Warren Avis founded Avis in 1946 as a car-rental company serving travelers at airports.
Avis began with three cars at Willow Run Airport in Michigan, near Detroit. The company’s airport-focused model addressed a growing need for convenient transportation among air travelers. Avis later expanded through company operations, licensing, and franchising, becoming one of the major names in vehicle rental.
The company became especially associated with the advertising line “We Try Harder,” introduced in 1962. The slogan positioned Avis as a challenger to the larger Hertz business and became one of the best-known campaigns in rental-car history.
Avis is sometimes confused with Budget, another major rental brand. Avis and Budget were separate brands for many years, although Avis Budget Group later became the parent company of both. Enterprise is also a separate rental company, founded much later by Jack Taylor.