Among the hundreds of thousands of vehicle models in the world, only a selected few start with the letter V.
Unfortunately, the majority of these vehicles have now been defunct, but those that are available to the public impress with their specs and overall build.
From the ever-popular Volkswagen to the more niche Venturi, here are some of the top brands of cars that start with V!
1. Volkswagen
Let’s start this list off strong with arguably the most popular car brand with the letter V: Volkswagen.
Volkswagen is a German automotive company that was established in 1937 by Deutsche Arbeitsfront in Berlin.
Back then, cars were a luxury only the rich can afford. To make passenger cars more affordable, the Volkswagen Group took it upon themselves to create budget-friendly vehicles, hence the name Volkswagen—which literally translates to “people’s car.”
Unfortunately, the outbreak of World War II prevented the mass production of Volkswagen. Instead, workers were forced to build military vehicles and other armaments instead of what the company originally intended.
As soon as the war ended in 1945, Volkswagen went back to producing people’s cars. The Käfer and the Transporter models were so popular that they became Germany’s symbol of an economic miracle.
2. Volvo
Volvo v40
Founded in 1927 in Gothenburg, Sweden, Volvo is one of the oldest Swedish car brands that still exist today.
Although mostly known for its hefty list of luxury car models, Volvo regularly manufacturers SUVs, sedans, and station wagons. When it was still under the name AB Volvo, the company manufactured buses, trucks, and construction equipment.
In March 2021, Volvo announced that the company would transition to a fully electric brand by 2030.
Volvo currently owns approximately 49.5% of Polestar, a Swedish automotive brand established in 1996, and 30% of Lynk & Co, a Chinese-Swedish automobile brand established in 2016.
3. VL-Automotive
VLF Automotive is an American automotive company that was established in 2012 by Gilbert Villarreal and Bob Lutz.
The company displayed its very first model, the Destino, at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was based on the luxury plug-in range-extended electric sports vehicle Fisker Karma.
Three years later, the company announced the production of the VLF Force 1, a limited edition HP American sports car based on the Dodge Viper (VX I).
Although neither secured large orders, the Destino and the Force 1 received a positive reception from sports car enthusiasts.
4. VUHL
VUHL, which stands for Vehicles of Ultra-Lightweight and High Performance, is a Mexican automotive company that manufactures high-performance vehicles. It was founded in 2010 by the brothers Iker and Guillermo Echeverria when they were just 26 and 29 years old respectively.
Currently, the company has manufactured two sports vehicles: the VUHL 05 and the Vuhl 05RR.
The VUHL 05 was unveiled at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed. It wasn’t anything game-changing, but it did receive an overwhelmingly positive response for a first attempt.
The Vuhl 05RR made a reappearance at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s much like the VUHL 05, except it’s more powerful and lightweight. The 05RR took part in the Race of Champions events from 2017 to 2021.
5. Vauxhall
Vauxhall Astra L_Image source: Pinterest
Vauxhall, officially Vauxhall Motors Limited, is a British automotive company that sells passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and electric cars. It also used to sell buses, vans, and trucks under the brand Bedford Vehicles.
Founded in 1857, Vauxhall is considered one of the oldest established vehicle manufacturers and distributors in the UK.
As of 2020, Vauxhall’s top models include the Astra (small family car), the Insignia (large family car), the Combo Life (MPV), and the Crossland (subcompact SUV).
6. Venucia
Venucia is a car brand under the Dongfeng Nissan Company. The brand was established in 2010 specifically for the Chinese domestic market.
In 2011, Venucia launched the D50 mid-class saloon, its first production model. A year later, in September 2012, Dongfeng Nissan unveiled the R50 five-door mid-size hatchback car. Both models were budget-friendly as they were aimed towards first-time buyers.
By 2014, over 200,000 Venucia cars were sold in China. This success spurred the company to make newer and better models.
The Venucia e30 is the company’s first and only electric car. The concept model was unveiled in 2012 and was released for public sale in 2014. The first version of the EV (2015–2018) is based on the Nissan Leaf, and the second version of the EV (2019–present) is based on the Renault City K-ZE.
7. Voisin
Avions Voisin, or Voisin for short, was a French luxury automotive brand that was established in 1919.
The company was founded by Gabriel Voisin, who pioneered and created Europe’s first engine-powered aircraft that was capable of sustained and circular controlled flight.
Most Voisin cars are constructed with Knight-type sleeve valve engines and light aluminum alloy. The 1923 Voisin Laboratoire was the company’s most notable model because it was one of the first-ever vehicles that were constructed with a monocoque chassis.
The company produced and traded cars until it was defunct in 1939.
8. Vencer
Vencer Sarthe_Image source: Pinterest
Founded in 2010 by Robert Cobben, Vencer is a Dutch supercar company that manufactures high-performance sports cars.
The Vencer Sarthe is the company’s first and only model to date. It was hand-built in 2013 and was unveiled by Prince Albert II, the sovereign prince of Monaco, at the Top Marques. It was given several awards, including the 2013 “Most Sensational Supercar” award.
The Sarthe was inspired by race cars that appeared in the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans. It reaches a top speed of 210 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in only 3.6 seconds.
9. VinFast
Founded in 2017 by Vingroup, VinFast is the first Vietnamese automotive brand that was distributed to the global market. It’s also the first Vietnamese car brand that produced electric vehicles, and the first Vietnamese automaker to participate in the major international auto show.
Despite only having been established in 2017, VinFast has developed over 15 different models, ranging from automobiles to EVs.
The company’s models were designed with the help of notable brands such as Magna Steyr, BMW, and Pininfarina. The LUX A2.0 and the LUX SA2.0, in particular, are based on the last generation BMW products.
10. Victress
Victress is an American company founded in 1952. It specialized in the production of fiberglass car bodies.
The company launched its first-ever sports car, the Victress S1A, in 1954. It was quickly dubbed the “World’s Fastest Sports Car” when it reached a world record time of 203.105 mph.
From that point on, Victress cars were recognized as some of the world’s fastest sports cars of the early ’50s.
11. Venturi
Venturi Fetish_Image source: Pinterest
Founded in 1984 by French engineers Gérard Godfroy and Claude Poiraud, Venturi was the most recent attempt at building a luxury sports car after the 1980s war in France.
Although the company faced many challenges, including lack of funds and understaffing, it nonetheless persisted for nearly 16 years.
When the company declared bankruptcy in 2000, Gildo Pallanca Pastor, a Monegasque businessman, purchased Venturi. But instead of producing regular cars, Gildo Pallanca Pastor focused on electric-powered cars.
This appeared to be the right move, as it led to the limited production of the world’s first electric sports car: the Fétish.
The Fétish was met with enthusiasm, which led the brand to develop five other innovative concept cars.
12. Vega
Vega, officially Vega Innovations, is a Sri Lankan automobile company that was founded by Dr. Harsha Subasinghe and Dr. Beshan Kulapala in 2013.
In 2015, the company announced its first and only model: the all-electric battery-powered Vega EVX. It was expected to reach 62 mph in 3.5 seconds and generate approximately 900 hp.
The EVX prototype was built in 2017 but was only presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the vehicle was presented via live stream.
The newly unveiled Vega EVX could reach 62 mph in 3.1 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph, but the company claims that the production version can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in less than 2.0 seconds, which can achieve a top speed of 236 mph.
If all goes well, the Vega EVX will reach the public market sometime in 2022.
13. Valmet
Founded in 1968, Valmet Automotive is a manufacturing service provider that has designed and produced more than 1.7 million vehicles on behalf of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, and others.
The company’s first Valmet-brand vehicle was dubbed the Valmet Raceabout, which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show as an example of what a modern sports car should look like in the future.
Today, Valmet is mostly focused on producing convertibles, premium vehicles, and electric cars for luxury brands such as BMW, Mini, and Mercedes-Benz.
Final Thoughts
There you have it; my list of top 13 cars that start with V!
Some are more recognizable than others, like the Volkswagen and Volvo, but I’ve also included lesser-known brands that deserve more recognition, like the Venucia, the Venturi, and the VinFast.
With enough luck, you may stumble upon the rarer models in auto shows and car auctions.
