Arek Dvornechuck
Branding Expert
Top 10 Luxury Car Logos Explained
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What comes to your mind when you see the logos of luxurious car brands?
Car logos sometimes have hidden meanings or special significance to the car manufacturers.
What do car logos mean?
Some car brand have emblems that are simple—a letterform or a shape—while others are more complicated in form.
Their automobile logo design, like that of most industries, plays a significant role in how the company is perceived.
In fact, logos for car brands can be considered more essential because they are often displayed on the front of the vehicle.
Let's take a look at some of my all-time favorite luxury car logos.
Most luxury car makers utilize black, white, and silver color palettes for their logos to reflect simplicity, elegance, and classics.
Some of them use different colors aside from black, white, and silver, such as red, yellow, and gold—just like what Bugatti, Lamborghini, and Ferrari did.
Those colors represent passion, refinement, and luxury.
However, some luxurious car brands, like Jaguar, Lamborghini, and Ferrari, include animals to symbolize their brand's beliefs and visions—jumping jaguars for speed and power, gold bull for strength and dominance, and prancing horse for good luck.
Aston Martin and Bentley both came up with wings on their logos, which stand for freedom, dreams, speed, and grace.
On the other hand, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Maserati include objects that have their own symbolism—overlapping circles for unity, three-pointed stars for universal motorization, and trident for fiery power.
The Rolls-Royce sign consists of two letters “R”, representatives of Royce and Rolls, the masterminds behind their successful brand.
The overlapping “R” in Rolls-Royce logo represents “you have me, I have you”.
The Rolls-Royce logo, two "R"s overlapping represents both harmony and a harmonious relationship.
They chose to use black font color to represent the brand’s elegance.
The company’s name in the Rolls-Royce logo is always mentioned with a hyphen.
The hyphen embodies the partnership and the “friendly” association between the two co-founders.
See the logo in use:
Rolls Royce is a British luxury automobile manufacturer situated in West Sussex, England, having a plant dubbed the Goodwood Plant—it was founded in 1903.
The color red was first used in the Rolls Royce emblem—after the death of Henry Royce, the proprietor of the mentioned vehicle brand, it was changed to black in 1934.
Henry, in fact, was the one who chose to modify the color of their insignia since he noticed that red could clash with the color of certain of their models.
The Phantom III was the first car to be introduced with a black badge, and it was also the first car without the involvement of Mr. Henry Royce.
Learn more about Rolls-Royce logo history
"Mercedes" is the German word for "happy," referring to Daimler's creation of happy automobile owners.
The three-pointed star in Mercedes-Benz logo stands for universal motorization.
Additionally, Mercedes-Benz’s color silver circle represents simplicity.
The circle surrounding the three-pointed stars represents strength and prevalence.
The star logo, like many vehicle brand logos, is quite beautiful in its simplicity—it exudes elegance and perfectly matches the brand’s attitude.
See the logo in use:
Gottlieb Daimler had seen the star that became the Mercedes mark as a protective picture for his own home.
Later on, this image took on new semantic significance.
Three was seen to be a sacred number, the number of perfection (the number of beams).
Daimler also stated that his company's products were conquering the three elements of water, air, and land.
After all, the company made engines for maritime and river transportation, as well as aviation and land transportation.
Later on, the company's goods included full-fledged vehicles, the first of which were automobiles.
Learn more about Mercedes-Benz logo history
Bentley, another British vintage automobile maker, is associated with extravagance, celebrity lifestyles, and ultimate luxury.
The wings in the Bentley's logo stand for speed and grace.
The Bentley automobile logo is quite simple in concept, consisting of a bird's wings and tail feathers with a capital “B” in the middle.
The use of a limited color palette of black, white, and silver in the logo demonstrates elegance.
Bentley's automobile emblem is based on the company name, with the first letter of the "B" serving as the main body, giving birth to a pair of wings, reminiscent of a fiercely soaring eagle, which is still in use.
See the logo in use:
As a result, the logo's connotation is concentrated in its "winged" component, which might be interpreted as arrogance and conquering charisma.
On the other side, it's a reference to the brand's history in the aviation sector, as well as Walter Bentley's own ambitions of flying.
It's important to remember that the Bentley symbol was designed by Frederick Gordon Crosby, a professional artist.
He handled the task of designing a sophisticated logo for luxury cars admirably.
Later, the Bentley emblem was adopted as a model and inspiration for another company, Aston Martin.
The first logo had a laurel wreath atop the letter B—however, it was the wings themselves that proved to be a lucky symbol for this high-end company.
Learn more about Bentley logo history
The symbolism behind the Aston Martin car logo is really quite simple—similarly as to the previously described Bentley logo.
The wings in Aston Martin logo represent freedom and dreams.
Optima Roman is the font used in logo, which is a plain serif font that represents professionalism.
The primary logo is just set in black and white color scheme to elegance and high-end products.
The Aston Martin logo altered shape slightly at this period, making the wings look more blocky, like a vehicle grill.
The famous winged emblem was first introduced in 1927 and has since become one of the most recognized vehicle logos in the world.
The emblem has been streamlined and modified over time, and it now consists of two wings.
See the logo in use:
The Aston Martin logo is a perfect illustration of modern design and perpetual motion.
With its strong principles and dedication to its consumers and legacy, the brand's silver color indicates stability and descent.
The Aston Martin logo is simple and elegant, and it represents luxury, air, and eclecticism.
Because of the excellent combination of simple typography and color palette, it is ageless and classy.
Learn more about Aston Martin logo history
The Lamborghini corporate logo portrays a strong body poised to make a violent attack on the opponent.
The bull in Lamborghini’s logo speaks to strength and dominance.
A black and gold color palette demonstrates luxury.
It is said of the pigheadedness of Lamborghini that this, not to be outdone, also reflects the characteristics of the Lamborghini company's products because the company's automobiles are high-power, high-speed sports cars.
The trademark on the front and back eliminates the need for the company's name, leaving only an obstinate bull.
The Taurus was chosen as the brand's emblem because it is Ferruccio Lamborghini's zodiac sign.
The choice of a symbol, on the other hand, was decided by the brand's originator with a meaning.
See the logo in use:
Throughout the brand's existence, the shape of the emblem stayed relatively constant.
On the shield, a raging bull was chosen as the central (and only) symbolic element.
The figure is not established according to heraldry (the classic is the location of the image of the animal in the profile, not in such a difficult posture as on the logo), but it is precisely this "irregularity" that gives the image energy, indicating a drive for innovation.
And, of course, there's the required and desirable resemblance to a competitor's logo.
Learn more about Lamborghini logo history
The Ferrari logo design, or “prancing horse”, encapsulates everything they stand for and is arguably the most recognized and recognizable brand in luxury sports automobiles.
The Ferrari’s prancing horse is there to bring good luck.
The green, white, and red of the Italian flag sit atop the Ferrari logo.
The distinctive Ferrari logo's SF monogram stands for "Scuderia Ferrari", which translates from Italian as "Stable," where racing horses were kept.
During World War I, national hero Francesco Baracca used the prancing horse as an emblem on his planes.
And the horse was taken by Ferrari after the famed pilot's mother inquired about it, in order to preserve the logotype of her son.
See the logo in use:
The black prancing horse on a yellow shield first appeared on the Ferrari cars in 1929, but not many know, that the roots of this iconic emblem are deep in the aviation industry and Italian history.
The emblem's shape changed over time, based on industrial design fashion trends.
At first, the logo resembled a joyful flag, which was hung vertically from the windows of the Italian palazzo during major celebrations.
A banner in the colors of the national flag was displayed on a red background.
The heraldically genuine image of a horse standing on its hind legs, engraved in the triangular form of the coat of arms, is then set out on top of it.
The red hue was nearly completely removed afterwards, but the heraldic structure (the figure on the coat of arms) was kept in practically all forms.
Learn more about Ferrari logo history
The Bugatti logo adds a touch of class to the hood of every high-performance car it adorns.
The red background in Bugatti's logo stands for power and passion.
The black “EB” emblem, of course, represents Ettore Bugatti as the founder of the company.
The red background represents the power and passion that drivers experience behind the wheel, and it serves as an eye-catching backdrop for the white “BUGATTI“ inscription.
Some believe the red dots symbolize safety wires, which came in the form of lace patterns on Bugatti models.
The logo “EB” is drawn in black, which gives more refinement to the classic lines of the writing.
It is executed in a distinct form of the wordmark typeface.
See the logo in use:
The bars of the letter "E" resemble the beginning of the bars of the letter "B," giving the impression of speed and movement.
It is a renowned masterpiece, a simple yet innovative artistic work that represents one of the best organizations ever.
The Bugatti color scheme is made up of three colors: red, white, and black.
Red, as the brand's primary color, denotes passion and love, eternal energy, and a distinct attitude.
White is a color that generates feelings of loyalty and trust. It is a symbol of purity and beauty.
The logo's dark elements add a sense of power, assurance, and professionalism.
Learn more about Bugatti logo history
The Maserati trident logo was inspired by the city's Fountain of Neptune, which represents both Bologna and the automotive company.
The trident in Maserati’s logo represents fiery power.
Its raceway font style represents acceleration.
The logo design was created in 1920.
It was designed by Mario Maserati, whose brother had a passion for art rather than for cars, at the suggestion of the Marquis Diego de Sterlich, a great family friend and backer of the carmaker.
According to several sources, the Maserati emblem first appeared in 1914, with the establishment of a modest family firm dedicated to the manufacture of automobiles.
The corporation was given the name Società Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati and was given the original Trident logo.
See the logo in use:
The original Maserati logo has been kept throughout the company's history due to the rich importance of this design.
Neptune was the god of the sea and of the wind—he demonstrated his power by using his magical Trident to control aquatic animals, waves, and wind.
The Trident was regarded as a powerful weapon in the eyes of our forefathers, because in the hands of Neptune, it symbolized victory for those whom the sea god favored, and danger for all others.
Indeed, the Maserati brand has evolved into a serious competitor for all sports car manufacturers.
Learn more about Maserati logo history
Jaguar’s logo accurately represents the company's brand identity as the manufacturer of one of the world's most stylish, graceful, and fastest vehicles.
The jumping jaguar stands for speed and power.
Jaguar uses a classic font to represent their brand’s uniqueness.
This version of the Jaguar symbol was used for a decade, from 2002 to 2012, when it was 'updated' to have a more 3D feel.
This rendition emphasizes the jaguar's strength by emphasizing its form and tone using shadow and gradient.
In 1945, the leaping Jaguar emblem was introduced.
See the logo in use:
The original version looked a lot like the one we have now.
The contour of the jaguar was black, and underneath it was a wordmark printed in all-caps.
The wordmark was a dark green tone, which made the logo stand out.
Prior to the addition of the Jaguar logo, their branded car logo was only a black and white outline of the design.
It functioned fine, but it clearly did not correspond to the company's theme.
Learn more about Jaguar logo history
The Audi logo is one of my favorite vehicle logos and brands of all time—it is as basic and effective as you can find in business.
The overlapping circles in Audi's logo represent unity.
Each of the four rings in the Audi logo design reflects one of the four vehicle firms that collaborated to develop Audi's forerunner—DKW, Horch, Wanderer, and Audi itself.
The Audi logo, which is sometimes confused with the Olympics' overlapping circles, was conceived in about 1915 by Lucian Bernhard and redesigned in 1994 by Sedley Place.
It has been consistent for a century—the mark of a well-designed logo built to last.
See the logo in use:
The company name is derived from the Latin translation of the founder's surname, August Horch.
Horch, which means "listen" in German, is transformed into Audi in Latin.
The four rings of the Audi logo each reflect one of the four automotive firms that merged to form Audi's parent company, Auto Union.
Audi's modern emblem is well-known across the world, and its influence is equivalent to that of Mercedes and BMW, with the company ranking in the top three of the German automotive industry and within the top 10 of the most successful European automakers.
The logo's design nicely compliments the radiator grille's horizontal lines, and it looks wonderful in any other setting.
Learn more about Audi logo history
For automobile manufacturers, logos are similar to artist signatures.
That is to say, they aren't a vital functioning aspect of the entire automobile, truck, or SUV—but they do serve to inform the world about who created it.
Most luxury car brands use black, white, and silver color palettes for their logos to represent simplicity, elegance, and classics.
Some of them use animals to symbolize their brand’s characteristics—Lamborghini uses bull to represent strength, Ferrari uses prancing horse to symbolize good luck, and Jaguar uses a jumping jaguar to demonstrate speed and power.
Bentley and Aston Martin include wings in their logos to represent freedom, dreams, speed, and grace.
After knowing the explanation of the top luxury car logos, which one conveys a great meaning and symbolism?
Do you think that their logos contribute to their brands’ popularity and growth?—Leave a comment below.
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