11 Of The Coolest Vintage Car Logos & The Meanings Behind Them

For millions, purchasing a vehicle is one of the most significant transactions most people will ever make. Not only must new vehicles meet every safety and governmental regulation, but getting the attention and loyalty of the car-buying public requires whip-smart marketing.

Whether it's the thrill of pulling sub-10s at the drag strip on the weekends or the comfort of a silky smooth commute to work in your chauffeured luxury behemoth, cars hold a special place in our hearts for a myriad of reasons. One of the most significant is the unique image they project to the world.

In the fiercely competitive world of auto building, every detail matters, even down to the logo a company chooses for its latest and greatest creation. These logos are not just symbols. They are the embodiment of a company's identity, some steeped in history and tradition, others designed to reflect the car's spirit or resonate with the public.

A car's logo is its face to the world; some are nothing short of iconic. Join us as we examine the coolest vintage car logos and their meaning.

The Great Depression of the 1930s wreaked havoc on the world's manufacturing industries. Germany was no different, still in dire economic straits after the First World War. The State Bank of Saxony proposed that four of its major car builders join under a single corporate entity to strengthen the auto-producing German sector.

August Horch set up his first workshop in a horse stall in Cologne, Germany, in 1899, unveiling his first vehicle — the Horch No. 1 — in 1900. By 1904, Horch was a stock corporation, but in 1909, the supervisory board forced Horch out over strategic disagreements.

Horch established a new company in 1909. Barred by copyright law from using his name, now legally owned by his previous company, he used a Latin translation for the word "to hear," pronounced "horch" in German: Audi.

Another manufacturer, DKW, built its foundation on steam engines. By the late 1920s, it was one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world, with organizational ties to Audi.

The last piece of the puzzle was the builder known as Wanderer. What began as a bicycle builder in 1885, Wanderer moved into motorcycle and then auto production.

These four manufacturers united to form Auto Union AG, incorporating a new logo: a quartet of intertwining rings that represented the everlasting collaboration between the four companies. Audi would ultimately become the sole surviving entity of the partnership, but it continues to use the four-ringed logo we see on its cars today.

Few brands evoke a sense of exclusive luxury like Rolls-Royce. The alliterative carmaker has been redefining the concept of opulence in the auto world for decades. While its double-R insignia is a global symbol of luxury, a rare and vintage icon takes center stage when a Rolls emerges from the factory: the Spirit of Ecstasy. 

Within a few years of the company's inception, engineer Henry Royce grew irritated with the garish emblems that Rolls-Royce owners placed upon the radiator caps of his vehicles. Rolls-Royce's managing director, Claude Johnson, recommended that an illustrator and sculptor named Charles Sykes design an official mascot.

Inspired by a Greek marble statue called Nike of Samothrace, the Goddess of Victory, Sykes set out to sculpt a version reflecting Rolls-Royce's "superb grace, like a sailing yacht." Eleanor Thornton — Johnson's assistant by day, dancer by night, and former lover of John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, publisher of Britain's first auto magazine and the 2nd Baron of Beaulieu – served as his muse and model.

The gleaming statuette depicts a woman poised as if about to take off running, her arms held behind her, supporting billowing fabric that resembles outstretched wings. Sykes called it "The Spirit of Ecstasy, who ... alighted on the prow of a Rolls-Royce car to revel in the freshness of the air and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies."

Rolls-Royce registered the design in 1911. The Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament remained an optional feature until 1939, when it became a permanent and beloved fixture of the Rolls-Royce legend.

The Pontiac Trans Am enjoys a long and accomplished history as Pontiac's asphalt-shredding pony car prince. Brought to life in 1967 to compete with the Ford Mustang, the Firebird needed a performance package that could go toe-to-toe with the Boss Mustang and Camaro Z/28. The Trans Am entered the arena in 1969.

The upgraded Firebird came with a 400 ci V8 and an upgraded suspension, but visually, little distinguished it from other Firebirds.

By 1970, a second-generation Trans Am was in the works. Designer Bill Porter crafted an emblem that set it apart from the base models: a fierce, fiery bird of prey, wings spread wide, beak open in defiance. This emblem was a tribute to the Hopi Native American artwork that had inspired the Firebird's original logo.

General Motors design head Bill Mitchell initially dismissed the design with an expletive-laden rant. Porter shelved the idea until two years later, when designer John Schinella decided to pitch it to Mitchell again.

Schinella mocked up a gold phoenix, affixed it to a black Trans Am, and then parked it next to Mitchell's black-and-gold motorcycle before leading Mitchell to the window. This time, Mitchell accepted the idea, allowing the hood bird to become a $55 option on the 1973 Trans Am. Emblazoned across the hood of subsequent Trans Ams, its flaming wings held aloft and beak open in screaming defiance, the "screaming chicken," as detractors called it, became an iconic representation of Pontiac's fiercest pony car.

Always savvy in the marketing department, BMW already had one of the coolest logos in the car world with its distinctive blue-and-white roundel. But M-cars were something else. BMW's racing division began in 1972, but the first official M-car for the street wouldn't arrive until the M1 appeared in 1978. Its aggressive stance, distinct body, and incredible performance set it apart, and the M-badge, previously reserved for race cars like the 3.0 CSL, marked it as something special.

BMW envisioned an entire brand around its M-badge. It had to look good on stationery, keychains, T-shirts, and cars of every color. It had to be distinctive and timeless. BMW turned to Italian design legend Giorgetto Giugiaro, who delivered three forward slashes followed by an M, giving the viewer the sense that the badge is racing forward. The simple and effective design has remained unchanged since its inception, but there is some debate regarding the color choice.

The official BMW explanation is that the blue represents the BMW brand, the red represents motorsport, and the purple represents the connection between the two. However, a debated rumor indicates something different: BMW had plans for sponsorship from Texaco in its racing endeavors and incorporated the red stripe as a nod to the fuel company's colors. The sponsorship never materialized, but the M lives on.

Whatever the truth, the "Giugiaro M," as the logo is affectionately called in BMW circles, remains an iconic symbol for iconic cars.

Jack Smith was a manager in Plymouth's product planning group when he was tasked with developing a name for the car Plymouth hoped would compete with the Pontiac GTO.

Smith wanted something less highfalutin than the snooty Gran Turismo Omologato (what GTO stands for), which Pontiac had borrowed from Ferrari. He sought something a tad more American, something that would appeal to younger drivers. 

One day, while watching Saturday morning cartoons with his children, Smith's assistant Gordon Cherry struck upon an idea. Cherry proposed building a marketing campaign around one of America's most beloved cartoon characters: the Road Runner, a speed demon who always outran his competition. Smith had never heard of the cartoon character, but he was intrigued.

A six-hour negotiation between Chrysler and Warner Brothers ensued. Smith informed Chrysler that "road runner" was a generic term he could legally use and that Plymouth had already reserved the name with the Automobile Manufacturer's Association. No other automaker would be calling Warner Brothers with a competing offer.

Warner Brothers eventually agreed to sell the rights to use the Road Runner name and image to Plymouth for between $40,000 and $50,000 (about $375,000 to $470,000 in 2025).

The Plymouth Road Runner debuted for the 1968 model year, complete with an official emblem and a marketing campaign centered on the personality of its mascot: a fierce competitor with unmatched acceleration, road-hugging speed, and the ability to stop on a dime.

Honda automobiles are recognized worldwide by the happy H logo that crowns their hoods. However, founder Soichiro Honda found inspiration for his company's original winged logo in the same place Charles Sykes did for Rolls-Royce: Nike.

The winged goddess of victory has had an outsized impact on modern branding. And who can blame her? People who start multinational corporations tend to be competitive, and depictions of Nike with her outstretched wings conjure metaphors for speed, victory, and everything else an ambitious auto builder cares about.

But to Soichiro, it meant something more. Though his Honda machines would one day garner checkered flags across the entire spectrum of motorsport, the Honda wing was a promise to himself. He wanted to build a company that would succeed not just in Japan, but worldwide. Soichiro wanted his company to stretch around the globe, flying on wings of triumph.

The winged Honda logo debuted on the fuel tank of Honda's first motorcycle, the 1947 Honda A-type. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Honda experimented with variations, redesigning the logo but never abandoning the winged theme. Even after Honda began transitioning to its now-iconic H-logo in 1962, the wing remained. In 1974, Honda dubbed its Project 371 cruiser motorcycle prototype the Gold Wing in honor of its original logo.

Today, the winged theme is found chiefly on Honda motorcycles, but Soichiro's dream came true. Honda became one of the most successful corporations of all time, reaching well beyond the shores of Japan.

The Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobil (A.L.F.A.) car company came into existence on June 24, 1910, in the ancient Italian city of Milan.

Home to the preeminent genius of his time, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the site of oodles of historical dramas, Milan has a rich and colorful history. The burgeoning car company turned to this history in search of a suitable logo. While waiting for a tram, designer Romano Cattaneo noticed the heraldic emblems of Milan's noble families in the Piazza Castello.

The Visconti family ruled Milan for about two hundred years between the 13th and 15th centuries. Cattaneo incorporated the Visconti coat of arms, called the Biscione Visconteo, which features a winding snake devouring a human being. The other half of the circular icon — a red cross over a white background — further represents Milanese history, mimicking the design medieval knights of the city once wore into battle.

When engineer Nicola Romeo took over the company in 1915, his name was added to the lower ring, officially turning A.L.F.A. into Alfa Romeo. The company rewarded itself by adding victory laurels to its emblem after winning its first championship in 1925. Since then, the laurels and the Milan lettering have disappeared. Alfa Romeo has updated its historic logo many times over the decades, but the serpent and cross have remained constants, symbolizing the company's deep ties to the city of Milan.

Just because a car company went defunct doesn't mean we can't enjoy its logo. Duesenberg spent decades as an American byword for American opulence, and what's more American than an eagle?

German brothers Frederick and August Duesenberg moved to the United States as children when their family settled in Iowa in 1885. Like many car builders, they started with bicycles, setting world records in racing before turning to cars and forming the Duesenberg Motors Company.

Today, classic Duesies are among the most valuable vintage automobiles on the planet. No detail was overlooked in the design and construction of these massive antiques, which are as much pieces of rolling art as they are objects of mechanics and steel.

Searching for an icon reflecting the stately elegance of their cars, they fell upon the mighty eagle. Wings outstretched, the Duesenberg eagle is worked in a gold color (could it be anything else?) that spoke of wealth. That tracked, considering a new Duesenberg cost around $8,500 at a time when the average cost of a house in America was around $6,300.

The eagle logo evolved over Duesenberg's short lifespan. Still, the original incorporated the company's early claim to fame — its legendary in-line eight-cylinder engine — with the words "Straight 8" reminding everyone what was under the hood.

Jaguar is on the verge of a major revamping. The car company unveiled the controversial and bold Type 00 concept at Miami Art Week in December 2024, marking Jag's pivot into the ultra-luxury EV market. However, for many, the legendary name will remain forever associated with lithe and powerful sports cars.

Rebranding is not a new phenomenon for the automaker. The company's journey began in 1922 when founder William Lyons started the Swallow Side Car Company. By the mid-1930s, it had evolved into SS Motors, introducing the popular Jaguar line as it entered the auto market.

Regrettably, the original SS Motors logo, an outspread wing design with the letters SS inside, bore a resemblance to a military badge. In the aftermath of a certain European conflict that ended in 1945, founder William Lyons changed the name to Jaguar Cars Limited. He aimed to avoid association or confusion with similar foreign names, especially those of organizations associated with atrocities.

The reborn Jaguar, already an established sub-brand within the SS Motors company,  needed a new logo. The natural choice was the elegant, powerful, and lithe visage of the jungle cat for which it was named. The resulting statuette portrays a leaping jaguar and has adorned Jags for the better part of a century. 

The style remained unchanged for decades, but with its 2025 strategy shift, Jaguar reimagined the iconic Leaper, introducing a sleek new wordmark and modern visual elements to reflect its bold new direction.

Plymouth wasn't the only builder to use a cartoonish logo. The Mopar brand had undercut the market by offering the stripped-down, bare-bones Road Runner as a car built purely for speed, not comfort, using the lack of amenities to lower the price. This unique marketing strategy, coupled with the cartoonish logo, was a bold move that appealed to a specific segment of the market. Sister brand Dodge wanted in on the fun. 

The redesigned Dodge Coronet was rolled out of the factory for the 1968 model year as the Super Bee. It cost just $130 more than the Road Runner and was nearly identical in weight and performance, even sporting its own illustrated mascot — a helmeted bee on its way somewhere in a hurry.

While it might not have the name-brand recognition of the Road Runner, the Super Bee was a pun referencing the B-body underpinnings of the Coronet/Super Bee. It came with the added bonus of lacking a hefty licensing fee, which surely passed the savings onto the consumer.

The American Super Bee was built between 1968 and 1970, though the nameplate remained on the Mexican market as a rebadged Plymouth Valiant until 1976.

One of the most attractive and stately logos on any vehicle, the Porsche crest got a late start but made up for lost time. When the timeless, artful Porsche 356 emerged from a small garage in 1949, it had no logo.

For the first three years of Porsche's existence, its cars were known simply by the word "Porsche" printed across the body. That began to change in 1951 when original Porsche owner Ottomar Domnick, a Stuttgart resident, organized a contest to create a logo for the burgeoning brand. None of the entries captured Porsche's attention, and the need for a logo remained.

The competition caught the attention of another Porsche enthusiast. An Austrian-born, United States-based importer named Max Hoffman had won the award for the most interesting car by entering an imported 356 in the Watkins Glen Concours D'Élégance. Believing Porsche was worthy of its own symbol, Hoffman pressed Ferdinand Porsche to create an official logo in 1951.

Like Alfa Romeo, Porsche drew inspiration from its connection with its home city, Stuttgart. In the center of the crest, a rearing horse reflects Stuttgart's original reputation as a center of fine horse breeding. The antlers and black-and-red stripes represent the traditional colors and symbols of the Württemberg-Hohenzollern region.

The icon has evolved over the years but remains instantly recognizable as the symbol of the legendary performance car from Stuttgart.