Platform sharing is not a new phenomenon. It predates WWII, but the American Big Three were responsible for implementing it on a big scale. In the 1940s, General Motors was one of the first to develop four platforms (imaginatively called A, B, C, and D), which served as the underpinning for every car under its umbrella.
This engineering initiative quickly spread worldwide, especially in countries deeply affected by the war. With scarce resources in the UK, most of Europe, and Asia, manufacturers sought ways to produce cars as cheaply as possible to kickstart the economy. This led to several iconic vehicles like the OG Mini, Citroen 2CV, Fiat 500 and the VW Beetle. As the brands expanded, all three of these cars would eventually donate their platform to other vehicles.
The only reason platform sharing feels so new is that we now have access to information on a much larger scale. Before the age of the internet, it was much easier to hide such things. Still, now it’s widely known that the Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser all ride on the same fundamental underpinnings.
