Dacia. Dodge. De Tomaso.
Most people can name maybe two car brands that start with D before their brain hits a wall. It’s a weirdly polarized letter in the automotive world. On one end, you’ve got the rugged, tire-shredding American muscle of Detroit; on the other, you have ultra-affordable Romanian commuters that have basically conquered the European market.
Then there are the ghosts. The brands that don't exist anymore but still haunt the dreams of collectors and enthusiasts.
If you’re looking for a new car, a used gem, or you’re just trying to win a very specific trivia night, understanding these "D" brands is actually pretty useful. They represent some of the most drastic shifts in how we move from point A to point B.
The Unstoppable Rise of Dacia
Honestly, Dacia shouldn't be this successful.
When Renault bought the Romanian brand back in 1999, it was a joke. People thought they were just buying a factory to build outdated scraps. But then the Logan happened. It was a car designed for people who didn't care about soft-touch plastics or ambient lighting. They wanted a tool.
Fast forward to 2026, and the Dacia Sandero is frequently the best-selling car in Europe. It beats out the Volkswagen Golf. It beats out the Renault Clio. Why? Because everything else got too expensive.
Dacia’s strategy is basically "everything you need, nothing you don't." You’ve probably seen the Duster. It’s a compact SUV that looks like it could handle a mountain trail but costs less than a loaded hatchback from most other brands. They use older Renault platforms that are already paid for, which keeps the price floor incredibly low.
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It’s not just about being cheap anymore, though. The Dacia Spring is one of the most affordable ways to get into an EV. It’s light. It’s simple. It’s proof that you don't need a $60,000 "techno-tank" to go electric.
Dodge and the Death of the V8
Dodge is in the middle of an identity crisis.
For the last decade, their entire brand was built on one thing: the Hellcat. They stuffed a supercharged V8 into everything—the Challenger, the Charger, even the Durango SUV. It was loud. It was smoky. It was very, very American.
But things changed.
The Challenger as we knew it is gone. In its place, we have the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT, an electric muscle car with a "Fratzonic Chamber Exhaust" that uses air to mimic the sound of a V8. It’s polarizing. Some people love the tech; others think it’s like putting a speaker on a bicycle to make it sound like a Harley.
Beyond the muscle cars, Dodge is leaning on the Hornet. It’s a compact crossover based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale. It’s fast for its class, but it’s a massive departure from the big-body cruisers the brand is famous for. Dodge is basically trying to prove that "muscle" is an attitude, not just a combustion engine. Whether the fans buy it is another story entirely.
The Luxury and Oddity of DS Automobiles
Most Americans have never heard of DS.
Originally, DS was a model under Citroën—the legendary, space-age DS from the 1950s that looked like a UFO. In 2014, it became its own standalone luxury brand under the PSA Group (now Stellantis).
They’re trying to do something different than the Germans. While BMW and Audi focus on "precision" and "tech," DS is all about French luxury. Think watch-strap leather seats, crystal-shaped buttons, and "clous de Paris" guilloché finishes.
The DS 7 and DS 9 are their flagships. They aren't the fastest cars on the road, but they have a suspension system that uses a camera to scan the road ahead and adjust the dampers before you even hit a bump. It’s called "Active Scan Suspension." It’s clever. It’s very French.
Daihatsu and the Art of the Small
If you’ve ever been to Tokyo, you’ve seen Daihatsu.
They are the kings of the Kei car. In Japan, there are strict rules about car size and engine displacement to save space and reduce emissions. Daihatsu thrives here. Their cars are tiny boxes on wheels that maximize every single millimeter of interior space.
The Daihatsu Copen is a highlight—it’s a tiny, turbocharged roadster with a folding hardtop. It’s essentially a toy you can drive on the highway.
However, it hasn't been all smooth sailing. Recently, Daihatsu was hit with a major safety testing scandal that forced them to halt production temporarily. It was a massive blow to their reputation for reliability. They are currently rebuilding that trust, focusing on "sincerity" in their engineering. It's a reminder that even the biggest players can trip over their own shadows.
Daewoo: The Ghost in the Machine
You can’t talk about car brands that start with D without mentioning Daewoo.
In the late 90s, they were everywhere. The Lanos, the Nubira, the Leganza. They were affordable Korean cars that tried to undercut Hyundai and Kia. Then, the Asian financial crisis hit, and the company collapsed in a spectacular fashion.
General Motors eventually scooped up the remains. If you ever drove a Chevrolet Spark, Sonic, or Aveo, you were basically driving a Daewoo. The engineering lived on under the Chevy bowtie for years. In South Korea, the brand was officially rebranded to Chevrolet in 2011, effectively killing the Daewoo nameplate.
The Wild World of De Tomaso
This is where things get beautiful and expensive.
De Tomaso is an Italian brand founded by an Argentinean racer, Alejandro de Tomaso. Their most famous car is the Pantera. It was a gorgeous Italian supercar with a Ford V8 in the middle. It was the best of both worlds: Italian style and American reliability (mostly).
The brand died for a while, but it’s back.
The new De Tomaso P72 is a work of art. It’s manual. It’s analog. It has an interior that looks like it was designed by a master jeweler. It’s a total rejection of the "screen-heavy" dashboards we see in modern Teslas or Mercedes. It’s a car for people who actually like the mechanical act of driving.
Delage and Delahaye: The Forgotten Royalty
Before World War II, French luxury wasn't DS. It was Delage and Delahaye.
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These were the cars of kings and movie stars. They were "coachbuilt," meaning the manufacturer built the chassis and engine, and then you sent it to a specialized artist to build the body.
These cars routinely win "Best of Show" at Pebble Beach today. They represent a level of craftsmanship that simply doesn't exist anymore. While they aren't mass-producing commuters, their influence on car design—the long hoods, the sweeping fenders—is still felt in modern luxury design.
Why Does This List Matter?
Diversity.
The "D" brands show the full spectrum of why we buy cars.
- Dacia proves we want value.
- Dodge proves we want excitement.
- DS proves we want style.
- Daihatsu proves we need efficiency.
When you look at car brands that start with D, you’re looking at a microcosm of the entire industry. You have the shift from gas to electric (Dodge/Dacia), the importance of heritage (De Tomaso), and the reality of corporate consolidation (Daewoo).
Actionable Insights for Car Buyers
If you’re actually in the market for one of these, here is the "real talk" advice:
- Buying a Dacia? Skip the base trim. The mid-range "Expression" or "Extreme" trims add the basic creature comforts you'll actually want (like a touchscreen that works) for a negligible price increase.
- Looking at a used Dodge? Check the tires and the transmission. "Hellcat" and "Scat Pack" owners aren't known for driving gently. If the rear tires are bald and the service records are thin, walk away.
- Interested in a DS? Make sure there is a dealership near you. Because they share parts with other Stellantis brands (Peugeot/Citroën), they are reliable, but specialized bodywork or interior components can be a pain to source if you aren't near a hub.
- Hunting for a classic Pantera? Watch for rust. The Italian bodies weren't always well-sealed against the elements, even if the Ford engines are bulletproof.
The landscape of "D" brands is changing fast. By the end of this decade, Dodge will likely be an all-electric powerhouse, and Dacia might be the only brand left making a truly "cheap" car. Keep your eyes on the Duster; it’s the bellwether for where the average driver is heading.
Next Steps for Researching D-Brands
To get a better feel for these vehicles, check out the official configurators for the Dacia Duster and the Dodge Hornet. Comparing the price-to-performance ratio between these two will give you a perfect snapshot of how different brands under the same letter can be. If you're a classic car fan, look up the auction history of the De Tomaso Pantera on Bring a Trailer to see how values have skyrocketed lately.