WEAR THEM LIKE A BADGE OF HONOUR

From the most storied to the most iconic, to even the most badass, these are the most recognisable logos in the car world

- Dhiram Shah

FERRARI

FERRARI’S iconic Prancing Horse symbol, or Cavallino Rampante in Italian, is hands down the most recognisable automotive logo in the world. The legendary emblem has played a vital role in making Ferrari one of the most popular brands of all time.

But the galloping black stallion logo has a very fascinating story behind it. The horse was originally the symbol of Count Francesco Baracca, an ace fighter pilot of the Italian Air Force during World War I, and the symbol was painted on the fuselage of his fighter plane.

Baracca was shot down after 34 victorious duels against the German forces.

In the early 1920s, when Enzo Ferrari was a racing car driver for Alfa Romeo, he met Baracca’s parents at a race. That’s when Countess Paolina Baracca, mother of the famed Italian hero, suggested putting the prancing horse symbol on Enzo’s race car as it might bring him good luck.

Enzo stuck with the symbol when he started his own racing team, and later adopted it as Ferrari's logo when it turned into an automobile manufacturer. The logo’s yellow background signifies Enzo Ferrari’s hometown of Modena and it always features the colours of the Italian flag at the top.

1.MERCEDES-BENZ

THE legendary three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz can be traced back to 1872 when Gottlieb Daimler, technical director of petrol engine manufacturer Deutz, drew a star above his house on a postcard sent to his wife and wrote ‘one day this star will shine over our triumphant factories.’ Some believe the three-pointed star represents air, water, and land.

2.PORSCHE