Many things can be said about mascots and logos. They tell us something about the history of the vehicle. They tell us something about the company that produced vehicle, its pedigree and they tell us why you should consider owning one of their vehicles.
Take Ferrari, drivers and enthusiasts who have a passion for sports cars know that the prancing black stallion in yellow background with the green, white and red strips on top means high performance impeccable craftmanship, the finest engineering and bespoke quality that puts the owner in a league of their own.
The legend behind the logo is reported as:
The original horse of the Ferrari logo was painted on the fuselage of the fighter plane of Francesco Baracca — a heroic airman of the first world war. “In ‘23, I met count Enrico Baracca, the hero’s father, and then his mother, countess Paulina, who said to me one day, ‘Ferrari, put my son’s prancing horse on your cars. It will bring you good luck’. The horse was, and still is black, and I added the canary yellow background which is the colour of Modena [Enzo Ferrari’s birthplace].”
In 1932, the Ferrari shield appeared for the first time on the Alfa Romeo cars of the Scuderia racing team at the Grand Prix of Spa. In 1947, on the 125S — the first car produced at Maranello, the prancing horse appeared on a yellow background, and always with the Italian flag at the top. However, no longer within a shield, with the letters S and F (Scuderia Ferrari) replaced by the word Ferrari. Thus the Ferrari brand was born, and since then has been on all the cars the company produces.
courtesy of Ferrari
Roll Royce which is in a class of its own has a logo that's in a league unique to Roll Royce with no comparison. In 1906 the logo was a coat of arms, in 1911 The company added two addition logos to their line of vehicles. The fourth addition came in 1973 with another logo introduced in 1988 and the most recent which was introduced in 2020. No matter how you look at it or which version strikes your fancy. One thing for sure is you know beyond a doubt that you are driving a luxurious one-of-a-kind vehicle when one of the Rolls Royce logos graces the hood of your vehicle.
The Alpha Romeo logo stands out as one of the more unique themes for automotive badging. Designed in 1910, the symbol represents its origins in Milan, Italy. The logo is the symbol of the Visconti family who ruled Milan in the 24th century and a Biscione serpent eating a man. Wow! You might want to take a trip to Milan, Italy to find out the details behind why this symbol was so important that it found its way into automotive history.
Porsche
The original plant was built on top of a horse-breeding farm and to represent this the company included a horse in the center of its logo. The car gets its name from the surname of the founder of the company, Ferdinand Porsche. The back story behind the Ferdinand Porsche is fascinating. A must see to understand how the brand evolved into one of the most sought automobiles in the world.
Bentley. No doubt about it, when you see that distinct B on the hood it can only mean one thing, you are having an encounter with a Bentley. Founded in 1919 this luxury motor car comes with its own bespoke set of rules and luxuriously appointed amenities. If an owner can imagine it Bentley with do whatever it takes to make it a reality for the owner. The wings of the logo signify W.O. Bentley’s passion and background in designing fighter planes in WWI. The company was named after the own, Walter Owen Bentley. It is written that he once said his passion was his desire was ‘to build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class’.
Bentley
These are just a few of the fascinating stories behind the history of the logos on some of the cars you will get to see this weekend in La Jolla. It’s not often where you can experience the passion and burning desire that went into creating some of the most unique vehicles ever to be bult. Built from the dreams and visions of visionaries who never stopped dreaming and dared to keep going despite controversy and opposition. This is indeed a special weekend for the entire family with rare collectable cars, muscles, elegant touring cars and more all on display.
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