Toyota Logo - Design and History

 

I own a Toyota Camry and never gave much thought to what the logo meant. From far it looked like a T to me, which stood for Toyota. While doing the research for this logo, I found out that it is actually three elipses depicting the heart of the customer, the heart of the product, and the ever-expanding technological advancements and boundless opportunities that lie ahead.

I finally found the official explaination from Toyota, thanks to JoAnn Paules 

The current Toyota Mark consists of three ovals: the two perpendicular center ovals represent a relationship of mutual trust between the customer and Toyota.  These ovals combine to symbolize the letter "T" for Toyota.  The space in the background implies a global expansion of Toyota's technology and unlimited potential for the future.

Mercedes Benz Logo - Design and History

 

The Mercedes-Benz logo is one of the most famous brands in the world. The Benz logo is a simplistic three-pointed star that represents its domination of the land, the sea, and the air. The famous three-pointed star was designed by Gottlieb Daimler to show the ability of his motors for land, air and sea-usage. It was first seen on a Daimler in 1909, and was combined with the Benz laurel wreath in 1926 to signify the union of the two firms. Mercedes-Benz is the world's oldest automobile manufacturer.

When the patented name "Mercedes" was registered in September 1902 Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft had a successful brand name but still lacked a characteristic trademark. Then Paul and Adolf Daimler - the company founder’s two sons, and now in charge of the business - remembered that their father had once used a star as a symbol.

 

The image below shows the evolution of the star over the years

Audi Logo - Design and History

 

The Audi badge the 'Four Rings' is the emblem of one of the oldest car manufacturers in Germany. It symbolises the 1932 merger of the four independent motor-vehicle manufacturers: Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. Together with the NSU brand, which joined in 1969, these companies are the roots of the present-day AUDI AG. After the war the Audi name - which is Latin for "Hear!" - disappeared, but was revived in 1965, using the four rings as a logo. Also, the name is sort of a pun on 'hoerch', German for 'hear', name of one of the founders.  The company itself is more than a century old.

The four rings in the logo have nothing to do with the Olympic rings.

The Audi logo is a registered trademark of the Audi Corporation. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

BMW Logo - Design and History

 

BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke or Bavarian Motor Company. The company was established in 1913 and based in Munich, Germany. It started out as an aero engine manufacturer, hence the company logo. The logo comprised of four quadrants of alternating white and blue color. It is a stylized representation of an airplane propeller spinning against the clear blue sky. The logo represents a white propeller blade against a blue sky. It reflects the origins of BMW as a maker of military aircraft engines during WWI. Also, white and blue are the traditional colors of Bavaria.

The BMW logo is a registered trademark of the BMW Corporation. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

Citreon Logo - Design and History

 

The Citroen logo looks like something you might see on an American cartoon soldier - two inverted Vs. Andre Citroen - imagine one of those old black and white photographs with an ancient man in a white beard - started in the motor trade by building gear wheels before branching out into the motorcar, and the twin chevrons << are meant to represent gear teeth in honour of the old engineer's early fettlings

The company's famous "double chevron" logo derives from André Citroën's early business in gear-cutting the company pioneered mass production of double helically-cut gear teeth, which mesh together in a chevron.

 

The Citroën logo is a registered trademark of the Citroën Corporation . Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

Ferrari Logo - Design and History

 

All racing fans are very familiar with the famous Ferrari "prancing horse" symbol. The famous symbol of Ferrari is a black prancing horse on yellow background, usually with the letters S F for Scuderia Ferrari. The horse was originally the symbol of Count Francesco Baracca, a legendary "asso" (ace) of the Italian air force during World War I, who painted it on the side of his planes. Baracca died very young on June 19, 1918, shot down after 34 victorious duels and many team victories. 

He soon became a national hero. Baracca had wanted the prancing horse on his planes because his squad, the "Battaglione Aviatori", was enrolled in a Cavalry regiment (air forces were at their first years of life and had no separate administration), and also because he himself was reputed to be the best cavaliere of his team. The Scuderia Ferrari logo Coat of Arms of the City of Stuttgart. It has been supposed that the choice of a horse was perhaps partly due to the fact that his noble family was known for having plenty of horses in their estates at Lugo di Romagna. Another theory suggests Baracca copied the rampant horse design from a shot down German pilot having the emblem of the city of Stuttgart on his plane. Interestingly, German sports car manufacturer Porsche, from Stuttgart, borrowed its prancing horse logo from the city's emblem. Furthermore astonishing: Stuttgart is an over the centuries modified version of Stutengarten (an ancient german word for "Gestüt", translated into english as mare garden or stud farm, into italian as "scuderia"). 

On June 17, 1923, Enzo Ferrari won a race at the Savio track in Ravenna, and there he met the Countess Paolina, mother of Baracca. The Countess asked that he use the horse on his cars, suggesting that it would grant him good luck, but it the first race at which Alfa would let him use the horse on Scuderia cars was eleven years later, at SPA 24 Hours in 1932. Ferrari won. Ferrari left the horse black as it had been on Baracca's plane; however, he added a yellow background because it was the symbolic color of his birthplace, Modena. The prancing horse has not always identified the Ferrari brand only: Fabio Taglioni used it on his Ducati motorbikes. Taglioni's father was in fact a companion of Baracca's and fought with him in the 91st Air Squad, but as Ferrari's fame grew, Ducati abandoned the horse; this may have been the result of a private agreement between the two brands. The prancing horse is now a trademark of Ferrari. I happen to live in Los Angeles and on a trip to the famous Rodeo drive in Beverly Hills, I happened to see three Ferraris in a space of 5 minutes, quite fascinating.

The Ferrari logo is a registered trademark of the Ferrari Corporation. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

Fiat Logo - Design and History

 

The FIAT name is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Car Factory of Turin), founded by a group of investors--Giovanni Agnelli among them--in 1899. The current Fiat logo has the letters F-I-A-T written with a silver line between each of them. The lines were added by the company’s design chief when one day passing under the factory, he noticed the sky at the backdrop of the huge FIAT letters on the top of the building. The lines added are actually the spaces that he saw in the name over the building and decided to keep it.

FIAT was founded in Turin on July 12, 1899. The first plant, inaugurated in 1900 at Corso Dante, had 235 employees and produced 24 automobiles. The first automobile to bear the Fiat brand name was a model 4 HP.

For more information on the Fiat Logo history <A HREF="http://www.fiat-abarth.net/logo/logot.html"> visit this website. </A>

The Fiat logo is a registered trademark of the Fiat Corporation. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

Ford Logo - Design and History

 

The Ford oval trademark is one of the best-known corporate symbols in the world and has been in regular use for more than 50 years. The script trademark dates back to the very beginning of the company when Henry Ford’s engineering assistant developed a stylised version of the words “Ford Motor Company”.

This last logo is the blue oval that Ford released in 2003 in honor of the 100 years Ford Motor Company had been around. It was named the "Centennial Blue Oval".

Ford Logo Through the Years

The Ford logo is a registered trademark of the Ford Corporation. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

Hyundai Logo - Design and History

 

The Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) is a South Korean company manufacturing automobiles. Their automobiles are available in many countries around the globe. In 2003 it was South Korea's largest car maker and the world's seventh largest car maker.Its slogan is "Drive your way". Hyundai Motor Company is a division of Hyundai Motor Group which also manages Kia Motors

The Hyundai logo seen above is appears to be an oval shaped H (symbolizing Hyundai). It is also supposed to be symbolic of the company's desire to expand. The ovaloid shape indicates the company's global expansion and the slanted, stylized 'H' is symbolic of two people (specifically the company and customer) shaking hands.

Click here for more information on the History, Design and Meaning of Car Logos. The respective logos are registered trademarks. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

Jeep Logo - Design and History

 

The Jeep logo as it stands currently represents the front of the vehicle. It consists of two circles representing the headlights and vertical bars representing the grill in the front of the car. The word Jeep runs on top of the logo. 

 

Jeep started out as a military vehicle and was later considered a Willys-Overland model, so it didn't really originally have a logo unless you count the word "Jeep" in parentheses, which appeared in the same typeface from civilian introduction in 1946 well into the 1960s. Probably the closest thing to a Jeep logo appeared in 1963 in the center of Wagoneer and Gladiator hubcaps and steering wheels. This was the same time Kaiser dropped the Willys name, changing the division name from Willys Motors to Kaiser Jeep Corporation and establishing Jeep as a stand-alone brand name. This emblem was a circle (in some illustrations looking vaguely like a stylized dendition of a Warn locking hub) with two gold quarters, two red quarters, and the "Jeep" name across the middle. After AMC's purchase of Jeep in 1971, the gold was replaced by blue.

The interesting thing about this logo is that never seen on the car itself. The car just has the words "Jeep" on it. The logo is primarily used for advertising and marketing purposes.

Click here for more information on the History, Design and Meaning of Car Logos The Jeep logo is a registered trademark. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

Jaguar Logo - Design and History

 

Jaguar Cars Limited is a British based luxury car manufacturer, originally with headquarters in Browns Lane, Coventry, England but now at Whitley, Coventry. It was founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922,by two motorcycle enthusiasts, William Lyons and William Walmsley,  and changed its name to Jaguar in 1945. The company has been owned by Ford since 1989.  

The Jaguar logo is a Jaguar leaping across the company name. The leaping Jaguart is possibly built to represent the speed, power and quickness of the car. The Jaguar emblem is also placed on the front of the car.

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_(car)

Click here for more information on the History, Design and Meaning of Car Logos The respective logos are registered trademarks. Use of the logo here does not imply endorsement of the organization by this site.

Lamborghini Logo - Design and History

 

 Lamborghini is an Italian manufacturer of high performance sports cars based in the small Italian village of Sant'Agata Bolognese, near Bologna. Lamborghini is now a subsidiary of German car manufacturer Audi AG, which is in turn a subsidiary of Volkswagen. Lamborghini is the main counterpart to Ferrari in the italian sports car business. The Italian company was founded in 1963 by businessman Ferruccio Lamborghini, who owned a successful tractor factory.

The Lamborghini Charging Bull Logo stands for the founder's, Ferruccio Lamborghini, zodiacal sign (Taurus). Most of the company's cars have been named after famous fighting bulls (oddly most have been spanish bulls not italian).

Interestingly it is said that the choice of an animal and the colors used on the logo (gold on a black background, and a charging bull) are suspiciously similar to the Ferrari logo (a black horse on a yellow background). It is believed that this was no accident on the part of Lamborghini, who had a long standing (and not always friendly) rivalry with Ferrari.

 

Kia Logo - Design and History

 

The Kia logos is very simplistic, consisting of the letters K I and A in white with a Red background. The A however is designed differently and is missing the horizontal bar in between. I am not sure if it was done to give it an East Asian touch.

Kia Motors Company is a South Korean automobile manufacturer. Kia was founded in 1944as as a bicycle parts maker and now produces passenger cars, vans and cargo trucks. Kia produced the old Mazda brand cars. In October 1998, Hyundai was named the winning bidder for 51 percent of the parent company, Kia Motors Corp. The word Kia has origins in the Chinese language with the first syllable, ki, meaning to "arise or come up out of." The second part of the word, a, refers to Asia. So when you put it all together, Kia means to "arise or come up out of Asia."  Its slogan is "The Power to Surprise".

Mitsubishi Logo - Design and History

The Mitsubishi Group is a Japanese conglomerate consisting of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy.The Mitsubishi group of companies form a loose entity, the Mitsubishi Keiretsu, which is often referenced in US and Japanese media and official reports; in general these companies all descend from the zaibatsu of the same name.

The name "Mitsubishi" refers to the three-diamond emblem. "Mitsubishi" is a combination of the words mitsu and hishi. Mitsu means three. Hishi means water chestnut, and Japanese have used the word for a long time to denote a rhombus or diamond shape. Japanese often bend the "h" sound to a "b" sound when it occurs in the middle of a word. So they pronounce the combination of mitsu and hishi as mitsubishi.

There are also some alternate interpretations of the logo

The logo for this successful worldwide Japanese automobile manufacturer is made up of three points that symbolise trust, integrity and openness. The logo is based on the merger of two age-old Japanese dynasties who used a coat of arms with three similar diamond patterns. Source: Unknown

Mitsubishi built its first car in 1917. The company itself goes back to 1870, when it built its first ships - the three diamonds represent a ship's propellers. Source: (Text taken from CAR magazine, July 1999. Written by Martin Buckley.)

Lexus Logo - Design and History

 

 

Rolls Royce Logo - Design and History

 

The Rolls Royce logo consisting of the two Rs  or the double R clearly stands for the Rolls and Royce, the two founders of this car manufacturing company.  There is nothing special about the design of the logo, but the brand name is so strong, the logo looks special.  In 1998, BMW the option on the trademarks, licensing the name and "RR" logo for £40m.

In 1884 Frederick Henry Royce started an electrical and mechanical business. He made his first car, a "Royce", in his Manchester factory in 1904. He was introduced to Charles Stewart Rolls in a Manchester hotel on the May 4 that year, and the pair agreed a deal where Royce would manufacture cars, to be sold exclusively by Rolls. A clause was added to the contract, stipulating the cars would be called "Rolls-Royce".

Peugot Logo - Design and History

 

 The Peugot lion logo is a strong visual brand for the Peugot car. The first lion is designed for marking saw blades and steel products. It symbolizes the three qualities of Peugeot saw blades: the toughness of the teeth, the flexibility of the blade, and the speed of the cut. In 1850 the lion image appeared for the first time on the 'Peugeot Bros' arrow. Initially put on saw blades, this logo was registered in 1858, and for many years would mark the tools manufactured by the brand.  

1847

The first lion is designed for marking saw blades and steel products. It symbolizes the three qualities of Peugeot saw blades: the toughness of the teeth, the flexibility of the blade, and the speed of the cut. In 1850 the lion image appeared for the first time on the 'Peugeot Bros' arrow. Initially put on saw blades, this logo was registered in 1858, and for many years would mark the tools manufactured by the brand.

1889

1889 was a historic year for the make, with the launch of the first vehicle bearing the Peugeot name: a tricycle, the result of cooperation between Leon Serpollet, the steam expert, and Armand Peugeot. The lion is still shown on tools and cycles. On the other hand, it was missing from the first cars manufactured between 1890 and 1905. To mark these products, Armand Peugeot, who had founded the company Automobiles Peugeot made do with the words 'Automobiles Peugeot' on the radiators. Between 1905 and 1915, the profile of a lion on an

arrow was, however, present on the 'Lion Peugeot' cars manufactured by Peugeot Bros.

1910

Following the merger in 1910 of the cycle and automobile activities, the company 'Automobiles et Cycles Peugeot' would just put the old PEUGEOT on its cars. On some models 'unofficial' lions made their appearance: the Baudichon lion (1923) and the Marx lion (1925), named after their sculptors, are true works of art. One had to wait until 1933 for a more realistic lion to adorn the bonnets of models made at the plant.

1948

The heraldic lion made its appearance on the 203. It is rearing up on its hind legs, to adopt the familiar posture of the lion on the coat of arms of Franche-Comté, birthplace of the business.

1965

Having become a holding company under the name Peugeot S.A., the make changes the logo: just the lion's head is retained on a triangular shield. Three years later the lion head is framed in a square, making a brand sign as it is today. The cars' radiator grills in the meantime continue to sport the heraldic lion.

1976

In 1976 a new structure, the PSA Peugeot-Citroen holding company, brings together the two makes, Peugeot and Citroen. The Group then purchased Chrysler Corporation. There were so many happenings to disturb the identity of the Peugeot brand. To reinforce its image, Peugeot has come back to its heraldic lion, with a refined design: it's the so-called 'Lion fil'. The best ambassador of this new, visual identity would be the 205, sold successfully since 1983.

1998

The visual identity of Peugeot changes again: the paws, added in the same scale, reinforce the power and balance of this feline; the blue, piercing eye symbolizes the long-term vision of the make. The lion is now complete and metallized to apply to the brand's values (sure, dynamic, esthetic), and is included in the design of its latest models.

2002

Now called the 'Blue Brand', the logo changes again to better reflect the Peugeot brand's ambitions. Still complete and metallized, it has had black added to the blue to show the lion's shadow. Balanced in shape and proportions, the logo and the car Brand are by now indivisible: unity creates strength.

Volkswagon Logo - Design and History

 

Coca Cola Logo - Design and History

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognized brands and logos in the world. Coca-Cola is the most popular and biggest-selling soft drink in history, as well as the best-known product in the world. Created in Atlanta, Georgia by Dr. John S. Pemberton, Coca-Cola was first offered as a fountain beverage by mixing Coca-Cola syrup with carbonated water.

The Coca-Cola script was designed by an amateur, Frank Robinson, the fledgling company's bookkeeper. He devised both the Spencerian script and the brilliantly concise words beneath: "Delicious and Refreshing." The bottle is among the most recognizable icons in the world, a design that has come to symbolize the youthful exuberance of America. Countless variations have been released over the decades, but the enduring classic is the curved vessel designed by the Root Glass Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, and introduced in 1915. A Coca-Cola dispenser was later designed by Raymond Loewy. Coca-Cola was registered as a trademark in 1887 and by 1895 Coca-Cola was being sold in every state and territory in the United States. In 1899, the company began franchised bottling operations in the United States.

 

WalMart Stores is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large, discount department stores. It is the world's largest public corporation by revenue, according to the 2008 Fortune Global 500. Walmart was founded by Sam Walton in 1962. Walmart recently announced a change to its corporate logo which has not been changed since 1992.

The new logo shown alongside introduces the following changes 

The name Wal-Mart is now one word Walmart with a different more softer font.

The Star in the middle now moves to the right but is shown as a sunburst in a bright yellow.

The tag line - Save Money. Live Better is at the bottom of the logo. 

The previous logo shown alongside consists of the name Wal-Mart written in blue with a star in the middle representing the hyphen. This logo has been in existence since 1992. If you see the history section below, you will see how this logo has pretty much remained the same since 1964.

Nike Logo - Design and History

Swoosh - Nike Corporate Logo

There must be very few people who do not recognize the Nike Swoosh logo. With a big arsenal of superstars such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Andre Agassi, Shane Warne, Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams. This list is pretty long. The company takes its name from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. 

The Nike "Swoosh" is a design created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

BRS needed a new brand for a new line of athletic footwear it was preparing to introduce in 1972. Knight

approached Davidson for design ideas, and she agreed to provide them, charging a rate of $2 per hour.

In June 1971, Davidson presented a number of design options to Knight and other BRS executives, and they ultimately selected the mark now known globally as the Swoosh. Davidson submitted a bill for $35 for her work. (In 1983, Knight gave Davidson a gold Swoosh ring and an envelope filled with Nike stock to express his gratitude.)

The logo represents the wing of the Greek Goddess.The Nike logo is a classic case of a company gradually simplifying its corporate identity as its frame increases. The company's first logo appeared in 1971, when the word "Nike," the Greek goddess of victory, was printed in orange over the outline of a checkmark, the sign of a positive mark. Used as a motif on sports shoes since the 1970s, this checkmark is now so recognizable that the company name itself has became superfluous.

The solid corporate logo design check was registered as a trademark in 1995. The Nike logo design is an abstract wing, designed by Carolyn Davidson, was an appropriate and meaningful symbol for a company that marketed running shoes. The "JUST DO IT" slogan and logo design campaign communicated such a strong point of view to their target market that the meaning for the logo design symbol evolved into a battle cry and the way of life for an entire generation. Isn't it amazing how a small symbol we call a logo design can make a company into a huge success