Thrifty was founded in 1958 in the U.S.A. In 1987, the company went public and 2 years later (1989), Chrysler Corporation acquired it along with Dollar Rent A Car.
In November 2012, Hertz Global Holdings bought the two companies through its subsidiary Hertz Coorporation, operates car rental business through the brands of Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar, having more than 10.000 locations all over the world.
In Bulgaria, Thrifty operates as a franchise by Autotechnica Ltd, with locations in the biggest cities and airports of Bulgaria.