Car Rental Companies

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 ...