KIOS Profiles

The First Car Rental Company

By David Koesters

Published June 21, 2023 at 12:22 PM CDT

Joe Saunders started the first known car rental company in the United States in Omaha, Nebraska. Learn about the Saunders System and how it got its start.

Special thanks to the Douglas County Historical Society for sharing this story. Old rental car commercial sound bites taken from Youtube archives of Avis and Hertz commercials from the 60s and 70s. Image from Wikipedia.

KIOS Profiles

David Koesters

David started in broadcasting at his hometown radio station in Holdrege, Nebraska while still in high school. He went on to earn journalism and law degrees from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and has worked for a number of radio and television stations around the United States. He is a big advocate for community media and loves being a part of the local fabric of NPR. He also has a cat.

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