Most Popular Car Logos and Their Meaning

Car brands are often associated with the image they represent. For instance, Lamborghini is the Italian luxury supercar for the young and famous, while Ford is for the hard working man. This brand image can be hard to shift, even if the car manufacturer diversified their production models. The logo design plays very important role in the company’s brand identity. The badge on the back of the car is synonymous with branding, and people are highly influenced by the reputation of the car’s brand when choosing their new car. Most car logos are memorable, unique and intricately designed. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous car logos and the fascinating stories behind their creation!

Audi

Audi is one of the most famous car brands in the world. The Audi logo design is simple but very effective. The four overlapping rings of the Audi badge represent the four companies that merged together: DKW, Horch, Wanderer, and Audi. The Audi logo was designed in 1915 by Lucian Bernhard and modified in 1994 by Sedley Place. The well-designed Audi logo has remained unchanged for years.

Alfa Romeo

The Alfa Romeo logo is one of the coolest car logos ever made and certainly deserves a mention on this list for including a lot of history in the logo. The Alfa Romeo emblem is made up of the Milanese coat of arms while on the other side has a snake eating a man – one of the historical enemies of the Milanese, the Saracens. Since the company is proud of their history and national heritage, the Alfa Romeo logo is a true reflection of their history.

Jaguar

The Jaguar logo is very simple and comprises of a jumping jaguar above the company’s name. This animal is the embodiment of power, performance, and speed of the cars produced by the company. Despite the countless changes over the years, the Jaguar logo hasn’t changed that much. However, many people think that the current logo is over stylized and they prefer the company’s original badge.

Ferrari

The Ferrari logo is definitely one of the most recognizable car logos ever. The prancing horse was originally painted on the fighter plane Francesco Baracca, who was a brave airman of the first world war. In 1923, Baracca’s mother asked Enzo Ferrari to put the black prancing horse on all of his cars for good luck. The horse was and remained black, and Ferrari just added the canary yellow background which is the color of Modena.

Volvo

The Volvo logo was designed by the famous Swedish calligrapher and typographer Karl-Erik Forsberg in the 1950s. The design features the ancient chemical symbol for iron and represents strength. This symbol is similar to the traditional symbol for male, which gives the Volvo cars an image of masculine strength.

Bentley

Bentley is a British classic automaker, who has become synonymous with luxury, opulence and celebrity lifestyle’s. The Bentley logo is simple, elegant and sophisticated, and features wings and tail feathers of a bird with a “B” in the middle. The wings come from the company’s beginning as aero engine manufacturer in 1919. The company began building cars in the 1920s, but the logo has remained unchanged.

Toyota

The Toyota logo is probably one of the best and well-designed car logos nowadays, because it is a symbol of practicality, simplicity, and elegance. Toyota has managed to pack hidden letters and a hidden meaning in their simple motor logo. Looking at the image, you can clearly see where the letters T-O-Y-O-T-A are hidden in the logo, but few people notice unless told first. The other detail that is easy to miss is that the logo is actually a picture of a thread going through the eye of a needle.