On August 27, 1947, a group of 24 independent car rental operators with 800 vehicles and 60 locations founded National Car Rental. Thus began a relationship that would see the group become a leader in its field. In 1959, the group incorporated as a for-profit corporation and quickly established an identity as "the best in localised, personal service."
Over the years, National Car Rental would go on to pioneer many industry features to improve the rental experience for their customers. In 1954, they became the first car rental brand to offer one-way rentals for those wishing to rent cars in one town and leave them in another. In 1966, National Car Rental equipped its regional reservation offices with the "Telemax" computer system, officially becoming the first car rental company to bring computers into daily reservation operations. After airline industry deregulation in 1976, National Car Rental opened its doors to the new wave of leisure travelers when it became the first to offer flat rates to car renters.
As National Car Rental continued to grow and evolve, so too did its identity. While being one of the earliest companies to initiate corporate account business in the late '70s, the 1980s and beyond for National Car Rental can be characterised by its commitment to the corporate traveler. Through tremendous growth, organizational changes and new travel industry innovations, National Car Rental has remained a leader. Today, National Car Rental is a premium, internationally recognised brand serving the daily rental needs of the frequent airport business traveler throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific Rim. National is part of a global strategic alliance with Europcar, creating the world’s largest car rental network. In 2007, National Car Rental and its sister company Alamo Rent A Car were acquired by the Taylor Family of St. Louis, which also owns and operates Enterprise Rent-A-Car.