The World’s Top Auto Manufacturers

The world’s cars: Who’s making them, and who’s driving them.

Cars are what make the world go ‘round. Both makers of cars and drivers of them are located everywhere, in just about every country. Read on to learn more about where the most cars are used and who makes the most vehicles in the world.

Car Users

It might surprise you to know that the largest countries, like China and Russia, have the fewest number of vehicles per 100 people. These countries, as well as Turkey, Iran, Mexico, Brazil, most of South America and parts of Africa, have only 1 to 150 cars per 100 people. Many of these are third world countries where transportation, at least via personal car, is not a priority.

Countries that have slightly more cars per 100 people include: Argentina, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. These countries have 151 to 300 cars or trucks per 100 people.

The next level up includes the countries with 301 to 450 cars per 100 people. There aren’t many of these. In fact the UK is one of only two countries with this level of car usage.

At the 451 to 600 cars per 100 people level are Canada, Australia and much of western Europe:

• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain

And finally, at the highest level of vehicles per 100 people is the United States. We’ve got 601 or more vehicles per 100 people!

Car Manufacturers

The top five car manufacturers worldwide probably aren’t any surprise to you:

1. Japan
2. China
3. US
4. Germany
5. South Korea

The others, though, might not be countries you would think of manufacturing vehicles. These include Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Iran, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia in the east. In Europe, car manufacturers are Turkey, Sweden, Belgium, France, Poland, UK, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Italy and Spain. In the western hemisphere we also have Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina making cars.

Many of these countries only make cars for their own countries, but many others export them to other countries. We in the U.S. are not likely to see many cars manufactured in Slovakia, Argentina or Russia, but they are quality vehicles in their own right.

Many well known car manufacturers that are based in the U.S. actually have manufacturing plants in other countries. So your “American made” vehicle may actually have come from South Korea! Interesting fact, isn’t it?