Five famous car logos and stories behind them

It’s no coincidence that today we see a raging bull on Lamborghini’s emblem, a T-shape on Tesla’s cars, or the three overlapping ellipses on Toyota’s vehicles. Knowing more about what stands behind these famous car logos will ultimately make us feel closer to our favorite brands.

Five car logos – five stories

The four rings of Audi

Audi goes back to 1899 when August Horch founded Horch & Cie in Cologne, Germany. As the story has it, Horch decided to leave the company after some disagreements with the other board members.

He founded another car company. However, as he could not use his last name anymore, he went for Audi, a Latin translation of “Horch,” which in German means “listen.” That’s when the name Audi came into the spotlight and has remained there ever since.

The brand’s logo is tightly connected to its history, as the four joint rings represent the later union of four of the oldest German car producers: Audi, DMW, Horch, and Wanderer.

In 2009, as Audi turned 100 years old, the logo was slightly modified to a more classy modern look. The four rings now look more vivid in their 3-D image, dressed in bright chrome color. The feeling of sophistication you get while looking at this logo is one of the key characteristics that Audi is associated with. The four tangled circles have wonderfully transmitted this feeling to all car enthusiasts for over a century now.

Lamborghini’s raging bull

Ever wondered where the bull in the Lamborghini logo comes from? Or why does it resemble the logo of its sports car rival, Ferrari? The answers to both questions have a common denominator: Ferruccio Lamborghini, the founder of the brand.

The story goes that one day around 1962, Mr.Lamborghini paid a visit to the ranch of a Spanish breeder of fighting bulls and even got to see a bullfight. This was enough to get him interested in these powerful animals and bullfighting in general. Another interesting detail is that the future car maker himself was a Taurus. Combine these two facts, the bull as a symbol of speed and power, and safety of the shield – and the Lamborghini emblem is born.

Also, a resemblance to Ferrari’s black and gold logo was no coincidence. In fact, Ferruccio was a huge fan of Ferrari’s sports cars. Even though at that time, Lamborghini was producing only tractors, he was a good connoisseur of sports vehicles. When he went to Enzo Ferrari with some suggestions, the latter did not pay attention. And so Mr. Ferrari’s attitude further sparked the rivalry among the two brands.

Tesla’s “T” meaning

Tesla is a modern electric sports car brand, hence the meaning and story of its logo are slightly easier to uncover. However, even if the T-shaped logo can seem trivial at first, there is more to it.

There have been rumors that the logo is a tribute to Nikola Tesla. Yet, these were nothing more than unproven theories. Until finally, Elon Muck decided to clarify through his Tweet: “Similar to SpaceX, the T is like a cross-section of an electric motor, just as the X is like a rocket trajectory.”

Initially, the logo was supposed to include a shield, but later the company decided to go with the bear “T.” Designed by the RO studio, the font, black and white color, and positioning of the logo on the car, make it look futuristic and classy at the same time.

Toyota’s arrival

The automaker began as “Toyoda,” named after its founder Sakichi Toyoda. As the Toyoda vehicles were expanding internationally, by 1936, it was time for a new logo.

The present logo of Toyota, as well as the name modification, is an outcome of a brand designing contest. Believe it or not, it took five years for those three oval shapes to be created. What is their meaning, though? What do they stand for?

As I mentioned before, three oval shapes are intertwined symmetrically. The two smaller perpendicular ovals represent the hearts of the customer and the company. The idea is to show that they are tied together in symmetrical harmony.

The bigger oval shape accompanied by the white background symbolizes the surrounding environment, safety, happiness in driving, and social responsibility. Now that you know the meaning behind the Toyota logo, I believe it makes sense, why it took the designers five years to come up with it.

Maserati’s Trident

This is one of the logos that has remained almost identical from the inception of Maserati in 1926. According to the luxury car manufacturer, the logo provides a trident of history, power, and symbolism.
The inspiration for it has two major sources. The first one is the Roman mythology.

The logo was designed by one of the Maserati brothers, Mario. He was not a car enthusiast but possessed a talent for creativity. He proposed the logo that represented the marriage of power and safety through the symbol of the god Neptune’s dominance over the seven seas.

Now, this mythological inspiration did not come in vain. There is a statue of Neptune in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, Italy. This brings us to the second muse to inspire the colors of the emblem: Bologna’s flag. It happens that the founder of Maserati was originally from Bologna. Hence, its flag colors – white, blue, and red – were also incorporated in the trident logo.

As I look at Maserati’s emblem, I cannot help but admire how mythology, history, and modern power are skilfully put together, resisting decades without changes.

Shipping your favorite car

Learning about the stories behind famous car logos is one thing. Yet, the need to ship your vehicle as you move, especially across the country, is another commitment.

Whether you’re shipping a Tesla, Lamborghini, or Toyota, you want your vehicle to reach its destination efficiently and safely. Therefore, it’s important you choose the right auto transport company with a good reputation and safety record.

At Corsia Logistics, we believe that honest car shipping advice, realistic quotes, and exceptional customer service are vital to the successful vehicle relocation process. Hence, do not hesitate to give us a call at (818)850-5258 or write to us at any time. Our team of logistics experts will be glad to come to your assistance.

Thank you!