Badge engineering is one of automotive history’s most reliable open secrets — two brands, one car, different logos on the grille. The Pontiac Vibe and the Toyota Matrix are a textbook example, as are the Mitsubishi 3000GT and the Dodge Stealth. At its core, the practice lets automakers share development costs while tapping into each other’s market strengths — a win-win that has quietly shaped the industry for decades.
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