturers’ titles in the mid-1990s. The name is Japanese for the Pleiades star cluster, which is what the badge depicts.

Suzuki

Founded in 1909 building weaving looms, and now one of the largest small-car manufacturers in the world — dominant in kei cars in Japan and, through Maruti Suzuki, holding roughly 40% of the Indian market. Suzuki withdrew from the United States in 2012, which is why it is comparatively unfamiliar to American readers despite its global scale. It also builds motorcycles and outboard motors.

Škoda

One of the oldest car companies in the world, tracing to Laurin & Klement in 1895, which merged with the Škoda industrial works in 1925. Under communism its reputation in the West collapsed into a punchline. Volkswagen acquired it after 1991 and the turnaround has been comprehensive — Škoda now builds VW-platform cars positioned on practicality and value, and its reliability rankings routinely beat the parent brand.

SEAT

Founded in 1950 as a Spanish state enterprise building Fiats under licence, and for decades effectively Spain’s national carmaker. It joined the Volkswagen Group in 1986. SEAT spun its performance models out as Cupra in 2018, and Cupra has since overtaken SEAT in several markets — an unusual case of a sub-brand eclipsing its parent.

SAIC

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, China’s largest automaker by volume and a state-owned enterprise. It operates long-standing joint ventures with Volkswagen and General Motors, and it owns MG, acquired in 2007. SAIC is the vehicle through which a British sports-car badge became one of the fastest-growing brands in European EV sales.

Smart

Conceived as a collaboration between Mercedes and Swatch — the watch company — to build a tiny two-seat city car, launched in 1998. It was engineered around a rigid safety cell that allowed a car under 2.5 metres long to pass crash tests. Smart is now a 50/50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely, with Mercedes handling design and Geely engineering and production. Current models are electric and considerably larger than the original.

SsangYong / KG Mobility

A South Korean maker of SUVs and pickups with a turbulent ownership history — passing through Daewoo, SAIC and Mahindra before entering receivership. It was acquired by the KG Group and renamed KG Mobility in 2023, so the SsangYong name is being retired in most markets.

Specialists and Performance Names

Shelby

Carroll Shelby was a Le Mans-winning driver forced to retire by a heart condition, who then put a Ford V8 into a lightweight British AC chassis to create the Cobra. He was also responsible for the Ford GT40 programme that ended Ferrari’s dominance at Le Mans from 1966, and for the Shelby Mustangs. Few individuals have had that much influence on both American and European motorsport.

Saleen

Founded by racing driver Steve Saleen in 1983, initially modifying Mustangs and later building the S7 — a genuine mid-engined American supercar with a racing version that won its class at Le Mans. It is one of very few tuners to have successfully made the jump to building a complete car of its own design.

Singer

Two entirely separate things share this name. The original Singer was a British manufacturer from 1905 that was absorbed into the Rootes Group. The modern Singer Vehicle Design is an American company that restores and heavily reimagines Porsche 911s to an extraordinary standard, with cars costing many times the value of the donor vehicle.

Spyker

A Dutch name with two lives: the original from 1880 built the first car with permanent four-wheel drive and a six-cylinder engine, in 1903. The revived company from 1999 built exotic sports cars with exposed gear linkages and aviation-inspired interiors, briefly owned Saab, and has repeatedly slipped in and out of financial difficulty.

Sunbeam

A British marque with a serious record in speed and racing — Sunbeam cars held the world land speed record several times in the 1920s, and a Sunbeam was the first car to exceed 200 mph, in 1927. It also won the French Grand Prix in 1923, the first British car to do so.

Defunct and Historic Marques

Saab

Svenska Aeroplan AB began building cars in 1945 as a way to use its aircraft engineering capacity after the war, and it showed — Saab pioneered aircraft-influenced aerodynamics, put the ignition on the floor between the seats, and made turbocharging mainstream for ordinary drivers with the 99 Turbo in 1978. GM acquired it and closed it in 2011.

Saab (what happened next)

The assets were bought in 2012 by NEVS, which intended to restart production with electric vehicles at the Trollhättan plant. That has not materialised at any scale: by mid-2025 NEVS was reported to be down to around five staff, with the factory in hibernation and the company in serious financial difficulty. For practical purposes the Saab marque is finished, and the aerospace company that shares the name is entirely separate and still trading.

Saturn

General Motors created Saturn in 1985 as “a different kind of car company” — a separate operation with its own plant, its own labour agreement, dent-resistant polymer body panels and no-haggle fixed pricing. Customer loyalty was genuinely exceptional. GM then progressively folded Saturn back into its standard structure, removing everything that made it distinct, and closed it in 2010 during the bankruptcy restructuring. It is frequently cited as a case study in undermining a successful brand from within.

Studebaker

Founded in 1852 building wagons — it supplied the Union Army during the American Civil War — making it one of the oldest vehicle manufacturers of any kind. It transitioned to cars and produced some of the most striking American designs of the 1950s, including the Raymond Loewy-styled Starliner and the fibreglass Avanti. It could not compete with Detroit’s scale and ended car production in 1967.

Stutz

The Stutz Bearcat was one of the earliest American performance cars, and a Stutz finished eleventh in the first Indianapolis 500 straight off the production line — which the company advertised as “the car that made good in a day”. Stutz later built luxury cars with a genuine racing pedigree, including a class win at Le Mans in 1928.

Simca

A French manufacturer founded in 1934 to build Fiats under licence, which grew large enough to become France’s second-biggest carmaker. Chrysler acquired control in the 1960s, folded it into Chrysler Europe, and the whole operation was later sold to Peugeot, which retired the name.

Salmson

Began building aero engines in 1890 and moved into cars after the First World War, producing successful small sports models and taking class wins at Le Mans. Like several French manufacturers it could not survive the post-war contraction of the luxury and sports market, and it ended in 1957.

Santana Motor

A Spanish company that built Land Rovers under licence from 1958, and continued producing its own developments of the design after the licence ended — including models Land Rover itself never made. It closed in 2011.

Other Marques in This Group

S&M Motor

Edward E. Stroebel and Walter C. Martin established the S&M Motor Company, an American carmaker with its headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, in 1912. The outward design of R. C. Aland’s improvements was asked to be developed. From the very beginning of the process, difficulties developed. They announced the launch in 1912 but didn’t actually start until 1913. A seven-seat sedan, two- and four-seat roadsters, and five- and seven-seat tourist-type vehicles were among the forty of the 48 types that were produced. The corporation filed for bankruptcy in 1914. George Benham established the Benham Manufacturing Company from its leftovers.

SAIPA

Tehran, Iran is home to SAIPA, an Iranian automaker that was established in 1966. The name of the company is an acronym for Société Anonyme Iranienne de Production Automobile, which is its French name. The business was started in order to assemble Citroen models for the Iranian local market. The latter held a 75% interest in the company’s capital. Korean vehicles, including cars, trucks, and a bus, are currently being removed from the company’s inventory. However, the brand’s foundation consists of an engine and a selection of vehicles with similar styling.

San Motors

San Motors Limited, an Indian automaker, was established in 1998 in Bengaluru, Mahadevapur, Karnataka. The brand has transformed the Indian automotive sector. The market for fans of motorsports was essentially unfilled before her entry. The San Storm 1.2 sports model is what the brand now provides. The Storm, which has a 60-horsepower Renault engine, epitomizes the thrill of swift and comfortable driving as well as remarkable efficiency and chic style. The company’s assembly facility is in the Indian state of Goa. Products are shipped to Bermuda, Nepal, Cyprus, Malta, and the UK.

Samson Motorworks

The goal of Samson Motorworks, a business based in Meadow Vista, California, is to design unusual, innovative, and occasionally humorous vehicles. Their goal is to develop environmentally friendly technology that also makes it easier to move around and utilize while accelerating pace. The Samson Switchblade, a road plane that the business is currently developing, is one of its more well-liked concepts. It offers the option of being transported as a set, a set that may be put together by any owner.

Sandusky Automobile Company

James J. Hinde, a fervent proponent of small, inexpensive cars, created the Sandusky Automobile Company in Sandusky, Ohio, in the United States, in 1902. Henry Ford, who was at the time simply an engineer, was greatly impressed by his views. The brands introduced a two-person open minicar as their first model in 1903. The installed single-cylinder water-cooled engine produced 5 horsepower. The model received a seven-hp engine upgrade in 1904. A steering wheel was on the following Courier. A two-seater roadster called the Courier F 1905 already had front and rear speeds.

San Giorgio

An automobile business was established in Italy in 1905 to create vehicles using the British brand Napier under license. Its creator was the well-known racer Arthur McDonald, who actively participated in competitive racing. In 1909, the business manufactured three models with engines of varying powers – 25, 40, and 60 hp – while the brand was closed for four years. The factory in Pistoia, Italy, which was constructed with permission from Kellner, Paris, produced the chassis.

Santana Motor, SA

The automotive industry’s manufacturer was the Spanish company Santana Motor, SA. The company’s headquarters are in Linares, in the province of Jaén, Spain. It was established by the Spanish government in 1954. The business made agricultural equipment. Metalrgica de Santa Ana, SA was its name. The Santanu facility started making Land Rovers under license in 1961. The license was revoked by Land Rover in 1989. Under its brand, the selling started. A contract was reached with Suzuki in 1985. Junta de Andaluca acquired Suzuki in 1995. The brand started to have problems, which eventually led to its demise in 2011.

Frequently Asked Questions

What car brands start with the letter S?

Twenty-six are covered here, including Subaru, Suzuki, Škoda, SEAT, Smart, SAIC, SsangYong/KG Mobility, Saab, Saturn, Studebaker, Stutz, Shelby, Saleen, Singer, Spyker, Sunbeam, Simca, Salmson, Santana, SAIPA, Sandusky, San Giorgio, Samson Motorworks, San Motors and S&M Motor.

Is Saab still making cars?

No. GM closed Saab in 2011. NEVS bought the assets in 2012 intending to build electric vehicles at Trollhättan, but by mid-2025 it was reported to have around five staff left and the plant in hibernation. The marque is effectively finished. The Saab aerospace company is a separate business and still operates.

Who owns Smart?

A 50/50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely, established as smart Automobile Co. Mercedes handles design and Geely handles engineering and manufacturing. Current Smart models are electric and built in China.

Why did Saturn fail?

Not because the original idea failed — it worked. GM gradually absorbed Saturn back into its normal structure, removing the separate plant culture, distinct engineering and no-haggle pricing that made it different. Once it was selling rebadged GM products it had no reason to exist, and it closed in 2010.

Is SsangYong still called SsangYong?

Largely not. After acquisition by the KG Group the company was renamed KG Mobility in 2023, and the SsangYong badge is being phased out across most markets.

What is the oldest brand starting with S?

Studebaker, founded in 1852 as a wagon manufacturer — decades before the motor car existed. Among companies still trading, Škoda traces to Laurin & Klement in 1895.

Sources

Smart joint-venture structure: Mercedes-Benz and Geely corporate announcements. NEVS status and the Trollhättan plant: automotive trade reporting, 2025. SAIC ownership of MG and SsangYong’s rebrand to KG Mobility: company disclosures. Founding dates follow manufacturer corporate records.

Ownership in the motor industry changes frequently — check current corporate filings before relying on any ownership detail for business purposes.

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