5 of the Most Iconic Car Logos of all Time

Logo’s have always been a way a company introduces themselves into the market, and when done correctly, the company associated with the logo isn’t hard to determine. In this week’s blog post, we take a mini dive into 5 of the most iconic car logo’s of all time and just what makes them so special.  

1. BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke)

BMW has one of the most recognizable logos (and not just because the three letters are featured in it). But is there a meaning hidden within the four sections the circle is divided into? Yes actually there is, and it pays tribute to the origins of the company. The BMW logo is a circle divided into 4 blue and white alternating sections (as shown below). The circular shape of the logo is actually inspired by a rotating aircraft propeller and the use of the blue and white checkered boxes were to symbolize the white/silver propeller blade spinning against the clear blue sky. Blue and white were also used to pay tribute to the State of Bavaria – the company’s home.   

BMW has a history that dates back all the way to 1916, as the successor of Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG. The company was incorporated into Knorr-Bremse AG in 1920 before being refounded as BMW AG in 1922. Although a very popular car company today, it didn’t always have ties to the automotive industry. In fact, BMW started off as a manufacturer of airplane engines and a very good one at that. The company set records in the aviation industry for both altitude and speed and made key advancements in the industry before entering into the automotive world. 

Did you know: BMW decided to change it’s logo back in 2021, inspired by the classic BMW Motorsport logo, for the M division’s 50th Anniversary? 

2. Mercedes-Benz

I cover the company’s history briefly in my post about the EQS Sedan (linked here) so feel free to click the link to check it out. This means we can get right into talking about the logo. First of all, the Mercedes-Benz logo was inspired by a 1972 postcard from the Daimler brothers’ father. On the postcard, the 3 point star was used to pinpoint where their home was. In 1909, the company (then called Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, or DMG), acquired the logo. 

However, the logo also had a specific meaning – the company’s drive for universal motorization. It is not uncommon to associate the words ‘land, sea, and air’ with Mercedes, and if you have ever seen a TV commercial from Mercedes, you will recall hearing it. These are all environments the company believed they would one day dominate with Mercedes-Benz engines. 

Fun Fact: The word ‘Mercedes-Benz’ is hyphenated for a reason – the automaker started off as 2 separate manufacturers (Daimler and Benz) which came together on May 1, 1924. 

3. Ferrari

Inspiration for Ferrari’s logo actually came from World War I believe it or not. The horse was first spotted on the side of a fighter plane by Enzo Ferrari, which was flown by an Italian pilot named Count Francesco Baracca. Baracca’s parents urged Enzo to use the horse as his logo saying it would bring him good luck, just as they believed it would for their son. In 1929, when he founded the Scuderia Ferrari racing team, he did just that, adding a canary yellow background to honor his home city of Modena.

Unfortunately Count Baracca was killed in action and as a mark of respect, Enzo decided to make the horse black – the horse was red on the plane – to mourn the pilot that inspired the logo. 

Did you know: All elements of a Ferrari are customizable?

4. Citroën

Citroën is a French car company that is an important member of the Stellantis group. It was originally founded in 1919 in France, and made history not too long after its establishment with the introduction of the Citroën Traction Avant – the first ever mass produced front-wheel-drive car. Andre Citroën founded the company when he was 27 years old (still a student at the time), but it didn’t always start off as a car company. In the early days, the company was known to produce double-helical gears used for mills, which he found a way to reflect in the logo through the arrows (as seen below). 

They were meant to symbolize the double herringbone-shaped Polish metal gear system of the early 20th century. A few tweaks were made to the logo since then, making it a little more modern and traditional.    

5. Cadillac

The Cadillac car company has always held a high reputation in society. Their cars are meant to symbolize wealth and high class, so it’s no surprise that history shows Prime Ministers of Canada and Presidents of the United States are traditionally transported in Cadillac limousines and cars. 

The story behind the Cadillac logo is actually a little bizarre. Many car companies take inspiration for their logos from the history or early origins of the company, and Cadillac followed this trend…in a way. The original logo took inspiration from the founding family of French explorer, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who discovered Detroit in 1701. However, the crest was fictional, and the name wasn’t even real. He adopted it when he was in the military at the age of 24 to give the illusion that he came from a high society. When he arrived in the ‘New World’, there was no history that he brought with him, so Cadillac assembled an invented coat of arms from various sources. He chose 3 coloured bands to represent boldness, virtue, and valour. 

Today, the Cadillac logo looks pretty similar to the coat of arms shape with the colour scheme staying the same and just a few minor changes to make it look more rich. The black against the gold symbolizes rich and wisdom; red symbolizes boldness and prowess in action; silver symbolizes purity, virtue, plenty, and charity, and blue symbolizes knightly valour. Along with these, there is the platinum background which is the highest value of any metal.

Fun Fact: The emblem of Cadillac, known commonly as the wreath and crest, has been redesigned over the past 100 years nearly 30 times, reflecting changes to both the company’s design and culture direction. 

Final Thoughts

Like what you read here? Why not check out our post on 5 of the most iconic cars featured in the Fast and Furious movie series, it’s worth the read!