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75-400: Plymouth Cricket can refer to two badge-engineered automobiles associated with Plymouth . Badge engineering In the automotive industry , rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manufacturer creates

150-502: A "Body by Chevrolet" tag) each displayed a "Body by Fisher" emblem on their door sill plates until Fisher Body's demise. Fisher Body's beginnings trace back to a horse-drawn carriage shop in Norwalk, Ohio , in the late 1800s. Lawrence P. Fisher (1852 Peru, Ohio – 1921, Norwalk, Ohio) and his wife Margaret Theisen (1857 Baden , Germany – 1936 Detroit, Michigan) had a large family of eleven children; seven were sons who would become part of

225-777: A "premium" marque, Volkswagen often introduces new technologies in Audi-branded cars before fitting them to mainstream products (such as the Direct-Shift Gearbox ). In production, platform sharing is used extensively, with the modular MQB platform underpinning a range of vehicles from the Audi A1 to the Volkswagen Atlas . The previous D platform of the 2000s was used for the Volkswagen Phaeton and Bentley Continental GT (built in steel) and

300-409: A 1919 deal put together by president William C. Durant , General Motors bought 60% of the company. The Fisher company purchased Fleetwood Metal Body in 1925, and in 1926 was integrated entirely as an in-house coachbuilding division of General Motors. Fisher Body Division was dissolved in 1984, with some of its plants taken over by the newly created Fisher Guide Division (later Inland Fisher Guide), and

375-632: A Chrysler interior. For the 1989 model year, Toyota and Nissan introduced the Lexus and Infiniti luxury brands in the United States (following the Acura luxury brand of Honda) with the all-new Lexus LS400 and Infiniti Q45 full-size sedans. Both brands expanded their model line for 1990, sourcing an existing model line from the Japanese market to rebrand as an entry-level offering. The Lexus ES250

450-470: A Chrysler powertrain, the Routan received its own styling and content features as well as a standard "sportier suspension and steering". In Japan, automobile manufacturers differed in the marketing of their product ranges. In contrast to marketing a single vehicle under multiple brand names (with minor changes to exterior bodywork), Japanese manufacturers marketed vehicles through multiple sales networks, with

525-973: A Japanese-market Toyota (Toyota Vista/Windom) and its chassis and engine with the Camry, the ES300 shared no resemblance to the American-market Camry. Infiniti moved away from a two-door coupe entirely, replacing the M30 with the four-door J30 ( Nissan Leopard J Ferie in Japan). Fisher Body Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan . In 1984, General Motors dissolved its Fisher Body Division — as part of its extensive North American restructuring. Eight parts-making facilities from within

600-612: A car through each brand; for example, the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade each share a common body. In another example, the same model is rebadged when it is sold in different regions and markets. In Australia, during the 1980s and 1990s, the Button car plan required imported Nissans and Toyotas to adopt Ford and Holden (GM) nameplates. In the United Kingdom, Opel-produced vehicles are marketed under

675-707: A common platform to produce the American version of the Odyssey minivan, also underpinning the Honda Pilot and Honda Passport SUVs, the Acura MDX CUV, and the Honda Ridgeline mid-size pickup truck. Although intended to save development costs by spreading design and research costs over several vehicles, rebadging can also become problematic if not implemented properly. Using multiple car brands under

750-410: A different maker. Changes may be confined to swapping badges and emblems, or may encompass minor styling differences, as with cosmetic changes to headlights , taillights, front and rear fascias , and even outer body skins. More extreme examples involve differing engines and drivetrains . The objective is "to spread the huge development costs of a new vehicle over as many cars as possible". An example

825-435: A distinct automobile by applying a new "badge" or trademark (brand, logo, or manufacturer's name/make/marque) to an existing product line. Rebadging is also known as rebranding and badge engineering ; the latter is an intentionally ironic misnomer in that little or no actual engineering takes place. The term originated with the practice of replacing an automobile's emblems to create an ostensibly new model sold by

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900-739: A distinct vehicle being sold under various model nameplates (from a single manufacturer). Toyota marketed the Corolla in Japan exclusively at Toyota Corolla Store locations; at Toyota Auto Store locations, it was named the Toyota Sprinter . Nissan sold the Nissan Cedric through its Nissan Bluebird Store network, with the identical Nissan Gloria through the Nissan Prince Store network. Honda previously marketed

975-561: A five-passenger interior. Coinciding with the 1998 Daimler-Chrysler merger, the Eagle brand was discontinued; the singular Jeep brand was integrated as part of Chrysler or Dodge dealership networks. The Chrysler 300M was originally developed as a second generation of the Eagle Vision; following the discontinuation of Eagle, the vehicle continued into production as a Chrysler model, adopting a slightly restyled grille, Chrysler badging, and

1050-541: A joint venture with a local manufacturer to manufacture automobiles in the country. Prior to 2022, the Chinese government dictates that no more than two joint ventures are allowed for each foreign investor. Larger foreign manufacturers often set up two joint ventures to maximize the market reach, including Toyota ( FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota ), Ford (JMC-Ford and Changan Ford ), Volkswagen ( SAIC-VW and FAW-VW ) and Honda ( Dongfeng Honda and Guangqi Honda ). To distribute

1125-501: A model to carry over to its rebadged model counterparts. Through the 2000s, the American Big Three automakers reduced their brand footprint by closing or selling underperforming brands. After 2001, Chrysler discontinued its Plymouth brand (following the closure of Eagle in 1998). In response to the late 2000s recession, Ford ended its ownership of Jaguar , Land Rover , Aston Martin , and Volvo Cars ; in 2010, Mercury

1200-566: A plant in Walkerville, Ontario . By 1914 their operations had grown to become the world's largest manufacturer of auto bodies. One reason for their success was the development of interchangeable wooden body parts that did not require hand-fitting, as was the case in the construction of carriages. This required the design of new precision woodworking tools. The Fisher Body and Buick chassis were built in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, in

1275-587: A revised version of their product through an OEM deal, as with Volkswagen marketing a modified version of the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country minivans as the Volkswagen Routan (2009–2014). Another example was the joint venture of Mitsubishi and Chrysler that resulted in vehicles produced by Diamond-Star Motors that were marketed under various nameplates from 1985 until 1993. In China, foreign manufacturers were required to form

1350-768: A sedan, hatchback, or SUV/CUV body designs. Automotive industry rebadging can be compared with white-label products in other consumer goods industries, such as consumer electronics and power tools . The first case of badge engineering appeared in 1917 with the Texan automobile assembled in Fort Worth, Texas, that made use of Elcar bodies made in Elkhart, Indiana. "Probably the industry's first example of one car becoming another" occurred in 1926 when Nash Motors ' newly introduced smaller-sized Ajax models were discontinued in 1926 after over 22,000 Ajax cars were sold during

1425-571: A shared appearance; Cadillac Eldorado Seville , Buick Limited Riviera , Oldsmobile Starfire 98 , Pontiac Bonneville Catalina , and the Chevrolet Bel-Air Impala . A later example was Wolseley Motors after it was bought out by William Morris . After World War I , "Wolseley started to lose its identity and eventually succumbed to badge engineering." This was repeated with the consolidation of Austin Motor Company and

1500-409: A single-parent manufacturer can significantly increase selling costs, as each model line must be marketed separately, requiring a distinct dealership network. Inappropriate use of rebadging can also hurt overall sales by resulting in "cannibalism" between two or more brands owned by the same company by failing to develop a distinct image for each brand or by allowing the market failure of one version of

1575-596: A singular GM brand. As an exception, Cadillac offers division-exclusive engines (the Northstar and Blackwing V8 engine families). In 1981, GM lost a 1977 lawsuit related to consumers (who purchased 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88s equipped with a 350 cu in (5.7 L) Chevrolet small-block engine instead of the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Oldsmobile V8 engine ). At the time of production, GM had downsized its full-size model lines in preparation for another oil crisis and had increased production of V6 engines as

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1650-536: Is General Motors' rebadging of the Camaro as the Firebird , a successful model from the 1960s through to the 2000s. In most cases, consumers are interested in each brand's focus "on the unique elements of styling and driving characteristics". Some cars would not be marketed without the cost savings that are obtained from this practice, and carmakers can develop many "different models – all wearing different badges – off

1725-612: Is a four-door sedan derived from the V20 Toyota Camry. Though visibly similar to the Camry introduced for 1987, the ES250 was a rebranded Toyota Camry Prominent/Vista ; a model developed for Japan, the Prominent/Vista (dependent on sales network) is a four-door pillared hardtop sedan with a slightly lower roofline and restyled body panels. Along with the change to left-hand drive, the ES250 adopted an interior similar to

1800-477: Is amortized tooling costs, which means the vehicle can be produced at a higher margin of profit (or a lower price, or both). Badge engineering occurs in the luxury -type market segments. An automobile manufacturer will use a model from its mainstream brand as a basis for a model under a premium marque by upgrading its features, technology, and/or styling. Along with visible cosmetic differences, premium models may also receive upgraded drivetrains. An example of this

1875-778: Is that Ford Motor Company marketed its mainstream Ford Fusion mid-size sedan as the Lincoln MKZ ; the Ford Expedition SUV is sold as the Lincoln Navigator . A more controversial example was the Aston Martin Cygnet , a rebadged version of the Toyota iQ city car (intended to comply with EU emissions regulations). While fitted with model-specific trim and a luggage set, the Cygnet nearly tripled

1950-650: Is when two separate manufacturers trade products, filling gaps in their respective product lineups. During the 1990s, Honda and Isuzu entered into such an agreement, with Isuzu marketing the first-generation Honda Odyssey as the Isuzu Oasis as its first minivan. In return, Honda received the Isuzu Rodeo and Isuzu Trooper SUVs, which became the Honda Passport and Acura SLX ; the agreement allowed both Honda and Isuzu to enter new vehicle segments without

2025-613: The 1973 oil crisis , General Motors expanded fuel-efficient offerings beyond its Chevrolet division, reintroducing compact cars to its Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac brands. Derived from the X-platform Chevrolet Nova , the Pontiac Ventura was introduced for the 1971 model year, with the Buick Apollo and Oldsmobile Omega introduced for 1973. These four X-platform vehicles (also known as N-O-V-A from

2100-711: The Audi A8 (built in aluminum). In the Japanese automotive industry, platform sharing has expanded model offerings in North America. While the initial Lexus LS was developed specifically for the American market, the later Lexus ES has shared a platform (but not a body) with the Toyota Camry (since 2013, the Toyota Avalon , itself also based on the Camry). Exclusive primarily to North America, Honda uses

2175-682: The Ford Fusion ; as part of its 2013 redesign, no other exterior panels); Cadillac rebranded the Opel Omega B as the Cadillac Catera as its first mid-size car, but replaced it, eventually moving towards platform sharing with other divisions. From 1982 until 1986, the front-wheel drive A platform underpinned the Chevrolet Celebrity , Cutlass Ciera , Pontiac 6000 , and Buick Century . As part of their legacy,

2250-793: The Honda Accord through multiple sales networks, marketing the Accord through the Honda Clio network and renaming it as the Honda Vigor for Honda Verno locations (conversely, the Vigor was renamed the Honda Inspire for the Clio network). The practice of producing multiple versions of the same vehicle would eventually lead to distinct vehicles produced for export. In North America,

2325-577: The Nuffield Organization (parent company of Morris Motors ) to form the British Motor Corporation (BMC). The rationalization of production to gain efficiencies "did not extend to marketing", and each "model was adapted, by variation in trim and accessories, to appeal to customer loyalties for whom the badge denoting the company of origin was an important selling advantage ... 'Badge Engineering', as it became known,

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2400-650: The Toyota Sprinter / Chevrolet Prizm , and later the Toyota Matrix / Pontiac Vibe . In another agreement, Ford and Nissan developed and produced the Mercury Villager and Nissan Quest minivans from 1993 through 2002. Another example was the cooperative work between Volkswagen and Ford to develop the VW Sharan , Ford Galaxy , and SEAT Alhambra . Badge engineering may occur when one company allows another, otherwise unaffiliated, company to market

2475-604: The Yusheng S330 developed by Jiangling Motors (JMC) . Badge engineering could be used as a strategy to lengthen the life cycle of a vehicle. After a product has reached the end of its life cycle, it may be transferred to another brand, mostly from the same holding company or joint venture. Examples include the SEAT Exeo , a rebadged Audi A4 B7 with reworked styling, which was built in Spain from used production tooling from

2550-589: The 1920s. In 1916, the company became the Fisher Body Corporation. Its capacity was 370,000 bodies per year and its customers included Abbot , Buick , Cadillac , Chalmers , Chandler , Chevrolet , Church-Field , Elmore , EMF , Ford , Herreshoff , Hudson , Krit , Oldsmobile , Oakland , Packard , Pontiac , Regal , and Studebaker . The company constructed the now-abandoned Smith, Hinchman & Grylls -designed Fisher Body Plant 21 (commonly misattributed to Albert Kahn , who designed

2625-547: The 1973 oil crisis and to regain lost market share, both Cadillac and Lincoln introduced smaller vehicles for their brand. In one of the most controversial uses of rebranding in automotive history, both vehicles were derived from smaller GM and Ford divisional model ranges. For the 1977 model year, Lincoln released the Lincoln Versailles to match the debut of the Cadillac Seville . In contrast with

2700-521: The 1976 Pontiac Sunbird . Similarly, to the X-body vehicles, the H-body subcompacts shared common bodies across all four divisions with differing grille, lamp, and body trim variations. Prior to 1981, the majority of General Motors vehicles were produced with engines designed by their respective divisions. From 1981 onward, GM ended its policy of divisionally-developed engines, instead offering engines under

2775-761: The 1980 model year. For 1982, Cadillac released the Cadillac Cimarron to compete against compact European-brand executive sedans . The smallest Cadillac produced since the 1900s, the Cimarron used the chassis of the GM J-body four-door sedan. Developed and brought to market less than a year before the J-body was released, Cadillac was left with almost no time to distinguish the Cimarron from its divisional counterparts from Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. Though sharing nearly its entire exterior with

2850-415: The 1990s, GM advertising featured a disclaimer stating '"Oldsmobiles (or any other GM division) are equipped with engines manufactured by various GM divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide."' Prior to the mid-1970s, the American luxury brands Lincoln and Cadillac offered model lines consisting entirely of full-size two-door and four-door sedans and full-size personal luxury cars. At the beginning of

2925-529: The A-bodies became enormously popular – as well as synonymous with one of GM's most transparent examples of badge engineering : they were simultaneously presented, almost indistinguishably, on the 22 August 1983 cover of Forbes magazine as examples of genericized uniformity, embarrassing the company and ultimately prompting GM to recommit to design leadership. In 1987, Chrysler Corporation acquired American Motors Corporation (AMC) from Renault , leading to

3000-885: The Audi plant in Ingolstadt after the A4 B7 production had ended. The tooling was dismantled from Ingolstadt and was sent to the SEAT manufacturing plant in Martorell , Spain, to be reinstalled. Another example is the Dongfeng Fengdu MX6, which was produced after the near-identical Nissan X-Trail (T31) production had ended, and the Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo, which is based on the then-recently discontinued Suzuki MR Wagon . The advantage of this strategy

3075-418: The Breeze from the original CR-V , the Elysion from the Odyssey , the XR-V from the HR-V , and others. In other cases, foreign manufacturers may also rebadge a model developed by its partner, sometimes for exports to other markets. Examples include the second generation Chevrolet Captiva which is an export version of the Baojun 530 made by SAIC-GM-Wuling , or the Ford Territory , a reworked version of

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3150-465: The C. R. Wilson Company, a manufacturer of horse-drawn carriage bodies that was beginning to make bodies for automobile manufacturers. With financing from their uncle, on July 22, 1908, Fred and Charles Fisher established the Fisher Body Company. Their uncle soon wanted out, and the brothers obtained the needed funds from businessman Louis Mendelssohn who became a shareholder and director. Soon Charles and Fred Fisher brought their five younger brothers into

3225-407: The Fisher Body Company in Detroit. Lawrence and Margaret were married in Sandusky, Ohio , in 1876. Margaret Theisen Fisher lived in Detroit after her husband died. The Fisher brothers were: In 1904 and 1905, the two eldest brothers, Fred and Charles, came to Detroit where their uncle Albert Fisher had established Standard Wagon Works during the latter part of the 1880s. The brothers found work at

3300-568: The Fisher brothers resigned from General Motors to devote their time to other interests, including the Fisher Building on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit . The brothers also mounted a bid to take over Hudson Motors , but their tender offer fell short of its market value and the effort was rejected by stockholders. On January 19, 1972, the last of the Fisher brothers died. The seven brothers donated millions of dollars to schools, churches, and other charitable causes and were active in directing those endeavors. The Fisher family has continued on in

3375-441: The Fisher division were combined with the Guide division, which manufactured headlights and plastic parts, to form the Fisher Guide Division. Other plants formerly operated by Fisher were reorganized to become the Chevrolet Pontiac, GM of Canada and the Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac (BOC) group. The name and its iconic "Body by Fisher" logo were widely known, as General Motors vehicles (except the fiberglass Chevrolet Corvette which got

3450-399: The Jeep range, Eagle was marketed towards consumers interested in imported vehicles. For 1992, the Eagle Vision full-size sedan replaced the Premier, becoming the first Eagle-brand vehicle developed by Chrysler. Positioned between the Dodge Intrepid and Chrysler Concorde, the Eagle Vision shared most exterior trim with the Concorde. It was the only Chrysler LH car offered exclusively with

3525-417: The M30 differed from the Leopard primarily in its steering wheel location. Intended largely as placeholder models, the ES250 and M30 were largely overshadowed by their companion flagship sedans. Following the end of the 1992 model year, both models were withdrawn (as their Japanese counterparts had ended their model cycles). For 1993, the ES250 was replaced by the ES300; while again sharing its body with

3600-410: The Seville (sharing its chassis underpinnings both the Chevrolet Nova and the Chevrolet Camaro), the Versailles shared nearly its entire body with the Mercury Monarch (itself a counterpart of the Ford Granada ); the model line also replaced the previous Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia . Outsold by the Seville nearly three-to-one, the Versailles sold far under sales predictions and was discontinued early in

3675-508: The Toyota Sprinter was marketed as the Chevrolet Nova (and the Geo Prizm that replaced it). The Honda Vigor and Inspire were marketed as the Acura Vigor and TL; Nissan sold the Gloria in the United States as the Infiniti M45 . Two automakers can also pool resources by operating a joint venture to create a product and then selling each as their own. For example, General Motors and Toyota formed NUMMI . The vehicles produced from this venture (though not necessarily at NUMMI itself) included

3750-411: The Vauxhall brand; when sold in the United States, Opels were marketed as Saturns, Chevrolets, and Buicks. Conversely, the Australian Holden brand was never sold in North America, but the Holden Monaro and Holden Commodore were sold under the Pontiac (Pontiac GTO, Pontiac G8), Chevrolet (Chevrolet SS), and Buick (Buick Regal Sportback/Buick Regal TourX) nameplates. Another way badge engineering may occur

3825-479: The automotive industry with Fisher Corporation (metal stamping), General Safety (seat belts), and Fisher Dynamics (seat mechanisms & structures), in the U.S., Mexico, China, and India. On July 22, 2008, Fisher Coachworks, LLC was launched with Gregory W. Fisher, grandson of Alfred J. Fisher, as CEO. The new company was developing a prototype of the GTB-40, a hybrid-electric 40' transit bus developed by Autokinetics of Rochester Hills, Michigan , that uses Nitronic ,

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3900-749: The automotive industry. Alongside a shared chassis (though unibody construction is nearly universal in cars and many light trucks), platform sharing also standardizes components such as drivetrain, suspensions, components, and other technologies. General Motors used the B platform for many of its non-Cadillac full-size vehicles (nearly exclusively from 1959 through 1985), while Chrysler used its B platform for intermediates and its C platform for (non-Imperial) full-size cars. The Volkswagen Group uses platform sharing as its business strategy to improve its profitability and growth. For example, Audi uses components from their more pedestrian counterparts, sold as Volkswagen mass-market brands. As an effort to place Audi as

3975-434: The brand's inaugural year. The chairman and CEO of the company, Charles W. Nash , ordered that the Ajax models be marketed as the "Nash Light Six", Nash being a known and respected automobile brand. Production was stopped for two days so Nash emblems, hubcaps, and radiator shells could be exchanged on all unshipped Ajax cars. Conversion kits were also distributed at no charge to Ajax owners to transform their cars and protect

4050-474: The business. Prior to forming the company, Fred Fisher had built the first closed-body coupe, the 1905 Cadillac Osceola at the C. R. Wilson Company. The Osceola was requested by Cadillac founder Henry M. Leland to determine the feasibility of a car body that was closed to the elements. It was built on the chassis of the 1905 Cadillac Model E . Starting in 1910, Fisher became the supplier of all closed bodies for Cadillac , Buick , Oakland and Oldsmobile . In

4125-416: The cost of engineering an all-new vehicle design (at the same time, in Europe, the Honda Crossroad was a rebadged Land Rover Discovery ). During the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Volkswagen Routan was a rebranded version of the Dodge Grand Caravan, supplied as Volkswagen sought to re-enter the North American minivan segment without the investment of federalizing its design. Assembled by Chrysler with

4200-464: The decade, European automakers began to market their largest sedans as luxury vehicles in North America. Though the BMW Bavaria/3.0Si , Jaguar XJ6/XJ12 , and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W116) were priced similar to the Cadillac Sedan de Ville and Lincoln Continental, the model lines were thousands of pounds lighter and multiple feet shorter in length (with only the hand-built Rolls-Royce Phantom V rivaling Lincoln and Cadillac in size). In response to both

4275-422: The early years of the company, the Fisher Brothers had to develop new body designs because the "horseless carriage" bodies lacked the strength to withstand the vibration of the new motorcars. By 1913, the Fisher Body Company had the capacity to produce 100,000 cars per year and customers included: Ford , Krit , Chalmers , General Motors , and Studebaker . Highly successful, they expanded into Canada, establishing

4350-422: The exit of the latter company from the North American market. As part of the sale, Chrysler obtained the AMC dealership network, the AMC Eagle line of all-wheel drive cars, and the Jeep line of sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks. For 1989, Chrysler established the Jeep-Eagle Division in a strategy to both focus on Jeep and offer specialty cars differentiated from the established Chrysler lines. Following

4425-402: The first letters of their model names) were produced with identical bodies with divisional differences marked only with specific grille, lamp, and body trim variations. To expand its footprint in the subcompact segment, the H-body Chevrolet Vega platform was used for the 1975 model year for newly styled variants sold as the Chevrolet Monza , Buick Skyhawk , and Oldsmobile Starfire followed by

4500-417: The four-door Chevrolet Cavalier, the Cimarron was priced nearly twice as high as its counterpart. Additionally, J-body vehicles from other divisions could be equipped nearly identically to the Cimarron for a lower cost. Though the model line closely matched its Buick Skyhawk and Oldsmobile Firenza counterparts in sales, the Cimarron was discontinued following the 1988 model year. Though the Lincoln Versailles

4575-493: The historic landmark Fisher Building ), on Piquette Street, in Detroit, in 1919. The building is now part of the Piquette Avenue Industrial Historic District and is being revived by Detroit developers Greg Jackson and Richard Hosey and architecture firm McIntosh Poris Architects as Fisher 21 Lofts, a mixed-use project combining 433 apartments and commercial spaces. At the time, Fisher had more than 40 buildings encompassing 3,700,000 square feet (344,000 m ) of floor space. In

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4650-438: The intended standard engine, underestimating consumer demand for Oldsmobile V8 engines. To accommodate the increased market demand, nearly 60% of Delta 88s were equipped with a Chevrolet 5.7 L V8 for 1977. The lawsuit was filed by the state of Illinois, claiming GM falsely advertised the vehicles. In 1981, GM settled the lawsuit with the vehicle buyers and discontinued their company-unique policy of division-specific engines. Into

4725-492: The investment they had made in purchasing an automobile made by Nash. Starting with the beginning of General Motors in 1909, chassis and platforms were shared with all brands. GMC , which historically was a truck builder, began to offer its products branded as Chevrolet , and vehicles produced by GM were built on common platforms shared with Chevrolet, Oakland , Oldsmobile , Buick , and Cadillac . Exterior appearances were gradually upgraded between these vehicle brands. This

4800-402: The larger LS (along with similarly styled wheels and taillamps). The Infiniti M30 is a two-door notchback coupe derived from the Nissan Leopard (a model never sold in North America). Along with the coupe, Infiniti sold the M30 as a two-door convertible (converted in the United States). With the exception of its badging and its dashboard (sourced from the left-hand drive Nissan Skyline ),

4875-407: The one platform". In several countries including Japan, manufacturers often use the phrase " OEM supply" or "OEM-supplied" to denote vehicles that are a rebadged model from or for other manufacturers. Although platform sharing can often involve rebadging and rebranding, it can extend further, as the design may be used across multiple configurations. For example, a single platform may underpin

4950-408: The price of the iQ. Alternatively, VW Group under Ferdinand Piëch used the reverse of this in some circumstances, engineering the more luxurious model first and then remove features for models from less prestigious marques. Examples include the Lamborghini Gallardo / Audi R8 and the Audi A4 / Volkswagen Passat . Along with rebadging and badge engineering, platform sharing is common throughout

5025-427: The production and sales rights to each joint venture, manufacturers often resort to a similar strategy deployed in Japan: simply producing the exact model under two different names with minor changes to exterior bodywork. GAC Toyota has produced the Levin as a twin model to the FAW Toyota-built Corolla and the Wildlander as the alternative to the RAV4 . Honda awarded several models to two joint ventures, which spawned

5100-400: The regional Big Threes of the United States, Europe, and Japan) owns a portfolio of different brands and markets the same car under different brands and nameplates. The practice is used for multiple reasons. In one example, a company may do so to expand its range of different brands in a market without the cost of developing completely new models. In the United States, General Motors may sell

5175-573: The remaining facilities absorbed by other GM operations. Founded in 1947 by members of the Fisher family, Fisher & Company continues to use the name, with such divisions as Fisher Dynamics. From its beginning in the "horseless carriage shop" in Norwalk, Ohio, to its sale in 1919 and 1926 to General Motors, the Fisher Body Company was built by the Fisher brothers into one of the world's largest manufacturing companies. The company owned 160,000 acres (650 km ) of timberland and used more wood, carpet, tacks, and thread than any other manufacturer in

5250-433: The retirement of the AMC Eagle Wagon in early 1988 (derived from the 1971 AMC Hornet), Eagle established its product line with the introduction of the 1988 Premier and Medallion (developed by Renault prior to the sale of AMC). To expand the product range beyond the two sedans, Chrysler sourced vehicles from Mitsubishi, introducing the 1989 Summit (Dodge/Plymouth Colt) and 1990 Talon (Mitsubishi Eclipse). In contrast to

5325-443: The world. It had more than 40 plants and employed more than 100,000 people, and pioneered many improvements in tooling and automobile design including closed all-weather bodies. Fisher Body's contribution to the war effort in WWI and WWII included the production of airplanes and tanks . Alfred J. Fisher was Aircraft Director for Fisher Body. Fisher Body developed the unsuccessful Fisher P-75 Eagle heavy fighter. On August 14, 1944,

5400-496: Was closed by Ford. General Motors underwent several brand revisions; following the discontinuation of the Geo sub-brand of Chevrolet in 1997, Oldsmobile was closed after 2004 (the oldest American nameplate at the time). Following its 2009 bankruptcy, GM closed Pontiac, Saturn, and Hummer in 2010; Saab was sold (eventually leading to its demise). GM sold its European Opel and Vauxhall brands in 2017 to PSA (now Stellantis). In response to

5475-575: Was largely forgotten after its 1980 discontinuation (its role superseded by the downsizing of the Lincoln Continental for 1982), the Cimarron would cause extensive damage to the Cadillac brand, as its market share declined by almost 50% from 1980 to 1998. As of current production, neither Lincoln nor Cadillac has marketed a compact-segment car. Through the use of rebranding, Lincoln produced the mid-size Lincoln MKZ (sharing its doors with

5550-525: Was partly because all bodywork was provided by Fisher Body which was bought by GM in 1925, and the introduction of the Art and Color Section in 1928, directed by Harley Earl . For the 1958 model year, GM was promoting its fiftieth year of production and introduced anniversary models for each brand; Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Chevrolet. The 1958 models shared an almost identical appearance on all models for each brand and made special luxury models with

5625-517: Was symptomatic of a policy of sales competition between the constituent organizations". The ultimate example of BMC badge engineering was the 1962 BMC ADO16 which was available badged as a Morris, MG, Austin, Wolseley, Riley and the upmarket Vanden Plas . A year earlier, the Mini was also available as Austin, Morris, Riley, and Wolseley – the latter two having slightly bigger boots. Badge engineering often occurs when an individual manufacturer (such as

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