The Stories Behind Automobile Logos

"What fools certainly we mortals are To lavish care on an auto, With ne'er somewhat Car Brand Logos  of your time to view About our own equipment!" - John Kendrick Bangs (1862-1922), American writer, editor and satirist.

Certainly, we treatment about and for autos much more than we look after ourselves. And sometimes, the very first detail we care about will be the brand, symbolized because of the symbol. Some of these vehicle logos are famous throughout the world, instantly recognizable in a moment's notice. The Mercedes Benz three-pointed star, the Ferrari prancing horse, the Chevrolet bow-tie - they represent the brand wherever there products are uncovered. In this article, we present the not-so-well-known tales behind some of these well-known logos, in no distinct buy. We've got deliberately not bundled logos which have been self-explanatory, for instance the ones that include things like the identify (or initial) with the model - Ford, Honda, etcetera.

1. Mercedes Benz: Two German vehicle manufacturers, Benz & Cie. and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, merged in 1928 giving rise to Daimler Benz Co. The popular three-starred logo was originally designed by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, and subsequently featured on Daimler Benz automobiles. After Daimler's death, his partner, Wilhelm Maybach, took over the company and sold many Daimler vehicles to wealthy businessman Emile Jellinek, who later bankrolled development of a new line of vehicles named after his daughter Mercedes. Hence, the name. The brand is supposed to depict the brand's "domination of the land, the sea, and the air."

2. Ferrari: The famous Cavallino Rampante or "prancing horse" brand has its origins in a chance meeting between company founder Enzo Ferrari and Countess Paolina, mother of Count Francesco Baracca who had been an ace of the Italian air force and used to paint a horse on the side of his planes. The Countess asked Ferrari to paint a horse on his cars for luck. The black color was used to symbolize grief at Baracca's death in action while the yellow color represented his birthplace of Modena.

3. Chevrolet: The Chevrolet bow-tie emblem is one in the simplest, yet most well-known corporate symbols in the planet. It was initial used in 1913 and there are conflicting stories on its origin. While one theory goes that it was inspired by a wallpaper pattern seen by co-founder William Durant, another says that it represents a Swiss cross in a homage to the origins of your other co-founder Louis Chevrolet. Incidentally, Durant had founded General Motors before he was forced out and established Chevrolet.

4. Dodge: The model has a new emblem since this year, but most people still identify it with the "ram's head" emblem. The emblem 1st appeared as a hood ornament in the 1930s. The ram was chosen for its ruggedness, something Dodges have always tried to portray. In fact, so popular did the emblem become that Dodge trucks began to be called Rams. Today, it is still used for the spun-off Ram brand name.

5. Buick: Not many know that Buick is definitely the oldest American automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1899 by David Dunbar Buick, it was later acquired by William Durant and became the centerpiece of the General Motors conglomerate. The brand was originally a single shield representing Buick's ancestral coat of arms. In 1960, the single shield was replaced by a trio in red, white and blue representing the 3 vehicles then in the Buick stable - the LeSabre, Invicta, and Electra.

6. Maserati: This Italian luxury auto manufacturer was established in 1914 from the five Maserati brothers Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore, and Ernesto, in the town of Bologna. The trident logo was designed by an artist and is based on a sculpture in the Fontana del Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) at Bologna. Neptune could be the Roman God on the Seas and is represented with a trident in his hand.

7. Mitsubishi: The Mitsubishi brand name of autos is member of a larger conglomerate that began life as a shipping firm in 1914 and is named after the Japanese words for 3 diamonds ("mitsu" meaning "three" and "bishi" meaning "water caltrops," also rhomboidal like diamonds). Consequently, the origin with the symbol becomes clear.

8. Subaru: The name on the company is actually the Japanese translation with the Pleiades star cluster, which also means "to gather together." Subaru is a division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI). The identify refers to the five companies that joined forces (Fuji Kogyo, Fuji Jidosha Kogyo, Omiya Fuji Kogyo, Utsunomiya Sharyo and Tokyo Fuji Sangyo) to form FHI. The logo represents the cluster.

9. Mazda: The company derives its title from the Persian God Ahura Mazda as nicely as the title in the founder Jujiro Matsuda. The stylized "M" emblem, also identified as the "owl" logo, represents Mazda stretching its wings for the future. It may also characterize Ahura Mazda, who is generally depicted by a flying sun-disk.

10. Audi: The company's name is based on the surname with the founder August Horch, meaning listen - which, when translated into Latin, becomes Audi. Horch had originally founded Horch Automobil-Werke, from where he was forced out before founding Audi in 1899. In 1932, Audi merged with Horch, DKW, and Wanderer, to form Auto Union. The Audi symbol of four intersecting rings represents this merger. Its resemblance to the Olympic symbol caused the International Olympic Committee to sue Audi in 1995.

11. Pontiac: GM may have declared its intent to phase out the Pontiac manufacturer through the end of 2010, but its arrowhead brand continues to be highly visible on American roads. The manufacturer was named after Native American leader Chief Pontiac who led a struggle against British occupation in the 18th century. While the earliest Pontiac brand depicted by a Native American chief's headdress, it was updated in 1957 to the currently used American Indian red arrowhead design, also regarded as the "Dart."

12. BMW: Rounding off this list is drivers' favorite BMW. The abbreviation stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (Bavarian Motor Works). The two-layered circular BMW symbol, also described as a roundel, has been interpreted to characterize a spinning propeller, considering the company started as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. The white and blue colors represent the official flag of Bavaria, a state in Germany where BMW originated.

Dale Milton writes articles for carbuyhelp.com an online auto buying and selling service. If you need help buying a new or used motor vehicle or selling your vehicle, this site is definitely the perfect tool!