Car logo. Explore the history and meaning of famous brand automotive logos.

Each of us (regardless of whether we are fans of the automotive industry or not) distinguishes the logos of automobile brands - at least the most popular ones. However, how many of us really know their history? If we were to ask this question in a general forum, the number of hands raised would drop dramatically. It's a pity, because every car logo has its own background, and some of them have extremely interesting stories.

Which? Find out in the article. Read it and you will learn even more about your favorite car brands. Later, you will share it with your friends who love cars as much as you (and we).

Alfa Romeo logo - history of creation

If we organized a competition for the most interesting car logos, Alfa Romeo would undoubtedly have won first place. The logo of this brand immediately stands out from the background of others, and also differs in some mystery.

It depicts a red cross on a white background (left) and a snake holding a man in its mouth (right). Where does this connection come from?

Well, this is thanks to one of the employees of the company - Romano Cattaneo. The story goes that he invented the Alfa logo while waiting for the tram at Piazza Castello station in Milan. Romano was inspired by the city's flag (red cross) and the coat of arms of the Visconti family (snake) who ruled Milan during the Middle Ages.

Interestingly, there were several hypotheses about the symbolism of the coat of arms. Some argue that the snake eats a man (some theories say that this is a grown man, others ... a child). And others say that the beast does not eat, but spits out a person, which is a symbol of rebirth and purification.

Italians remained faithful to their idea, because the logo has not changed at all over the years.

The Audi logo - the history of the symbol

“Four rings are impressive,” fans of the brand said. While some of the Audi logos are linked to the Olympics (the symbol is pretty much the same, after all), there's a different story behind the rings of German cars.

What?

You will find the answer to this question in 1932. It was then that four car companies of the time (Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer) merged into Auto Union. It was a reaction to a devastating economic crisis that simultaneously hit the world. The four rings in the logo symbolize the four companies that together have revamped the Audi brand.

The very name "Audi" has an interesting story too.

It was taken from August Horch, who founded the automotive company "August Horch & Cie". However, after some time, the company's authorities decided to get rid of him. August did not give up and launched another company, which he also wanted to sign with his name. Unfortunately, the court found that he could not use the same name, so August translated the name into Latin. "Horch" in German means "to listen", which is exactly "Audi" in Latin.

Apparently, the idea came from the founder's ten-year-old son.

BMW logo - history of creation

BMW (German Bayerische Motoren Werke, or Bavarian Motor Works) signs its cars with a logo that has been known to everyone for over 90 years. The round blue and white dial, black bezel and the word “BMW” mean that we are still a true jewel of the automotive industry to this day.

But where did this Bavarian car logo idea come from?

There are two theories about this. The first (better known) says that the logotype symbolizes the spinning propeller of an airplane. A meaningful explanation given that the company started out as Rapp-Motorenwerke and originally produced aero engines.

According to the second theory, the bi-blue shield symbolizes the flag of Bavaria, which is originally a chessboard of these colors. However, this thesis is somewhat controversial.

Dlaczego?

Because when the BMW logo was created, German trademark law prohibited the use of coats of arms or other national symbols. Therefore, representatives of the Bavarian company claim that the two-color shield imitates an airplane propeller and that the resemblance to the Bavarian flag is "completely coincidental."

Citroen logo - the history of the symbol

Would you believe that Poland has made a big contribution to the appearance of the trademark of this car brand? The Citroen logo was created by the founder of the company, Andre Citroen, whose mother was Polish.

Andre himself once went to the country on the Vistula, where, among others, visited factories in Łódź that dealt with the production of textiles. He was immediately interested in the roof-toothed gear technology that he saw there. He was so delighted with it that he decided to buy a patent.

Over time, he improved it a bit. In Poland, he saw wooden gears, so he transferred them to a more durable material - steel.

André must have really appreciated this technology because when it came to choosing the Citroen logo, he immediately had an idea. The two inverted "V" letters that you see in the brand logo are the symbol of the teeth on the roof. The same thing that Andre saw in Poland.

In the original version, the Citroen logo was yellow and blue. And only in 1985 (after 64 years) he changed his colors to silver and red, known today.

Ferrari logo - history and meaning

A black horse on a yellow background, a symbol of the Italian automobile legend, is no stranger to anyone. However, not everyone knows that the history of the Ferrari logo dates back to the First World War.

How does one relate to the other? We are already translating.

During World War I in Italy, the talented aviator Francesco Baracca became loud. He became famous as a heavenly ace, who had no equal in air battles. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the end of the war. Enemies shot him down on June 19, 1918, that is, at the very end of the clashes. However, he was still hailed as a national hero, and people remember most of all one detail - a black horse, which Barakka painted on the side of his fighter.

Okay, but what does this have to do with the Ferrari brand? - you ask.

Well, Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the company, met the pilot's parents in 1923. From the father of the deceased, he heard that he should attach the symbol of a black horse to his cars, because this will bring him good luck. Enzo followed the advice. I added only a yellow background in the form of a shield and the letters "S" and "F" (from Scuteria Ferrari, the sports department of the company).

The logo has changed slightly over the years. Instead of a shield, it was shaped like a rectangle with the colors of the Italian flag at the top. And the letters "S" and "F" have changed the name of the brand.

The story of the pilot was told by Enzo Ferrari himself, so we have no reason not to believe it. All indications are that the black horse really brought good luck to the legend of the Italian automotive industry.

FIAT logo - history of creation

Photo by Ivan Radic / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

Not everyone knows that the name FIAT is actually an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Plant in Turin). The company was founded in 1899. On the occasion, his authorities commissioned a gold-stamped poster design with the full company name in the upper left corner.

The same badge was the first FIAT logo.

However, two years later, the company's management decided to use the FIAT acronym instead of the full name. Initially, the inscription was accompanied by various decorations, but over time they were gradually abandoned, until finally the inscription remained on a colored background and border.

The background color changed several times. The first gold symbol was followed by blue, then orange, and then blue again. And since 2006, FIAT has presented itself on a red background.

Only the inscription remained roughly the same - with the original letter "A" slightly cut on the right side.

Interestingly, in 1991 the company decided to completely abandon the logo with the abbreviation of the company name in favor of a new project. There were five oblique silver lines on a blue background. However, after 8 years, she returned to the word FIAT.

Hyundai logo - meaning and history

If you are thinking: "wait, Hyundai has a slanted H letter in its logo, what's special?" nothing more than a letter of the alphabet.

However, as it turned out, we were all wrong.

According to the company's explanation, a skewed "H" is actually two people shaking hands. The one on the left (tilting) symbolizes the producer, the one on the right (tilting) - the customer. What each of us treated as the letter "H" really shows the relationship between the company and the driver.

Who would have thought, right?

Logo Mazda - history and symbolism

The Japanese at Mazda have proven over the years that they cannot decide on a specific logo. Each new project looked completely different from the previous one, although the general idea took shape quickly.

The first Mazda symbol (from 1934) was simply a stylized company name. Another (from 1936) was the letter "M", which the designers combined with the coat of arms of Hiroshima (the city where the company was born), i.e. wings. The latter symbolized speed and agility.

Another change happened in 1959.

When the world saw the first Mazda passenger car (formerly the Japanese were engaged in the production of machine tools and three-wheeled vehicles), the design letter “M” inscribed in a circle became its symbol. In 1975, the company changed its logo again, this time with the full "Mazda" in a new layout. He still uses it today.

In 1991, another idea was born. It was a diamond shape in a circle, which was supposed to symbolize the wings, the sun and the circle of light.

The same ideas were used by designers in 1998, when the last logo appeared, which the company uses to this day. The circle, and in it also the wings, personifying development and striving for the future.

Interestingly, the very name "Mazda" did not come out of nowhere. It comes from Ahura Mazda, the ancient deity of quality, wisdom and intelligence.

Mercedes logo - history and meaning

The owners of the Mercedes said: "without a star, there is no ride." And it is not surprising, because very respectable cars are characteristic of the German brand.

But where did the star in the company logo come from?

The idea came from the sons of Gottlieb Daimler, the founder of Daimler. The story goes that it was such a star that Gottlieb painted over the door of his house on a postcard advertising the city of Deutz (where he worked at the time). On the back, he wrote to his wife that once such a star was hanging over the door of his own factory.

The three arms of the star were supposed to symbolize the dominance of the future company in land, air and water motorization.

In the end, Gottlieb did not implement the logo idea, but his sons did. They presented the idea to the board of the company, which unanimously accepted it. Thanks to this, since 1909, Mercedes cars have been signed with this star.

And rightly so, because before that, the brand logo had the word "Mercedes" in an oval frame.

Peugeot logo - history and symbolism

The Peugeot logo is one of the oldest on this list, as is the company itself. Its history dates back to 1810, when Jean-Pierre Peugeot launched his first mechanical factory. In the beginning, they mainly produced grinders for coffee, salt and pepper. It wasn't until nearly 70 years later that the company began regular production of bicycles. And to add cars to this set is the idea of ​​Armand Peugeot, the grandson of the founder.

Leo has been representing a French company since 1847.

Why a lion? It's simple. The company was founded in Sochaux, and the emblem of the city is this wild cat. Over the years of its existence, the Peugeot lion has changed its appearance more than once, but remains in place to this day.

Interestingly, the first logo was designed by jeweler Justin Blazer. The lion was used as a quality mark for the steel produced by the company.

Renault logo - history of creation

The company was founded in 1898 in a small town near Paris by three brothers: Fernand, Louis and Marcel Renault. Therefore, the first logo of the company was a medallion, which bore the initials of all three.

However, in 1906 the brothers changed it to a car with a gear-like rim. The new logo was meant to highlight what the company is doing, that is, making cars.

In 1919 it was changed back to ... a tank. Where did this decision come from? Well, Renault tanks became famous for their reliability on the battlefield and contributed to the victory on the Eastern Front. The company probably wanted to take advantage of this situation and turn it into a good advertisement.

In 1923 there was another change. The logo was in the form of black stripes enclosed in a circle and the words “Renault” in the center. Thus, we are talking about a round grill, typical for cars of this brand.

It wasn't until 1925 that the familiar diamond appeared. It has undergone many cosmetic changes over almost 100 years, but has remained with the brand to this day.

Skoda logo - history and meaning

The first Skoda records date back to 1869. Then Emil Skoda bought a metal and weapons factory from a gentleman named Count Waldstein. However, the company did not approach the production of cars for a long time. It was not until 1925 that it merged with Laurin & Klement (another car plant) that Skoda officially began production of cars.

In 1926, two company logos appeared. The first was a stylized word "Skoda" on a blue background with a bay leaf border (somewhat similar to the Ford logo), and the second (all blue) was the profile of an Indian in a plume and an arrow in a circular border. .

As you might have guessed, the Indian and the Arrow (some jokingly nicknamed it “chicken”) survived the test of time better because Skoda still uses them to this day. Over the years, only the graphic design has changed.

The question arises: where did the idea of ​​such a strange logo come from? Why an Indian with an arrow?

Its origin is associated with Emil Skoda's trip to America. Apparently, his guide was then an Indian, and Emil himself commemorated his journey with a portrait of an Indian in a plume, which he hung in his office. After the death of the founder of Skoda, similar portraits appeared in the offices of other managers.

Probably one of them came up with the idea to use a train as a logo for cars. Who was that? Unknown.

Subaru logo - meaning and history

Photo by Solomon203 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

If you thought the stars on the Subaru logo symbolized quality, you were wrong. This stamp has two functions:

• brand name,
• companies merged into Fuji Heavy Industries.

We already explain what is happening.

The word "subaru" in translation from Japanese means "united" or "Pleiades", which is also the name of one of the constellations in the sky. Therefore, the creators decided that each of the six combined companies will be represented by a star.

Over the years, the logo has slightly changed its design, but the main idea remains.

Toyota logo - meaning and origin

In the case of Toyota, the logo changed infrequently. The first cars had a badge with the Latin name of the company. Then Toyota was also called Toyoda (by the name of the owner).

An interesting fact: the change of one letter in the name of the company is associated with symbols, which is very important for the Japanese. The word "Toyoda" in Japanese is written with 10 strokes, while "Toyota" has only eight. According to the Japanese, the number eight signifies happiness and prosperity.

But back to the logo.

The ovals we know today did not appear until 1989. The company never officially disclosed their meaning, so customers themselves put forward several hypotheses. They are here:

• intersecting ovals symbolize trust between the company and the client, personify hearts that are united into a single whole;
• the logo symbolizes the carbon mesh and the thread threaded through it, which refers to the company's past when it dealt with textiles;
• the symbol represents the globe and the steering wheel, offering international production of high quality vehicles;
• it's just "T", which is the first letter of the company's name.

As for the company name, you can find all the letters in the Toyota logo. However, here we are also not sure if this was the intention of the creators or if fans of the brand saw them there.

Meaning and history of the Volkswagen logo

Volkswagen is one of those companies that has hardly changed its logo. The letters "V" (from the German "Volk" meaning nation) and "W" (from the German "Wagen" meaning car) represent the brand from the very beginning. Over the years, they have only acquired a more modern look.

The only significant difference in the logo appeared at the beginning of the brand's existence.

It was then that Adolf Hitler commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to produce a cheap "people's car" (ie Volkswagen). It had to accommodate four people and cost a maximum of 1000 marks. Thus, Hitler wanted to unload the railroad, which was no longer used for transporting passengers.

Since Volkswagen began life with the will of Adolf Hitler, this is reflected in its logo. Therefore, the pre-war brand of the brand resembled a swastika with the letters "VW" in the center.

After the war, the company got rid of the rather controversial "ornaments" from the logo.

Volvo logo - history and symbolism

Volvo is another company that started out with something other than cars. Even before the name "Volvo" was adopted, it was known as SKF and was involved in the production of ball bearings.

He was one of the largest manufacturers of bearings for industry in the world, and also made gearboxes, bicycles and simple cars. Only in 1927 the first car left the assembly line. This would not have happened without the employees of Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, who convinced SFK management to enter the automotive industry.

The logo known today appeared on the first car of the brand.

The circle with an arrow pointing northeast refers to the chemical symbol for iron, which was very popular with the Swedes. In addition, the ancient Romans used the same symbol to designate the god of war - Mars (which is why we still associate this stamp with masculinity to this day).

As a result, Volvo plunged into the strength and steel that Sweden was once famous for in one fell swoop.

Interestingly, the diagonal stripe that completes the logo was needed in the beginning to keep the symbol in place. Over time, it turned out to be superfluous, but the Swedes left it as a decoration.

The name itself did not appear out of nowhere. The FGC Board adopted it for two reasons. Firstly, the word "volvo" in Latin means "I roll", which perfectly reflected the scope of the company at that time (bearings, etc.). Secondly, the name Volvo was easy to pronounce and catchy.

Car logos have their secrets

As you can see, all of the above brands have come up with a logo idea in a unique way. Some had a shameful history (for example, Volkswagen), others - on the contrary (for example, Ferrari), but we read with interest about all of them without exception. I wonder what else is hidden behind the car companies we know, if you delve into their past history?