Thrifty Car Rental Facts

• Founded in 1958 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by L.G. Crow.
• The company's first rental cars were Volkswagen Beetles that were available at a rate of $6 a day.
• The company was purchased in 1962 by William "Bill" Stemmons, a former Avis executive, who wanted to spread the company's message of "First Class Service at 'Thrifty' Rates."  
• In 1962, Thrifty became the first car rental company to adopt an off-airport strategy. In the late '60s, airline passengers could call Thrifty from the terminal and "Miss Thrifty," in her best Scottish plaid, would pick them up and take them to Thrifty's nearby rental car location.   
• In 1981, Stemmons sold the company to five seasoned executives with extensive industry experience.  The new ownership instituted dramatic changes that created a worldwide reservation center, changed how the company made fleet purchases, and helped make Thrifty a global company.        
• Globally, Thrifty Car Rental serves value-conscious travelers from more than 1,100 locations in 64 countries.

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Thyfty, Thrfty & Thrift

• Although "thrifty" is a word that every budget-conscious consumer understands, with today's hectic pace and the advent of spell-check, we often find some interesting misspellings and typos when those we serve write about or search for our company. Some common missteps include: Thryfty (replacing the "i" with a "y," Thrfty (missing the "i," and Thrift, without the "y".