The Stories Powering Motor vehicle Logos

"What fools in truth we mortals are To lavish care upon a car, With ne'er a tad Click Here  of your time to determine About our very own machinery!" - John Kendrick Bangs (1862-1922), American creator, editor and satirist.

In fact, we treatment about and for autos greater than we look after ourselves. And sometimes, the first thing we care about will be the brand, symbolized because of the symbol. Many of these auto logos are famous during the globe, instantly recognizable in a moment's discover. The Mercedes Benz three-pointed star, the Ferrari prancing horse, the Chevrolet bow-tie - they represent the brand anywhere there products are observed. In this article, we current the not-so-well-known tales guiding some of these well-known logos, in no individual purchase. We have deliberately not incorporated logos which have been self-explanatory, such as the ones that incorporate the identify (or first) from the model - Ford, Honda, etc.

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

2. Ferrari: The well-known Cavallino Rampante or "prancing horse" logo 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 autos 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 brand is one in the simplest, yet most well-known corporate symbols in the earth. 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 from the other co-founder Louis Chevrolet. Incidentally, Durant had founded General Motors before he was forced out and established Chevrolet.

4. Dodge: The manufacturer has a new symbol since this year, but most people still identify it with the "ram's head" logo. The logo initial 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 brand 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 could be the oldest American automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1899 by David Dunbar Buick, it was later acquired by William Durant and became the centerpiece in 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 cars and trucks then in the Buick stable - the LeSabre, Invicta, and Electra.

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

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

8. Subaru: The name with the company is actually the Japanese translation of the Pleiades star cluster, which also means "to gather together." Subaru is a division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI). The name 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 properly as the title in the founder Jujiro Matsuda. The stylized "M" brand, also identified as the "owl" emblem, represents Mazda stretching its wings for the future. It may also symbolize Ahura Mazda, who is often depicted by a flying sun-disk.

10. Audi: The company's identify is based on the surname from 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 emblem 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 with the end of 2010, but its arrowhead logo continues to be highly visible on American roads. The brand name 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 acknowledged 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 logo, also described as a roundel, has been interpreted to depict a spinning propeller, considering the company started as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. The white and blue colors characterize the official flag of Bavaria, a state in Germany where BMW originated.

Dale Milton writes articles for carbuyhelp.com an online automobile buying and selling service. If you need help buying a new or used car or truck or selling your vehicle, this site will be the perfect tool!