Consolidated Automotive

Consolidated Automotive is a Gasmean automotive manufacturer founded in 1946. During World War II, Consolidated had produced aircraft for the Gasmean military. In 1946, the conglomerate expanded into passenger vehicles for the first time. Consolidated has been the largest domestic auto company in Gasmea by sales volume since 2004.

Early History (1940s-1950s)
Consolidated had been formed in 1938 as a conglomeration of smaller aircraft makers. However, the demand for military aircraft was lessened considerably after the war, and the company turned to other products. Consolidated's first passenger car was the Sedan, released in 1946, immediately after World War II. The Sedan was powered by the Consolidated SC8 4.3 liter V8. This engine gave the car good performance for the era, with a top speed of 100 miles per hour. It sold well for over a decade, receiving minor refreshes in 1954 and in 1958. By the time the Sedan was discontinued in 1960, it had become nearly a million-seller. In 1957, Consolidated saw the opportunity for a smaller sedan to appeal to a demographic not reached by the larger, more expensive Sedan. The Starlet was released in 1957 as an "entry-level" Consolidated to huge fanfare. It earned the second-ever "Car Of The Year" award from Gasmean Motorist magazine in 1958, and helped boost the flagging sales of the Sedan. The Starlet quickly became one of Gasmea's most popular cars, remaining on bestseller lists for a decade. Consolidated reached out further in 1961 with the release of a new light sports car, the Marathon. Designed to compete with the likes of the Halcyon HS and the Curiosare Volare, the Marathon received decent performance, if not spectacular, from it's Starlet-sourced inline 4. It was cheaper, though less refined, than it's competitors, and ultimately failed to truly catch on, seeing steady but relatively small sales for most of it's nine-year life. Consolidated began exporting cars to Hetvesia in 1955, and Hetvesian sales made up 14% of all Consolidateds sold in 1961.

1960s
By the mid-1960s, the muscle car era was in full swing, and Consolidated's management saw fit to capitalize with a new large coupe. The General materialized in 1964, using both the proven SC8 and a new, more powerful 5.3 liter V8 known as the GD8. The General filled a variety of niches, from family car and effective Sedan replacement to one of the hottest muscle cars of the era in the QC4 version with over 300 gross horsepower. As such, the General provided strong sales for the rest of the 1960s. At the same time, Consolidated sought to enter the midsize sedan market with the Mayflower of 1966. The Mayflower was a hugely ambitious project. Not only was it powered by Consolidated's first-ever V6 engine, but this V6 was mounted over the rear axle- a layout unheard of in a family sedan at the time. The bold strategy by Consolidated backfired spectacularly, as high cost, poor reliability, and atrocious handling combined to kill the Mayflower by 1970. Consolidated pressed ahead, however, unveiling two new models for 1968. The first of these was the Miami, a two-door premium convertible propelled by the same GD8 V8 found in the General. The Miami, although relatively low volume, was able to take on the best in it's class from anywhere in the world, and is generally considered as one of the finest cars of the 1960s. The second new-for-1968 model was the polar opposite of the Miami. The Elf subcompact packed an inline 3 engine and 4 seats into a 75 inch wheelbase, the smallest in a Gasmean car on sale at the time. It's combination of bargain cost and solid reliability and efficiency struck a chord with buyers, who snapped up the Elf in huge numbers. By 1975, the Elf had sold over eight million cars, and it would go on to top twelve million, becoming Gasmea's best-selling car of all time, a record it would hold until 1994.

1970s
On the strength of Elf sales, Consolidated grew from a relatively small manufacturer to a true member of the Gasmean "Big 3", alongside Larkspur and Macson. This growth was due in no small part to the 1973 fuel crisis. The Elf and a larger new model, the Certa hatchback of 1972, sold exceptionally well through the fuel crisis as economical and affordable options, and helped Consolidated survive the sales collapse of it's larger models. Late in the decade, the company expanded it's market with two new models. The first of these, the Everest, was a rugged, no-frills utility vehicle in both truck and SUV forms. While it never sold particularly well, the Everest is often described as a proto-SUV that laid the groundwork for the SUV craze of the 1990s and 2000s. The second new model was the C77, Consolidated's next attempt to crack the lucrative midsize sedan market. The C77 was one of the most advanced cars of it's era, and was a modest sales success. Notably, it pioneered the use of the inline-5 engine, which would become a Consolidated hallmark in later years.

1980s
On April 3, 1981, news broke that Consolidated CEO Mark Montril and dozens of other Consolidated executives were engaged in massive money laundering and corruption activities. The news made the front page of every newspaper in the country, and Consolidated stock prices plummeted by more than sixty percent in the following 24 hours. The following day became known as "Bloody Friday", as Montril and 26 other executives were fired as the largest automotive scandal in history grew. Consolidated sales instantly dropped by more than half, and the company went into financial freefall. The issue only got worse with time, especially when a second fraud operation within the company was discovered in July 1982. By 1983, Consolidated was on the verge of collapse. The Elf and Certa were gone, and the Everest and C77 were on their last legs. The company's only remaining developmental project, the Turbo sports car, was shelved. Consolidated Automotive offically declared bankruptcy on October 15, 1983. Two months later, the brand name was purchased by Frunian giant Kai Zhou Automotive Research, Inc. (KaZAR). Kazar revived the name, but no models that were previously in production. The only Consolidated design that carried over was the Turbo, which Kazar finished and released in 1984 to sales success. Also in 1984, a second generation Consolidated Certa went on sale as a badge-engineered version of the Kazar Giza compact car.Consolidated also began development of the MPV minivan, which was hugely successful from launch in 1987. Behind the continued strong sales of these three models, Consolidated regained its footing on stable financial ground, and began a reputation rebuild based on Kazar's outstanding public image. In 1989, the Certa was replaced by a badge-engineered version of the Kazar Nexus, which revived the Consolidated Starlet name.

1990s
With three models well in the black, Consolidated had climbed back to its former status as a semi-large, respected automaker by the early 1990s. In the late 1980s, Consolidated management had begun planning for a return to the midsize/fulsize sedan market. This return was realized in 1993, when Consolidated released the Enterprise. While classified as a fullsize car, the Enterprise was smaller than most, and fit between midsize and fullsize. It borrowed the 190-HP inline 5 from the MPV, as well as other key components. The Enterprise became a massive success, with best in class sales for the rest of the decade. This success was what truly launched Consolidated to new heights, surpassing its previous record sales totals and market share. The Enterprise was also notable for its success in touring car racing, Consolidated's first venture into motorsports in history. Shortly thereafter, Consolidated announced the production of a low-volume halo car to celebrate the company's upcoming 50th birthday in 1996. This car, allegedly developed as a side project by engineers without the knowledge of CEO David Harrison, broke cover in 1996 as the Fiftieth Anniversiary. With a 650-HP V10 driving the rear wheels, special 50th Anniversiary decals, and a production run of just 900 units, it is now considered one of the most valuable Consolidateds ever made. In 1997, Consolidated launched the second-generation Turbo. This car, Consolidated's effort to compete with popular convertible sports cars like the Fulton Taipan, was a disappointment, never gaining much ground before ultimately being discontinued in 2003. The following year, Consolidated launched a much more ambitious project- a subcompact car called the Highlight. A massive new factory was built, and sales of 250,000 a year or more were predicted. In reality, though, the Highlight was poorly built and its performance was the worst in its segment. The Highlight never even reached a tenth of that 250,000 per year figure, and was discontinued in 2001 at a massive loss. The Highlight is commonly considered the biggest flop in motoring history. In early 1999, Kazar sold the Consolidated brand. Now independent for the first time in 15 years, Consolidated pressed ahead with its fourth new model in four years. The VIP luxury SUV, developed as a collaboration with Liberty Trucks, marked the start of Consolidated's attempt to turn more upmarket headed into the new century.

2000s
2001 brought the introduction of an all-new Starlet, the first Consolidated developed entirely without outside help since the C77. While the Starlet was still successful small cars were no longer the brand's niche. A much bigger splash was made in 2002, with the introduction of the K2 SUV. SUVs had been made before by Consolidated, but they had been basic and utilitarian like the Everest or luxurious and low volume like the VIP. The K2 was the first "mainstream" Consolidated SUV, and it quickly jumped to near the top of the lineup. The Highlight was discontinued in 2001, and the Turbo in 2003. With the remaining five models (Starlet, Enterprise, MPV, K2, and VIP) all sales successes, Consolidated continued on for the rest of the decade. In 2004, Consolidated surpassed Macson for the title of Gasmea's largest domestic car manufacturer in terms of sales volume, a title it has held since. No more new models were introduced in the 2000s, as the company instead focused on revising and improving the existing lineup.

2010s
By 2012, many of Consolidated's offerings were becoming quite dated. In response, CEO David Harrison launched a much-publicized "blitz" of new models, with four coming in 2012 and 2013 alone. These included new generations of the Starlet and the K2, as well as a new MPV in 2015. The Enterprise remained the brand's best-seller, but lost sales to smaller, more economical midsize sedans. As a solution, in 2012 Consolidated created a new, smaller sibling to the Enterprise, named the Interstate. The Interstate was a true midsize sedan, built on a shortened version of the Enterprise architecture, and helped fill the gap in the company's model range. A year later, in 2013, the K3 subcompact SUV released. In contrast to other subcompact SUV offerings like the Grand Gorge Q, the Macson Canon, and the ROF ZC Brumby, the K3 was boxy and upright, not a sleek crossover. The K3 never reached its sales targets, but has sold moderately well since its introduction. In 2017 the redesigned and enlarged Enterprise released, now a dedicated full-size sedan. That same year, Consolidated released its first crossover, the compact Lagor. Consolidated's most recent new model was the Alanca premium convertible in 2018. In 2020, Consolidated's lineup is the largest in brand history, at 9 models. Additionally, Consolidated has begun to implement hybrid and electric powertrains, the first of which was the Starlet Hybrid in 2014. Hybrid versions of the Interstate, K3, Lagor, and MPV have followed, as well as an all-electric Starlet in 2019. An all-electric K2 is slated for 2021, and Consolidated has promised an electric premium sedan by mid-2022.