1949	- Europcar is founded in Paris
1970	- Renault purchases Europcar
1973	- Creation of subsidiaries in Belgium, Germany, Holland and Switzerland
1974	- Acquisition of Budget in Italy: Corporate development in Spain
1981	- Acquisition of subsidiary in Portugal
1988	- Wagon-Lits purchases Europcar and sells 50% of the share of Volkswagen
1989	- Merger with Interrent Car Rental GmbH
1992	- Accor acquires Wagon-Lits including its 50% share of Europcar
1999	- Volkswagen takes over Accor's 50% share in Europcar
2000	- Budget Rent A Car is announced as a new strategic partner for Canada and North America
2006	- Europcar signs a strategic alliance with Vanguards in the US and acquires the European businesses of Vanguard EMEA
2008	- Europcar and Enterprise Rent-A-Car conclude strategic alliance: Europcar and North American leaders join forces to form the world's largest car rental network.

Awards

Europcar is first company to be awarded World's Leading Green Transport Solution Company at the World Travel Awards.

At the 2008 World Travel Awards ceremony on December 2 in the Turks & Caicos, Europcar was named the World's Leading Green Transport Solution Company, the environmental award launched this year. The company was also elected World's Leading Leisure Car Rental Company for the second year in a row.

The World Travel Awards are the "Oscars" of the travel industry, with 167,000 industry professionals voting for the best company in each category in seven regions of the world.

These two global awards not only reflect Europcar's professionalism but also its commitment to protecting the environment: a double victory for the group, which further strengthens its position as Europe's number one car hire company.  

Guirec Grand-Clément, Global Sales and Marketing Director of Europcar International, commented: "We are truly proud to have won these two awards. They represent our commitment to providing the highest quality of service – a value shared by our entire network, as demonstrated by the awards won by Europcar in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. In addition, the "Green" award also recognizes our commitment to a sustainable environmental policy that focuses on the safety and well-being of our customers, employees and partners."

Last June, Europcar announced that it had received certification from Bureau Veritas for its "Green Charter", which formalizes its commitment to protecting the environment. It consists of commitments in four main areas: a "green" fleet, recycling programs related to fleet maintenance, internal processes and initiatives to raise awareness including a carbon offset program for customers. The Green Charter is the first such certification for a company in Europe by Bureau Veritas, the world leader in inspection and certification services applied to quality, health and hygiene, safety, the environment and social responsibility.

These initiatives and the Green award highlight the innovative nature of a group that has made commitment to the environment its spearhead for the years to come, underscoring the pioneering role it has played in its industry.

In addition to the two "world’s best" prizes received, Europcar was also rewarded for its quality of service in four regions of the world in 2008, winning:
- Africa's Leading Car Hire Company;
- Asia-Pacific's Leading Car Hire Company;
- Europe's Leading Car Hire Company;
- Middle East's Leading Car Hire Company.

For more details, please visit http://www.worldtravelawards.com/