Car logos

Founded in Osaka in 1907 as Hatsudoki Seizo, Daihatsu took its name from a customer nickname. Its emblem is a stylised D.

DAF began in 1928 as a small Eindhoven workshop. Its three letters first meant a trailer factory, then an automobile factory, and never had to change.

Daewoo started as a textile trader in 1967 and took over a car factory that later became Daewoo Motor. Here is what the name means and why its badge gave way to the Chevrolet bowtie in 2011.

Dacia began in 1966 as Romania’s state car project under a Renault licence. In 2021 it swapped its shield badge for the Dacia Link, a D and a C joined like chain links.

The first Corvette emblem crossed a checkered flag with the American flag. It never reached production. Here is how the crossed flags got their bowtie and fleur-de-lis, and how they changed for the C7 and C8.

Citroën’s double chevron is a drawing of gear teeth, chosen by André Citroën in 1919. Here is how the badge went from a blue and yellow oval to a swan, a red square and back to the oval in 2022.

Chrysler’s first emblem was a ribbon seal made to look like a prize. A century later the brand’s wings light up on the grille.

Chevrolet says its bowtie was introduced by William C. Durant in late 1913, but even his own family told different stories about where it came from. Here are all of them, and who told them.

In 1973 Graham Nearn shook hands with Colin Chapman and Caterham took over the Lotus Seven. Here is the story behind the name, the emblem and the cars.

Cadillac’s crest is based on the family arms of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a man historians say invented his own noble pedigree. Here is how the badge lost its wreath in 2014 and its colour for the electric age.