The secret meaning of car emblems
Even small children can easily recognize the logos of leading car companies, but not every adult can explain their meaning. Therefore, today we will show you 10 of the most famous logos of famous manufacturers that have a deep meaning. He goes back to their roots and largely explains the philosophy they follow.
Audi
The meaning of this emblem is the easiest to explain. The four circles represent the companies Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer, which formed the Auto Union alliance in the mid-1930s. Each of them puts its own emblem on the model, and the now famous four-circle logo adorns only racing cars.
When Volkswagen bought the Ingolstadt plant in 1964 and acquired the rights to the Auto Union brand, the four-wheel logo diminished, but its styling and layout has been updated several times since then.
Bugatti
At the top of the emblem of the French manufacturer, the initials E and B are combined into one, which mean the name of the company's founder, Ettore Bugatti. Below them, his name is written in large print. The number of small dots around the perimeter is 60 (it is not clear why), symbolizing pearls, invariably associated with luxury.
They are probably related to the profession of Ettore's father, Carlo Bugatti, who was a furniture designer and jeweler. The author of the logo is the same founder of the company, which has not changed it even once in 111 years of history.
It is curious that once upon a time a figure of a circus elephant in a balloon appeared above the emblem, created by Ettore's brother, the sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti. It adorned the grille of one of the most expensive models of the time, the Bugatti Royale Type 41, which debuted in 1926.
Lotus
The yellow circle at the base of the Lotus Cars logo symbolizes the sun, energy and a brighter future. The British racing car green three-leaf clover recalls the company's sporting roots, while the four letters ACBC above the name are the initials of Lotus founder Anthony Colin Bruce Champagne. Initially, his partners Michael and Nigel Allen were convinced of a different interpretation: Colin Champagne and the Allen brothers.
Smart
The Smart brand was originally called MCC (Micro Compact Car AG), but in 2002 it was renamed Smart GmbH. For more than 20 years the company has been producing small cars (sitikar), and it is their compactness that is encrypted in the capital letter "C" (compact), which is also the basis of the logo. The yellow arrow on the right represents progress.
Mercedes-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz logo, known as the "3-pointed star", first appeared on the brand's car in 1910. The three beams are believed to represent the company's production on land, at sea and in the air, as it was producing aircraft and marine engines at the time.
The alternative, however, states that the three beams are three people who played a key role in the growth of the company. They are designer Wilhelm Maybach, businessman Emil Jelinek and his daughter Mercedes.
There is another version of the appearance of the emblem, according to which one of the founders of the company, Gottlieb Daimler, once sent his wife a card on which he indicated his location with a star. On it he wrote: "This star will shine over our factories."
Toyota
Another famous logo, Toyota, was created from three ovals. Inside the large, horizontal one, denoting the whole world, there are two smaller ones. They intersect to form the first letter of the company's name, and together represent a close and confidential relationship between the company and its customers.
BMW
Cars by Bayerische Motoren Werke (possibly Bavarian Motor Works), known as BMW, bear an intricate circular emblem. Many people mistakenly associate its design with the automaker's aviation background, defining it as a propeller set against a blue and white sky.
In fact, the BMW logo is a heritage from car manufacturer Rapp Motorenwerke. And the blue and white elements are a mirror image of the coat of arms of Bavaria. It is upside down because Germany prohibits the use of state symbols for commercial purposes.
Hyundai
Similar to Toyota, the Hyundai logo also reflects the company's relationship with its customers. Namely - a handshake of two people, tilted to the right. At the same time, it forms the first letter of the brand name.
Infiniti
The Infiniti logo has two explanations, each of which shows the company's superiority over its competitors. In the first case, the triangle in the oval symbolizes the city of Fuji, and its top shows the highest quality of the car. In the second version, the geometric figure represents a path in the distance, which symbolizes the brand's presence at the forefront of the automotive industry.
Subaru
Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star group in the constellation Taurus. It contains 3000 celestial bodies, dozens of which are visible to the naked eye, and about 250 only through a telescope. That's why the carmaker's oval logo, as blue as the night sky, features stars. There are six of them - one large and five brands, symbolizing the companies from which the Fuji Heavy Industries Corporation (now Subaru Corporation) was formed.
