Bulls, horses, tridents, coats of arms, wheels, and propellers -- what are all these exotic car logos, anyway? Learn about each of these maker's signature hood ornaments and badges first appeared and why these emblems were chosen to represent the company. Just for fun!
01. Alfa Romeo/Ferrari
What is it?
A four-leaf clover -- quadrifoglio verde, in Italian -- on a white background.
When did first appear?
During World War I on Alfa Romeo race cars, then on Ferrari racers when Alfa shut down its racing program in the '20s. Later, it showed up on Alfas again.
What's it mean?
It means "good luck".
02. Bentley
What is it?
The flying B -- a capital letter B with wings. It comes in two forms: the 3D hood ornament and the flat emblem with the B at the center.
When did it first appear?
On the first test car, a 1919 Bentley 3 1/2-liter.
What's it mean?
The B is for Bentley, and the wings symbolize the speed of its cars.
03. Bugatti
What is it?
This has only "EB" spelled out and the E is backward.
When did it first appear?
The very first Bugatti in 1910 sported the red oval. The initials are part of the company's later reincarnation.
What does it mean?
It references the founder's name, Ettore Bugatti.
04. Ferrari
What is it?
A "cavallino rampante," or prancing horse.
When did it first appear?
In the 1920s, when Enzo Ferrari was still building race cars for Alfa Romeo. So its first appearance was not on a Ferrari.
What's it mean?
The horse comes from a WWI flying ace, who painted a black horse on the side of his planes for good luck; Enzo asked to do the same for his race cars. The yellow background symbolizes Enzo's hometown, Modena.
05. Jaguar
The Growler
The Leaper
What is it?
Jaguar has had two hood ornaments: the growler, which has only a cat face; and the leaper, which is a full-bodied jaguar leaping from the hood.
When did it first appear?
The leaper was used early in the company's history, before the outbreak of World War II. The flat growler was in use by 1950.
What's it mean?
These two are pretty easy: When your company is named Jaguar, the hood ornaments follow the animal simply.
06. Koenigsegg
What is it?
A shield in red, yellow, and blue.
When did it first appear?
As soon as the Koenigsegg company itself did, in 1994.
What's it mean?
Founder and designer Christian Koenigsegg used his own family's coat of arms as a starting point and developed the logo from there.
07. Lotus
What is it?
A Yellow circle with a green, curved triangle inside. It clearly reads "Lotus" at the bottom and has a jumble of overlapping letters at the top.
When did it first appear?
Lotus has been using this badge since the early 50s when the Lotus Engineering Company was founded.
What does it mean?
The name of the company is obvious, but what are all those letters in the triangle's point? Those are all of founder Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman's initials -- though he's generally known as Colin Chapman.
08. Maserati
What is it?
A trident.
When did it first appear?
As early as Maserati itself, in the 1920s.
What's it mean?
It was believed to have been designed by Mario Maserati, the only one of five Maserati brothers who was an artist rather than an auto engineer, designer, or builder. He likely based it on the trident carried by Neptune in classical mythology.
09. Maybach
What is it?
Two Ms inside a curved triangle.
When did it first appear?
Maybach is one of those companies with a two-part history. The double-M hood ornament has been around since the maker's first incarnation in the 1920s.
What does it mean?
One of those Ms is for Maybach. The second M doesn't stand for Mercedes, although they are both under the Daimler umbrella presently. It's actually for "Motorenbau," which is German for something like "engine installer."
10. Rolls-Royce
What is it?
The Spirit of Ecstasy, a woman with wings who leans into the wind on the hood. It's also known as the Flying Lady. Rolls-Royce also uses two overlapping Rs.
When did it first appear?
February 1911. A kneeling version was used from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s.
What's it mean?
The statuette was commissioned by Rolls-Royce as an official replacement for the custom hood ornaments people were attaching to their cars in the early days of motoring.
11. Spyker
What is it?
A multi-spoked automobile wheel with an airplane propeller in the center. The text on the bottom half of the wheel reads, "Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via."
When did it first appear?
Spyker is one of those died-and-resurrected exotic car companies. This logo appeared in 1914 when the car maker merged with an aircraft builder.
What's it mean?
It simply represents the merger with the Dutch Aircraft Factory. The motto, means "For the tenacious, no road is impassable."
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