Still thriving after a century: these iconic brands are all over 100 years old

You’ve probably sipped a Coke, driven a Ford, or typed on an IBM computer over recent years without thinking much about it. But all those companies – and several more – are older than your grandparents’ vinyl record collection. Some of these modern day behemoths are even closing in on or pushing past 150 years, as recently shared by the always interesting World of Statistics.

As you can see from the list, Coca-Cola is 132, Cadillac is 122, and even Nintendo has been around for 135 years, which is wild when you remember it started with playing cards, not plumbers in overalls.

What is the oldest big brand still in business today?

At the top of this corporate endurance list is Finland’s Nokia, founded in 1865. That’s 160 years of reinvention – from rubber boots to telecoms. Toshiba (149) adds to the aforementioned Nintendo proving that Japan’s early industrial players were in it for the long haul.

In the U.S., Ford and Harley-Davidson, both 121 years old, still carry the legacy of American manufacturing grit, even if the engines are quieter these days.

How have century-old brands stayed relevant?

The trick to this longevity seems to be adapting without losing the original character. I still get a little jolt of nostalgia when I hear the clink of a glass Coke bottle or see an old movie with a classic Fiat or Renault chugging along.

There’s something about these icons that manages to feel timeless without being stale. And yes, while IBM may not be in your home office anymore, it’s quietly running half the back-end systems of the modern world.

Will modern companies last 100 years?

Now let’s compare that with today’s giants. Will the likes of TikTok, Tesla, or even Meta still be around in 2125? Or will they go the way of MySpace, Blockbuster and Blackberry? It’s difficult to know.

Sure, they’ve exploded in scale – but scale isn’t the same as staying power. Many are built on shifting tech, not tangible goods or deep-rooted customer habits. I mean, people are already nostalgic for Instagram like it’s a retro artifact. They’ve mastered virality – but what about legacy? That’s a different game. Then again, the adaptive lessons of the past can be used for success in the future.

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