Aviation to Automobiles - A List of Companies That Went from Producing Airplanes to Cars

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The world of Aviation has inspired countless timeless designs in the automotive industry, but these two seemingly separate worlds of mobility have more in common than you think. In this article, we shall look at some of the most popular and successful automakers who played a key role in sculpting the aviation industry as we know it today.

BMW

Many believe BMW got its start making airplanes but they were automobile manufacturers from the get-go. But as was the fate of most automakers back in the day, BMW was also enlisted to contribute to the war effort and that gave rise to some of the most prolific aircrafts and aircraft engines alike along with the iconic BMW logo. During World War II, they made some of the most successful aircraft engines including the 801, a 41.8-liter, 14-cylinder monster that played a vital role in increasing Germany’s high altitude capabilities. Alongside planes, they also built motorcycles primarily for armed forces supply.

Post-war they focused their efforts on a new car for post-war Germany that came in the form of a rebadged Dixi which in reality was yet another rebadged version of the Austin seven and was called the BMW 3/15 when it went on sale in the early 30s. During the war, BMW completely abandoned its automotive division which only resumed operations in 1952. This was the aftermath of a heavy bombing that wiped away most of BMWs factories. The first car to mark the automaker’s comeback was the 501 luxury saloon and this was shortly joined by the economical Isetta microcar in 1955. Nowadays BMW is focused on building top-notch Cars, SUVs, and Motorcycles but their involvement in the world of aviation continues indirectly since they own Rolls Royce, which happens to be one of the largest producers of aircraft engines today.

Rolls Royce

Rolls Royce, the famed automaker from Goodwood has a rich history when it comes to aviation. Rolls Royce was yet another key engine supplier for aircrafts during WWII but unlike its current parent company BMW that abandoned its ties with the aviation industry altogether, Rolls-Royce’s Civil Aerospace division continues to make Jet engines for commercial aircraft. The most popular engine made by the company is the Trent XWB high bypass turbofan which powers many popular aircraft including the Airbus A350.

The modern-day Rolls Royce Motor Cars that operates under BMW AGs reign, is a completely new entity that shares nothing but its iconic name with the original Rolls-Royce Motors that made cars alongside Bentley up until 2003 when both these historic brands were owned by Vickers. In fact, BMW was outbid by VW AG when they tried to purchase Rolls Royce for￡340 million back in the day but instead, they ended up buying the license to the Rolls-Royce name and logo for a bargain￡40 million. The first car made under the all-new Rolls Royce Motor Company was the Phantom which is widely regarded as the finest modern motorcar in the world.

Saab

Saab was born out of necessity on 2 April 1937 to develop and manufacture combat aircraft for the war effort. During WWII, Saab was a major contributor to Sweden’s military might with planes such as the Draken, Viggen, and Gripen which were also Sweden’s largest industrial initiatives at the time.

The end of the war and impending military budget cuts prompted Saab, which started as a pure defense industry company to branch out into civilian aircraft and applications which paved the way to its subsequent merger with Scania in 1969.

Saab’s first car was produced in 1947 and just like the company’s aviation efforts which started in a bid to decrease reliance on foreign suppliers, Saab’s cars were designed to do the same. The Saab 92 was the company’s first mass-produced model that hit dealer lots in 1949 and since then, they have been credited for creating some of the most cutting edge cars of the time such as the 9-3 Turbo, one of the first mass-produced turbocharged cars. But soon the automotive wing of Saab started to struggle and in 1990 the automobile division was spun off as Saab Automobile, which was a joint venture with General Motors. The joint venture ended in 2000 when GM took complete ownership of Saab where they built rebadged and mildly reengineered Vauxhalls for a decade before being sold off to Spyker and ultimately shutting its gates permanently in 2011 after filing for bankruptcy.

Honda

Unlike most other companies on the list, Honda’s contribution to aircraft started much later. The aviation division called Honda Aircraft Company began operation in the year 2000 and sells aircraft under the HondaJet moniker. Since then the company has been credited with making some of the best and the most cutting-edge business Jets in the world. The latest in there aerial fleet is the HA-420 HondaJet that has achieved new levels of drag reduction, thus improving aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.

But the company’s founder Soichiro Honda always wanted to build cars, but unfortunately for him, post-war Japan wasn’t the best place to sell swanky new four-wheelers. So he took up the next best options and started making affordable two-wheelers in 1959 for a country recovering from the aftermath of the war. The first automobile wearing the Honda badge came in August of 1963 and it was just as humble as the companies roots. Called the T360, Honda’s first production vehicle was a mini pick-up truck, powered by a 356-cc Inline-4 engine, and then came the S500 sports car with its revy little engine that made it an instant icon. With humble and undeterred beginnings in a country torn by the aftermath of one of the most gruesome wars, it is no surprise why Honda continues to make some of the most well-made and reliable automobiles and aircraft in the business.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet started its journey in the aviation sector back in 1927 by building an air-cooled single-overhead-cam 4-cylinder engine made specifically for Moundsville Aircraft Corp who installed it in their bi-plane. Later on, they went on to develop a six-cylinder engine that powered the Travel Air Biplane in 1929 under the brand name "Chevolair". The most successful engine they developed was the 333 4-cylinder engine that powered several different aircraft ranging from a monoplane to a seaplane.

But the company’s aviation roots in retrospect were just a spin-off of Chevrolet’s extremely successful automotive business. Chevrolet’s car-building roots can be traced back to 1911 and by 1919 the brand overtook Ford as America’s best-selling carmaker which happened shortly after its merger with General Motors in 1917. This rich Chevrolet history continues to date with Chevrolet’s parent company GM owning other top brands including Cadillac, Vauxhall, and GMC to name a few.

Ford

Henry Ford is best described as an eccentric genius. His primary interest was cars and after a few failed ventures with other business partners, he started the Ford motor company in 1903. During its initial years, Ford was responsible for the Models A, B, C, F, K, N, R, and S. Hundreds or a few thousand of these were sold per year using conventional methods. But the real stroke of brilliance came with the introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908 which holds the title of the world’s first mass-produced automobile.

Ford’s aviation-related pursuits started much later, in 1925 after they bought a small aircraft maker called Stot, but unfortunately for Ford, their revolutionary Tri-Motor plane was less of a success story than the Model T or the Model A that was sold alongside the plane from 1927. After making just 199 aircraft, production ceased in 1933 during which it saw both civilian as well as military action during both wars. They even converted one of Stot’s single-engined passenger planes into a tri-engined one and they even tried making an aircraft called Flivver which was an unsuccessful attempt at making an affordable aircraft for the masses. Even though their success in the aviation sector was limited, Ford went on to become one of the largest automakers in the world with global revenues of $156.7 billion in 2017.

Packard

Packard is the oldest automaker on this list and that’s saying something when talking about a list that includes Ford and Chevy. Packard was a luxury car manufacturer that began its journey in Detroit, alongside the aforementioned greats. But as was the case with most automakers on this list, the onset of WWI meant that there was no demand for luxury automobiles and Packard was enlisted to contribute to the war effort by manufacturing aircraft engines. During this time, Packard worked with Rolls-Royce under a contract where they built 12-cylinder engines with four-stage superchargers in the early 40s and other large aircraft engines.

But Packard never really left the automotive landscape. Packard had mastered engine building and produced its "Twin Six" model series of 12-cylinder cars from 1915 to 1923. Their vehicular operations continued to be cutting edge, keeping with their luxury image, for instance, all their engines were flat-head units up the last few years of operations. Other innovations included a modern steering wheel, air-conditioning in a passenger car, and one of the first production 12-cylinder engines, adapted from developing the Liberty L-12 used during World War I. But they were falling behind the industrial might of other Detroit-based players so in 1953 they purchased Studebaker and formed the Studebaker-Packard Corporation which meant that 1957 and 1958 Packards were badge-engineered Studebakers. But despite radical ideas and unmatched luxury, the Studebaker-Packard Corp ceased production in 1958, but in the process, it secured itself a place in the history books by creating some of the most cutting edge aircraft engines and luxury cars of the time.

Fiat

Fiat was an early adopter of internal combustion engines and made its debut in the automotive sector with the Fiat 4HP in 1899, but a less known fact is that Fiat was also one of the first players to invest in the early days of aviation. Shortly after Wright Brothers first powered flight in 1903, Fiat started building engines for aircraft in 1908. Their first engine, the SA 8/75 was derived from racing cars which soon paved way for the A10, the company’s first production engine with 1,070 units manufactured between 1914 and 1915. Fiat Aviazione’s main focus remained the production of Military aircrafts such as the Fiat biplane fighter aircraft of the 1930s, fighters CR.20, G.50, G.55, and a bomber, the Fiat BR.20. But post-war, Fiat shifted its efforts to their automotive division and by 1969, Fiats Aviazione became Aeritalia.

However, their cars meanwhile were gaining popularity and soon they became the largest Italian automaker. After the success of cars like the Fiat 500 and the Fiat 124, they expanded and acquired other well-known brands including Ferrari. Currently, Fiat is part of the Stellantis which is the sixth-largest automaker in the world and is now heavily investing in EV technology as their first fully electric Fiat 500e has started to arrive at dealer lots.

Subaru

Subaru has gained quite the fan following for their oddly shaped vehicles, their boxer engines, and their legendary rally prowess but apart from all these, they also play a crucial role in the modern aviation industry. Subaru’s roots can be traced back to Fuji heavy industries that started as an Aircraft Research Laboratory in 1915 and were reorganized as the Nakajima Aircraft Company in 1932. They played a major role in manufacturing aircraft for Japan during WWII and they continue to make equipment for Boeing and have even made rotary wings like the Subaru Bell 412EPX.

Their automotive division on the other hand started gaining popularity by making compact family haulers in the mid-50s such as the Subaru 1500. Modern Subaru’s have gained quite a popularity in the US markets with models like the Forester, Impreza, and Outback. Subaru’s success in the automotive sector, world rally stages, and its pioneering tech in the aviation industry shows what this humble Japanese brand is truly capable of.

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi heavy industries are one mighty industrial unit that started life as Fuji Heavy Industries also own Subaru. After becoming an independent entity Mitsubishi was invested heavily in industries like shipping. Mitsubishi’s aviation efforts started with manufactured military aircraft for WWII. The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a primary Japanese naval fighter in World War II and was used by Imperial Japanese Navy pilots throughout the war, including in kamikaze attacks, and were famed for their maneuverability. The modern-day Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation is responsible for making regional passenger aircrafts such as the Mitsubishi SpaceJet.

Mitsubishi’s pursuit in the automotive sector started much later in 1970 as the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Automobile Division. But Mitsubishi’s first car dates back to 1917 when the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co.Ltd. introduced the Mitsubishi Model A, Japan’s first series-production automobile. They rose to fame especially in the west thanks to products like the Pajero and the Lancer and their success in WRC cemented their reputation as makers of some of the toughest four-wheelers on the planet. Mitsubishi is now part of the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance and continues to make cars for the global market.

Source: https://www.topspeed.com/cars/aviation-to-automobiles-a-list-of-companies-that-went-from-producing-airplanes-to-cars-ar194817.html