The history of rental cars can be traced back to the early 20th century in Germany, when in 1912, Martin Sixt began to offer luxury cars for hire, often including a driver. In 1918, Walter Jacobs began the first rental car business in the United States with a fleet of 12 Model T Fords. In 1923, he sold his business to John Hertz, who gave the company the name Hertz Drive-Ur-Self System. This company in turn was acquired by General Motors in 1926, and today, Hertz is the largest airport general-use car rental brand in the world.

Rental cars provide a vital link in an increasingly diverse multimodal transportation system. Business and leisure travelers alike are traveling longer distances by rail or air, and then renting ...

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