Rent-A-Wreck is an American

car rental A car rental, hire car or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time to the public, generally ranging from a few hours to a few weeks. It is often organized with numerous local branches (which allow a user to ...

company renting vehicles that have been previously owned by individuals or other rental car companies. They are also known for accommodating younger drivers and those with poor or no credit. The company's trademark phrases are 'The Smart Alternative' and 'Don't Let The Name Fool You!,' the latter referring to how the vehicles in their rental fleet are not "wrecks."

History

Rent-A-Wreck was founded in 1968 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

and sold its first franchise in 1973. Since then, it has opened franchised locations in 41 of the 50 U.S. states,

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

, and

Sint Maarten Sint Maarten () is a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. With a population of 41,486 as of January 2019 on an area of , it encompasses the southern 44% of the divid ...

island in the Caribbean. The company operates primarily in neighborhood locations, often connected to or in close proximity to repair facilities, car dealerships or other automotive related services. Some Rent-A-Wreck locations offer airport pick-up and drop off. Rent-A-Wreck was purchased by JJF Management on January 26, 2006. Long time employee, Jason Maneli, was made President of Rent-A-Wreck in July 2018.

International expansion

A separate Calgary-based Rent-A-Wreck was founded in 1976 in

Prince George, BC Prince George is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, with a population of 74,004 in the metropolitan area. It is often called the province's "northern capital" or sometimes the "spruce capital" because it is the hub city for ...

and not affiliated with the US based firm (changed parent firm from Rent-A-Wreck Capital, Incorporated to Franchise Services of North America, Incorporated). This firm offers car and truck rentals in all 10 provinces and the

Yukon Territory Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

. This Canadian operation is known as PractiCar since 2008.

References

External links

* {{Renters Car rental companies of the United States American companies established in 1968 Retail companies established in 1968 Transport companies established in 1968 1968 establishments in California