History behind the car logos

The Alfa Romeo logo represents the coat of arms of the city of Milan and are related to the crusades, hence the cross. On the right, a snake is eating a figure, either a child or a Saracen (depends on who you ask).

The four rings in the Audi logo represent the four companies of the Auto-Union consortium of 1932 - DKW, Horch, Wanderer, and Audi. The Audi name (latin for “Hear!”) disappeared after WWII, but was revived in1965.

The BMW logo is a rounded, stylized representation of a spinning propeller blade (the company build military airplane enginges originally).

Buick’s logo originated from the coat of arms of the Buick family (of Scottish origin); a red shield with a checkered silver and azure diagonal line running from the upper left corner of the shield and a gold cross in the lower left corner (the cross had a hole in the center with the red of the shield showing through), and in the upper right corner was an antlered deer head with a jagged neckline. The logo underwent many revisions, then in 1960 the logo was changed to three shields, to represent the three Buick models in production at the time (LeSabre, Invicta, and Electra).

The original Cadillac logo is based on the family crest of the man for whom the company was named, Antoine de La Mothe, Sieyr de Cadillac (though many believe the crest is a fake, concocted for the purposes of the company’s logo). The symbolism of the wreath surrounding the crest is uncertain (though the original wreath design was a bouquet of tulipped leaves).

Popular legend has it that the Chevrolet logo was inspired by wallpaper in a French hotel where William C. Durant was staying (the legend says he saw the pattern marching off into infinity as a design on the wallpaper and tore a piece of it off to keep to show to friends and later turn into the company logo). However, his wife says that the bowtie emblem was first seen by her husband in a Virginia newspaper on a vacation around 1912, upon which he told her that the thought it’d be a very good emblem for the Chevrolet (per Chevrolet Pro Management Magazine, October 1986).

The Chrysler logo has undergone quite a few changes over the years; the one shown here is an adaptation of the original medallion logo used on Chrysler cars at its inception in 1925. This logo was brought back to use in 1994, and the pair of silver wings were added after the company merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998. Now that Chrysler’s been sold to Cerberus, they’re switching back to the Pentastar design, though the cars are still using the logo shown here.

The Dodge Ram logo first appeared as a hood ornament in the 1930s, used on both trucks and cars. The Ram was chosen for the image it portrays - sure-footed, King of the Trail.

The prancing horse featured on the Ferrari logo was the emblem of Italian WWII flying ace Fancesco Baracca, whose parents persuaded Enzo Ferrari to use the symbol of their late son for his Alfa Romeo race cars. When Ferrari later started his own car company, he continued use of this logo.

Henry Ford’s right-hand-man, Harold Wills, printed business cars to earn money as a teen, and when Mr. Ford needed a logo, Wills pulled out his old printing set and used a font that he had used for his own cards. The oval was added in 1912, and blue was added for the Model A in 1927.

The Infiniti logo is derived from the symbol for infinity, not surprisingly. The concept of the open road and traveling toward infinity was one the company wanted the customer to feel. The logo also suggest Mt. Fuji.

Originally the Swallow Sidecar Company, Jaguar gained its new name in 1945, though why this particular animal was chosen is uncertain (though it makes a much better hood ornament than a swallow…). It’s thought the leaping jaguar is meant to represent the speed, power, and quickness of the cars.

The founder of Lamborghini, Ferrucio Lamborghini, had a passion of bull fighting, as evidenced by the logo chosen for his car company - a charging bull. Mr. Lamborghini also carried this theme over to the names of his cars, almost all of which were named after eithera breed of fighting bull or a paritcular bull.

The trident prominent in the Maserati logo is the traditional symbol for Bologna, where the cars were originally made (they’re now built in nearby Modena).

Rei Yoshimara, a world-renowned corporate image-creator, designed the Mazda logo. The ‘V’ represents wings outstretched.

The three pointed star of Mercedes’ logo represents their domination of land, sea, and air. First used on a Daimler in 1909, a laurel wreath was added in 1926 to signify the union with Benz, and was later simplified to the current logo design in 1937.

Some believe that the Mitsubishi logo represents a ship’s propellers (Mitsuibishi was involved in shipbuilding early in the company’s existence). However, a more commonly accepted explanation is that the logo is formed by the joining of two family emblems and does not represent any part of a ship.

The Porsche badge is the coat of arms of the city of Stuttgart (where the cars are built). The city was built on the site of a stud farm, which explains the horse in the coat of arms; the antlers and red and black stripes are part of the arms of the Kingdom of Wurttemberg.

Subaru is the first Japanese company to use a name derived from its own language, and that name is reflected in its logo. The name refers to a group of six stars in the constellation of Taurus (we refer to them as the Pleiades).

The Toyota logo is comprised of three ellipses, representing the heart of the customer, the heart of the product, and the ever expanding technological advancements and opportunities that lie ahead. Another interpretation is that it represents the three interlocking aspects of the culture of the company - freedom, team spirit, and progress. Also, in Japanese ‘Toyo’ means an abundance of, and ‘ta’ is rice. In some Asian cultures, those blessed with an abundance of rice are believe to be blessed with great wealth.

The Volkswagen logo is simple, but the name has an interesting meaning - in German, it translates as the “Peoples’ Car”.[Source gawlowski.com]
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