The Cool Stories Behind These 5 Car Logos

Car logos identify the brands that we have grown to love (or hate). Every single logo started out as a doodle, or in someone's imagination. Here are the back-stories to some of your favorite car logos.

1) BMW

The common misconception about this logo is that it is a propeller representing BMW's contribution to the German Air Force during World War 2. This, however, isn't exactly true. The famous logo actually evolved from the circular logo of the Rapp Motorwerke company logo, which was the precursor to the BMW brand. The blue and white colors are the colors of the flag of Bavaria, which is the home base of the company.

2) Mercedes Benz

This logo may be one of the most famous in the world, and is often mixed up with the peace sign. The real story, however, is quite nice. Each part of the 3-pointed star represents Mercedes "triumph over land, sea, and air." Gottlieb Daimler, the founder of the brand, sent his wife a postcard with the image drawn on it in 1870, saying that he hoped one day it would be on top of each of their factories.

3) Volvo

Volvo is better known for their safety than their logo. However, the founders of the company wanted to project strength and masculinity when deciding on a design, and chose this image, which is a close representation of the Mars image, symbolizing the Roman God of War. The Mars logo conveys the relationship between the God of War and Iron, two very tough, masculine things.

4) Lamborghini

The story of Lamborghini itself is pretty amazing; Lamborghini was a tractor maker who frequently bought Ferraris from his fellow Italian Enzo Ferrari. He didn't like the design of the clutch, as it would often quickly wear out, but when he bought his complaints to Enzo, he was told to take a hike. Instead, he started his own brand, which rivals Ferrari to this day. The famous bull on the logo comes from the founder Ferruccio Lamborghini's trip to the home of Don Eduardo Miura, a breeder of prized Spanish fighting bulls. The animals had such a profound effect on Lamborghini, that he forever made the "raging bull" a symbol of Italian Supercar dominance.

5) Ferrari

Arguably the most iconic car symbol of all time, the "prancing horse" also has a unique back-story worthy of its heritage. This elegant piece was painted on the side of an Italian fighter plane during WWI. Enzo Ferrari was asked by the mother of the plane's pilot to put the symbol on all of his cars, and claimed that it would bring him good luck. He obliged, and she was right. Additionally, the colors at the top of the logo represent the Italian flag, and the "SF" refers to Scuderia Ferrari, or "Ferrari Stable."

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