All About Automotive Brand/Model/Logo

[Carbon82]

How many of you actually pay attention to automotive brand or their logo, and are curious how a car model get it name? The key objective of this thread is to allow us to share what we know about a particular brand, model and/or it logo. Let me start with the follow brands. More to be added.

 

 

Alfa Romeo

 

I own up first, I didn't know that the word ALFA is actually an abbreviation, which stand for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili, whereas ROMEO is the name of a Neapolitan Entrepreneur, Nicola Romeo (who take control of the company in 1915), instead of it founder, Alexandre Darracq. I will skip the history part, as I don't wish you to fall asleep (as I normally do during history lesson ).

 

But the most interesting part is with it logo, and again I have to admit, I have all the while thought that the snake-like creature on the right side of the logo is spitting fire, while the "fire" it is actually a human at the mouth of the "snake"!

 

 

So have anyone managed to guess how the logo come about? Why is something so cruel being featured on the company logo? OK, there is 2 version of the story actually.

 

Version #1: From Wikipedia

Alfa Romeo's logo incorporates two heraldic devices traditionally associated with its birthplace, the city of Milan: a red cross, from the emblem of Milan, and the biscione (a heraldic charge showing on argent an azure serpent in the act of consuming a human; usually a child and sometimes described as a Moor or an Ottoman Turk), a crowned viper swallowing a Moor—emblem of the House of Visconti, rulers of the city in the 14th century.

 

 

Version #2: From Alfa Romeo

On the left: the red cross on white field is the symbol of Milan, the hometown of Alfa Romeo.

 

On the right: the symbol of one of the most important families in the history of Milan (and Italy), the Visconti family – the family that ruled Milan. There are a lot of legends about the origins of this heraldic symbol, representing a mythological animal with a human in his mouth (some believe it to be a dragon, but most likely a snake). During the time of the crusades, Otone Visconti , the founder of Visconti Family and a knight, fought against a noble Saracen knight (nomad from the Syrian Desert that bordered the Roman Empire). Otone beat the Saracen knight and, following the tradition, took the symbols the Saracen carried on his shield: a snake with a human in his mouth. At first glance, it looks like the snake is eating the human. Instead, the human is coming out of the snake a "new man," purified and renewed.

 

The meaning: The snake is a circular animal (a snake can assume a circular position) and is an animal of the changing – able to change his skin regularly and totally renew or rebirth himself.

 

 

 

BMW

 

 

OK, I believe most, if not all MCFer knew that BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works (Bayerische Motoren Werke in German). But how does the blue propeller styled logo come about?

 

Although some associated it with a spinning aircraft propeller (BMW was once in aviation business too - producing aircraft engine under Rapp Motorenwerke), it is actually derived from the logo of Rapp Motorenwerke, from which the BMW company grew, whereas blue and white is the official colors of the Bavarian flag.

 

 

[Soya]

I’m more curious on how Kia became King Long....

[kdash]

thanks for the interesting info, bro! 

 

i will also post some interesting stuff here if time permits. 

[DACH]

I guess this thread is going to cover from A-Z.

[Gnahp]

I guess this thread is going to cover from A-Z. ð

he skipped Audi and Bentley leh...

[DACH]

he skipped Audi and Bentley leh...

I think he haven't done with A yet.

[Carbon82]

Porsche 911 get its name because of... ... Peugeot?!

 

The numbers 9,1, and 1 in succession may have some unsettling connotations for most people, but for car enthusiasts, they represent something great. The Porsche 911 is one of those rare cars that defines a brand, in this case one of the most respected and enduring makers of sports cars.

 

But the 911 wasn't always the 911. Porsche's flagship was originally called the 901, and debuted under that name at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car was a hit at Porsche's home show, and the company promised to start production the following year. Around 80 preproduction 901s were built, before Porsche received a letter from Peugeot.

 

The French automaker argued that it had exclusive rights to car names consisting of three numbers with a zero in the middle. Indeed, Peugeot still uses that naming scheme to this day. Porsche had already ordered a mess of metal 9s, 0s, and 1s for the cars' badges, and didn't want them to go to waste. So it changed "901" to "911," and the rest is history.

 

BTW, this is piece of info is from Porsche, as seen in the video below.

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Carbon82

[Carbon82]

SEAT

 

Yes, you guess it correctly, the brand name is also an abbreviation, which stands for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Touring Car Company - in English). But the interesting part with SEAT is that it many of it models are actually named after places in Spain.

 

Alhambra

 

 

Altea

 

 

Arona

 

 

Ateca

 

 

Córdoba

 

 

Ibiza

 

León

 

 

Málaga

 

 

Marbella

 

 

Ronda

 

Toledo

 

 

[Carbon82]

Ferrari

 

 

No matter which version of the logo you could have found on any Ferrari model, 1 feature, or rather, creature / animal, remain unchanged, and yes, it is the pouncing horse... And here is what from the horse's mouth Enzo Ferrari:

 

The horse was painted on the fuselage of the fighter plane of Francesco Baracca — a heroic airman of the first world war. In ’23, I met count Enrico Baracca, the hero’s father, and then his mother, countess Paulina, who said to me one day, ‘Ferrari, put my son’s prancing horse on your cars. It will bring you good luck’. The horse was, and still is, black, and I added the canary yellow background which is the colour of Modena.

 

- 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.

 

- 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.

 

 

 

About the naming of Ferrari model, it can be basically classified into 3 main categories.

 

1. Based on the cubic capacity of one of the engine’s cylinders (mostly for V12 model), e.g.

- 125 (1,497cc V12)

- 159 (1,903cc V12)

- 166 (1,995cc V12)

- 195 (2,341cc V12)

- 212 (2,562cc F12)

- 225 (2,715cc V12)

- 250 (2,953cc V12)

- 275 (3,286cc V12)

- 290 (3,491cc V12)

- 308 (2,926cc V8)

- 315 (3,783cc V12)

- 330 (3,967cc V12)

- 335 (4,023cc V12)

- 340 (4,101cc V12)

- 342 (4,101cc V12)

- 365 (4,390cc V12)

- 375 (4,522cc V12)

- 400 (4,823cc V12)

- 410 (4,963cc V12)

- 412 (4,943cc V12)

- 456 (5,474cc V12)

- 488 (3,902cc V8)

- 500 (1,985cc IL4)

- 625 (2,498cc IL4)

- 735 (4,412cc IL6)

- 857 (3,432cc IL4)

- 860 (3,432cc IL4)

 

2. Based on engine displacement and no. of cylinders (mostly for V6 & V8 model), e.g.

- 206 (2.0L V6)

- 208 (2.0L V8)

- 246 (2.4L V6)

- 312 (3.0L F12)

- 328 (3.2L V8)

- 348 (3.4L V8)

- 458 (4.5L V8)

- F512 (5.0L F12)

 

3. Based on total engine capacity, e.g.

- 360 (3.6L)

- F430 (4.3L)

- 550 (5.5L)

- 575 (5.75L)

- 599 (5,99L)

 

Other naming method, e.g.

- F355 (3.5L 5V)

- 812 Superfast (800ps V12)

[DACH]

Mazda

 

Years 1934–1936

 

 

The first registered corporate logo, which appeared on three-wheel trucks in 1936.

 

Years 1936–1962

 

The first stylized branding. The three mountains (representing Hiroshima) also form the Latin alphabet letter M, which is duplicated three times for "Mazda Motor Manufacturer". The long side extensions represent wings for agility and speed.

 

Years 1962–1975

 

 

Symbol and corporate mark as seen on most Mazda cars from the Mazda R360 until 1975.

 

Years 1975–present

 

 

Between 1975 and 1991, Mazda did not have an official symbol, only a stylized version of its name; the previous blue "m" symbol was still used in some dealerships up until the 1980s, but later on a plain blue square next to the Mazda name was often used on dealer signs and documentation.

 

Years 1991–1992

 

 

In 1991, Mazda adopted a corporate symbol which was to represent a sun and a flame standing for heartfelt passion. This is commonly referred to in Mazda enthusiast circles as the "cylon" logo.

 

Years 1992–1997

 

 

Shortly after the release of the new symbol, the design was smoothed out to reduce its similarity to Renault's. This is sometimes referred to as the "eternal flame" logo. It also represented the design of the rotary engine that Mazda was famous for.

 

Years 1997–present

 

 

A redesigned winged "M" to symbolize Mazda with stretched wings.

[Carbon82]

I’m more curious on how Kia became King Long....

 

I have the informal answer for you. It all started from the Kia Forte and Koup, back in 2009. When these new Kia was launched, many was drawn to the car by it new age design (it spark a new design language, under the leadership of it new Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer - previously from Audi), and the value for money package.

 

 

 

Well then, people start to complain about how plain, if not ugly, the badge look, and it sort of spoil the look of the otherwise nice car. So some forumers over at Kia Forum (I forgot was it the one in Singapore or Malaysia) start to search online for a replacement badge (might not have to be Kia - e.g. like the eagle on Harrier, or "W" on Wish, just something nicer), and they spotted the one used in Korea...

 

 

and another aftermarket one (known as 3.0 K emblem)

 

 

 

I have to say the 3.0 K badge does look 100x better than the original word base logo...

 

It is not exactly the same as King Long if you long closer...

Edited January 7, 2018 by Carbon82

[Fitvip]

I have the informal answer for you. It all started from the Kia Forte and Koup, back in 2009. When these new Kia was launched, many was drawn to the car by it new age design (it spark a new design language, under the leadership of it new Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer - previously from Audi), and the value for money package.

 

 

 

Well then, people start to complain about how plain, if not ugly, the badge look, and it sort of spoil the look of the otherwise nice car. So some forumers over at Kia Forum (I forgot was it the one in Singapore or Malaysia) start to search online for a replacement badge (might not have to be Kia - e.g. like the eagle on Harrier, or "W" on Wish, just something nicer), and they spotted the one used in Korea...

 

 

and another aftermarket one (known as 3.0 K emblem)

 

 

 

I have to say the 3.0 K badge does look 100x better than the original word base logo...

 

It is not exactly the same as King Long if you long closer...

KIA is an abbreviation too. I remember it stands for Korean Integrated Automotive, but wiki has a different version! 

 

PROTON too is an abbreviation!

Edited January 7, 2018 by Fitvip

[Sdf4786k]

SEAT

 

Yes, you guess it correctly, the brand name is also an abbreviation, which stands for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Touring Car Company - in English). But the interesting part with SEAT is that it many of it models are actually named after places in Spain.

 

Alhambra

 

 

Altea

 

 

Arona

 

 

Ateca

 

 

Córdoba

 

 

Ibiza

 

León

 

 

Málaga

 

 

Marbella

 

 

Ronda

 

Toledo

the ronda looks like a Fiat 

Edited January 7, 2018 by Sdf4786k

[Carbon82]

Audi

 

So the 4 rings in Audi was for this,

 

 

or this,

 

 

or...

 

 

 

Sorry, none of the above. It represent the 4 companies that formed Auto Union, the predecessor of Audi. And the 4 companies were:

 

Audiwerke GMBH

 

August Horch & Cie

 

DKW (Dampf Kraft Wagen)

 

Wanderer-Werke AG

 

And this is how the logo transform over the years. 

[xinz]

Brands distribution

[Toeknee_33]

Brands distribution

Some changes since:

 

Geely - Proton, Lotus, Lynk&Co

PSA - Opel, Vauxhall (not GM amymore)

Renault - Alpine

 

Do we consider Ferrari still part of FCA? Or is it separate after floating it on stock market?

[Carbon82]

Some changes since:

 

Geely - Proton, Lotus, Lynk&Co

PSA - Opel, Vauxhall (not GM amymore)

Renault - Alpine

 

Do we consider Ferrari still part of FCA? Or is it separate after floating it on stock market?

And depending if you are looking at firms with controlling stake or not. Other relationships in the automotive world includes:

 

- Daihatsu owned part of Perodua

- Toyota owned part of Subaru

- Nissan is the largest single investor in Mitsubishi Motor

- BMW own 50% of Brilliance Auto

- Suzuki owned >50% of Maruti

- Mahindra owned 70% of Ssangyong

 

And quite a few others...

Edited January 9, 2018 by Carbon82

[Carbon82]

Subaru

 

 

The name Subaru is Japanese, meaning ‘unite’. It’s also a term for a cluster of six stars in the Taurus constellation, named 'Pleiades' by the ancient Greeks. According to Greek mythology, these stars were once Atlas’ daughters. The six-star cluster featured in the Subaru badge design is known in Japan as mutsuraboshi, meaning ‘six stars’.

 

Cars under the Subaru brand are manufactured by an auto wing of the FHI group (Fuji Heavy Industries Co.), one the largest transportation conglomerates in Japan.

 

Each star in the logo represents one of the companies that formed this group back in 1953. In fact there were five companies, each having its own unique specialization (Fuji Kogyo, Fuji Jidosha Kogyo, Omiya Fuji Kogyo, Utsunomiya Sharyo and Tokyo Fuji Sangyo). The sixth, and also the largest, star in the Pleiades constellation visualizes the parent company that appeared as a result of this merger – Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI).

 

Subaru was the first automobile brand to use a Japanese word as its name.

 

 

 

KIA is an abbreviation too. I remember it stands for Korean Integrated Automotive, but wiki has a different version! 

 

PROTON too is an abbreviation!

 

I am not sure about KIA, but PROTON is for Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional (National Automobile Company).

 

 

the ronda looks like a Fiat 

 

Technically, it is based on a Fiat.

 

SEAT Ronda was a restyled SEAT Ritmo which in its turn derived from the Fiat Ritmo / Strada. However, in 1983 the Arbitration Chamber of Paris (subsequent to the acrimonious split between FIAT and SEAT) judged that the differences between those cars were important enough so as not to consider the Ronda to be a rebadged Ritmo. The most visible external design differences between a Ritmo and a Ronda are rectangular headlights on the Ronda in place of the round ones featured on the Ritmo, different tail lights and panels, and changed door handles. Mechanically, there were also some minor differences, mostly due to the use of Spanish-built engines and other parts.

 

SEAT Ronda

 

SEAT Ritmo

 

Fiat Ritmo / Strada

Edited January 10, 2018 by Carbon82