The objective of this study was to explore the structure of drivers’ initial trust in driving automation, which is supposed to be developed by several automobile brands. We conducted an online survey and examined the relationship between initial trust and automobile brands, using the human-machine trust model proposed by Muir and Moray. The results showed that drivers’ initial trust in driving automation comprised both faith and dependability, with dependability emerging as the dominant indicator. Higher degrees of initial trust were associated with greater regression weights for faith, while lower regression weights were observed for dependability. Notably, predictability emerged as an additional indicator alongside faith and dependability only for the automobile brand with low degree of initial trust in driving automation. These findings emphasize the need for automobile brands to adopt targeted design and promotion strategies for driving automation, with varied focal points, to manage drivers’ initial trust.