Cars have always fascinated us and today they’re technological marvels that would be unimaginable in the days when races were thrilling at sub-150 kph speeds. As the designs of cars have evolved and become more streamlined, some of the most famous famous car logo designs have remained virtually unchanged since their beginnings.
Often you’ll find car logos have unique meanings or hide a special significance to the automaker within the design. We’ll be taking a look at some of the most famous car logos ever created and explore their designs and the meaning behind each.
1. Abarth
Abarth is owned by Fiat but the Abarth logo continues to be in use, most notably for their Italian racing cars. Over time since the brand’s founding in 1949 by Armando Scagliarini, Abarth has come to be associated with speed and quality within Italian racing.
The logo is a shield of vivid red, green, and yellow with a strip representing the Italian flag with its red, green, and white vertical striping along with a prominent black scorpion. The red and yellow of the badge represents the world of racing and the Italian flag is a nod to Scagliarini’s Italian ancestry (he was half-Italian). The prominent scorpion? Simply because Scagliarini’s astrological sign, Scorpio.
2. Alfa Romeo
Another Italian car company, but one founded by Frenchman Alexandre Darracq. Alexandre founded the company as Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, and that is how we get the “ALFA” in Alfa Romeo. After the company’s founding in 1910 the brand came to be known as Alfa Romeo within Italian racing circles.
The logo design was inspired by the coat of arms on a gate outside of the Castello Sforzesco and the logo was designed in house by Romano Cattaneo in `1910. The Alfa Romeo logo incorporates the crowned viper and the red cross, both symbols of Milan. The viper on the right side of the logo represents the historical rulers of Milan, the Visconti family. There are a number of stories behind the viper symbolism but principally it is the notion that the snake is a circular animal and can renew itself.
3. Audi
Of all the car logo designs we look at, Audi has some of the most brilliance behind its design. Audi is a German automaker and was founded in 1909 by August Horch. The brand’s name itself comes from the Latin word “to listen.:
The instantly recognizable logo is composed of 4 intertwined rings. The four rings came to be in 1932 when four companies merged to form Audi and each of the rings represents one of the companies. The design is simple and the meaning is unique. The confluence of the meaning represented with elegant simplicity is what makes the Audi logo a brilliant example of logo design.
4. BMW
The BMW logo is one of the most iconic of car logo designs. Originally the plan for BMW was to design and build engines for airplanes, and for that reason there’s the misconception that the blue and white is representative of an airplane propeller in motion. The actual origin of the BMW logo is that it is based on one of founder Franz Josef Popp’s previously owned companies.
Popp’s former company was Rapp Motorenwerke and it failed after World War I.
Bayerische Motoren Werke was registered in 1917 and used a similar design to Rapp Motorenwerke but replaced the center design with the white and blue colors of Popp’s national flag. Today the BMW logo is iconic.
5. Chevrolet
Chevrolet, commonly referred to as Chevy, is an American car brand that has a unique logo design with a past that can only be described as murky because no one knows where it originates. The company was founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. Durant is said to be the designer of the logo while the brand bears the name of Chevrolet. Some stories say that Durant was inspired by an expanded Swiss flag and others cite his inspiration to be the wallpaper in a Paris hotel.
Although its origins are unknown, the Chevrolet bow-tie logo design is one that is recognized around the globe. Like with others on this list, its simplicity is what makes it instantly recognizable.
6. Ferrari
Car logo designs don’t get more famous than the Prancing Horse of Ferrari. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari and known today for its racing and high performance sports cars, the brand has only had a logo since 1947.
The bright colors yellow, green and red contrast with the black horse. The green, white, and red represent the Italian national flag with the horse borrowed from the plane of Italian World War I Ace Count Francesco Baracca. The splash of yellow that composes the Ferrari shield is the color of Enzo Ferrari’s home city of Modena. Also in case you’re wondering, the S and F at the bottom stand for Scuderia Ferrari.
Sometimes you’ll see the Prancing Horse in silver without the shield.
7. Ford
Whether you’re a fan of Fords or not, the Ford brand must be included when discussing automotive history.
The logo design for Ford wasn’t always the blue oval that we know today. Back when the Model A was released in 1903 the logo was very intricate and complicated Victorian styled “Ford Motor Company”. Over the years the design has progressed and become less ornate while keeping the word “Ford” in the same cursive style.
In 1927 is when the blue oval would appear on car badges and evolve into one of the car logo designs we recognize immediately today.
8. Jaguar
Originally founded in 1922 and originally named the Swallow Sidecar Company, the first car came years later and was named Jaguar.
The Jaguar logo is clear and simple. A Jaguar mid-leap that represents speed and power. An earlier version badge featuring the face of a roaring Jaguar was first used and can still be seen today, but the leaping Jaguar appeared in 1945 and is currently used across all of Jaguar’s branding.
9. Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., more commonly known simply as Lamborghini, is an Italian automotive brand. Although Lamborghini makes SUVs and tractors, the brand is mostly known for its high performance vehicles with powerful V-12 engines.
A simple two tone logo of gold and black with the name Lamborghini and a bull. The bull represents all that is Lamborghini. In 1962, Ferruccio Lamborghini visited a breeder and was enamored with the animal. The bull represents the strength of the cars along with a hint of danger associated with a charging bull. Overall the bull is speed, power, and dominance. Also, with Ferruccio Lamborghini’s astrological sign a Taurus, the bull represents the founder himself.
10. Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes Benz is one of the car logo designs that’s recognized around the world for luxury. Under Daimler AG, the brand was known in 1926 as Daimler-Benz and was later changed to Mercedes Benz in recognition of the first gasoline powered automobile, which was created by the company in 1886.
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft registered both a three-point and four-point star logo as trademarks in 1909, but only the three-point star has been used. The point of each star represents a mode of transportation: land, water, and air.
11. Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors has a unique emblem and the story to go with it. The logo is the combination of two family crests. Tosa bought out the Tsukumo Shokai Company from the Iwasaki family. The two crests, one a stack of three rhombuses and the other a three leaf oak symbol were combined to make the three diamonds that compose the Mitsubishi logo we know today.
The company’s name itself is derived from the logo design. “Mitsu” is counter for the number three in Japanese and “hishi” is a diamond shape. This is a logo with a rich history that can be used as reference for complex storytelling of a company’s history through minimal design.
12. Peugeot
Peugeot is the oldest continuous automaker in existence today, with having its first auto built in 1889. However, the company wasn’t always a carmaker. Originally Peugeot operated a steel foundry and made products ranging from umbrella frames to band saws.
The lion logo came into use in 1847, before the company began making automobiles. The original logo is a detailed profile of a lion head roaring to represent a lion’s strength and the sharpness of a lion’s teeth. Over time the logo has evolved to show the full lion with paws extended. The addition of the extended paws is intended to communicate a balance between humanity and strength.
13. Rolls Royce
Rolls Royce Motor Cars Limited was founded in 1906 is currently owned by BMW since, but is a renowned British automaker.
The Rolls Royce logo appears on the grill of every vehicle along with the Spirit of Ecstasy statue that’s also known as the “Silver Lady.” The statue was inspired by an image of Nike in the Louvre. As for the logo, the overlapping R’s show harmony and also represent “You have me/I have you.”
The Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls Royce logo badge on the grill of the car form a triangle shape that gives it an elegant yet modern look.
14. Tesla
Tesla was formed in 2002 in Palo Alto, California. The company is an energy and automotive company and its founder is Elon Musk. Tesla makes two types of motors, and one is a three phase, four pole AC induction model with a copper rotor. That engine serves as the inspiration for the Tesla logo. It’s the motor that is used in the Tesla Model S and Model X.
Conveniently, the cross section of the motor also forms a T that not only stands for the company name but also the company’s namesake, Nikola Tesla. The same agency that designed the Tesla logo also designed the logo for Elon Musk’s other venture, SpaceX.
15. Toyota
At first glance the Toyota logo looks like a clearly stylized letter T within an oval. However, the Toyota logo is full of hidden symbolism. The Toyota story begins in 1924 when Sakichi Toyoda created the Model G Automatic Loom Machine. 9 years later, in 1933 Toyota would build its first car.
The symbolism of the Toyota logo is found in its shapes. The overlapping ovals symbolize the company’s goals of ensuring customer satisfaction and the reliability of their cars. The long ovals signify the trust Toyota’s customers put into the brand.
16. Volvo
Volvo is Latin for “I roll” and the company was originally created as a ball bearing business. Today Volvo not only makes cars but also trucks, buses, construction, and drives for mechanical and marine systems.
Around 1924 a Volvo sales manager began working on a car that could endure both cold temperatures and unpaved roads. At this same time the company adopted the logo we know today. The circle with arrow is the ancient symbol for iron and also the symbol for Mars0the Roman god of war. The diagonal band is decorative today, but was originally used to fasten the logo to the front of the car. Overall the symbolism of the logo communicates strength and durability.
Car Logo Designs for Inspiration
You might not be seeking a logo for a car company, but these logos can serve as inspiration for the symbolism that to be represented in your logo. Although many of these logos are decades old, they retain a sense of modernity with rare modifications. Just like the logos listed here, the logo for your company should have its own special meaning. Use your logo today to tell your brand’s unique story for you later.
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