National typically caters to business travelers through its Emerald Club loyalty program that allows frequent customers to pick their own vehicles without stopping to fill out forms or deal with customer representatives.

In 1987, Paine Webber, a historical American brokerage firm, gained majority ownership of National.

[3] In 1995, National was owned by an investment group containing William Lobeck of Tulsa, Alvin Swanner of New Orleans, and Archer McWhorter of Houston.

[7] ANC filed for bankruptcy a year later; its properties were sold to Vanguard Automotive Group (controlled by Cerberus Capital Management) in 2003.

[8] On August 1, 2007 Enterprise Rent-A-Car assumed control of Vanguard Automotive Group.