Luxury Car Logos: See What They Mean

British luxury automaker Aston Martin is known for high-end vehicles that blend plush comfort with stunning performance. The wing logo symbolizes speed, freedom, and exploration.

Bentley is one of the most luxurious, exclusive automakers in the world. Its iconic “B” logo is often flanked by wings, and higher-end models sometimes feature a motorized, retractable hood emblem with wings and a stylized “B.” The symbolic wings refer to the days when founder W.O. Bentley served with the Royal Naval Air Service, developing engines for fighter aircraft. Bentley is now owned by Volkswagen AG.

Ferrari has an iconic logo that is synonymous with racing. It features a “cavallino rampante,” or prancing horse, with the colors of the Italian flag on top. For decades, it has been an F1 racing staple and is now a luxury car staple. For non-racers, a new Ferrari can reach nearly $600,000 for starters. Ferrari is not the only luxury vehicle brand to use a horse logo. Can you guess what other luxury automaker uses one? Read on to learn more.

Lamborghini is known for its aggressive engines and sharp edges as much as its luxurious interior and sleek design. On a Lamborghini, you will spot the black shield with a gold bull in the middle on the car’s hood. The bull is a symbol hand-picked by the founder Ferruccio Lamborghini, who, as a Taurus, enjoyed watching bullfights.

Maybach is part of Mercedes-Benz. Its traditional logo features a double “M” to symbolize its original manufacturer, Maybach Motorenbau. That said, some of the newest models feature a spelled-out Maybach badge alongside the iconic Mercedes-Benz tri-pointed star logo.

Rolls-Royce is the pinnacle of luxury in the car market. The logo features a double “R” for the company’s name. It combines the names of founders Charles Rolls and Henry Royce. As the hood ornament, you’ll see the “Spirit of Ecstasy,” a figurine of a woman in flowing clothing leaning forward into the wind. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV, one of the most popular cars from the brand, will cost you upwards of $394,000. If you drive next to one and look at the wheels, you will notice that the logo in the center always sits upright and doesn’t spin with the tire like other cars. The Rolls-Royce wheel logo is weighted, so you can always see it stay in position.

Acura’s logo looks like the letter “A” at first glance, but it’s actually based on a caliper. Acura’s website notes, “Our logo is derived from the caliper, a precise design tool representing the meticulous attention to detail.”

Alfa Romeo features symbols from its home country, Italy, including the flag of the city of Milan with its red cross on a white field and the Visconti serpent or “biscione” on the right. The brand offers the high-performance Giulia Quadrifoglio and the more affordable Tonale SUV.

Audi’s iconic four-ring logo symbolizes the four automakers that merged to form the company in the early 1930s. Today, the company offers a range of luxurious, high-performance vehicles, including the RS 3 and Q6 e-tron.

While it looks like a stylized propeller, BMW’s “roundel” logo represents the colors of its home in Bavaria, Germany’s largest state. The automaker’s modern catalog includes massively powerful vehicles like the X5 M and a variety of electric vehicles, such as the iX.

Cadillac has a long history in luxury cars, from its early sedans to today’s Escalade. This full-size SUV often serves as luxury transportation for VIPs. According to the automaker, the Cadillac Crest is “derived from the coat of arms of Le Sieur Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded the City of Detroit in 1701.” In some newer Cadillacs, like the all-electric Lyriq, the emblem serves as a button that opens either the charge port door or the trunk.

Genesis is a South Korean car company owned by Hyundai. Genesis is another brand that implements wings in the logo. The brand’s name can be seen on a crest with silver wings attached to the side. While there is no official meaning behind the design of the emblem, many speculate the wings are a symbol of luxury, similar to other luxury cars that use wings in their logos. Genesis prides itself on a plush and comfortable cabin and a smooth ride. These traits can be seen in the Genesis G90, which costs just under six figures for the base model.

Officially, Infiniti’s logo is a nod to Japan’s Mount Fuji, but it also represents an “infinite road” stretching to the horizon. It’s also a variation on the mathematical symbol for infinity.

You could likely guess the brand if you saw this logo without the lettering. The Jaguar is easily identifiable, but this is the logo on the car’s rear. On the front of the car, the logo is typically the head of a jaguar inside a red circle. According to several Jaguar dealerships, the logo offers a representation of the manufacturer’s core values – grace, elegance, performance, power, and the ambition to leap forward. It offers a range of SUVs, sports cars, and sedans, all of which fit in the luxury department. Among the most expensive models is the super quick Jaguar F-Type.

Land Rover is known for multiple reasons in the automotive world. The iconic green logo is often dirty on models like the Defender 90 SUV, and the brand builds some of the most beloved off-roading vehicles. However, the six-figure Range Rover is luxurious enough to get Land Rover on the list of luxury cars. While only speculation, many think the green in the Land Rover logo symbolizes British Motorsports’ racing green color. Another theory is that the green in the logo symbolizes nature, as many Land Rovers drive off-road.

Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, uses a stylized “L” logo that emphasizes the first letter of its name, and its sleek shape represents the brand’s modern, aerodynamic styling.

Lincoln is known for its luxury SUVs, including the full-size Navigator and the midsize Aviator SUVs. You will be able to recognize a Lincoln not only due to its large size but also from the four-pointed silver and black logo. According to Lincoln, the logo represents a star. “Today’s four-point star badge was originally designed in 1955 for the 1956 Continental Mark II,” said Jamie Myler, research archivist for Ford Motor Co. Archives, in a news release in 2019.

Unlike other brands whose logos are featured on the front, back, and sometimes the side of the car, Lucid’s logo in the Lucid Air is a bit of an Easter egg. While you may think the word “Lucid” that can be seen on the car’s exterior is the logo, the logo is actually a bear. According to California-based Lucid, the animal representation of the spirit of California as a bear is a staple of the state flag.

Maserati’s trident logo was designed by Mario Maserati in 1926, who drew inspiration from the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna, Italy. The automaker says its logo represents its luxury and performance, highlighted by its long history in motorsport.

The Mercedes-Benz star is one of the most recognizable car logos in the world. It is a three-pointed star that can be seen shining on the front grille and on the car’s hood. According to several dealerships, the star represents the strength and prevalence of the company’s engines on land, on the sea, and in the air.

Polestar is a luxury car brand now focusing on electric vehicles. Formerly under Volvo, its cars are a bit pricier. Also, it has faced financial struggles, including in the past two years. The Polestar logo combines two arrows pointing at each other, symbolizing a star. It discontinued the initial Polestar 1 hybrid. Now, the company offers the fully electric Polestar 2 and Polestar 3.

Porsche is another luxury car brand with a rich racing history. Now, it combines powertrains with a racing pedigree and luxury interior features. The Porsche logo features a horse in the gold crest with black and red lines surrounding it. The logo says “Stuttgart,” the German city where Porsche was founded. It’s also a city known for breeding horses. The brand sells one of the fastest EVs on the market, the Porsche Taycan.

Tesla has been an electric vehicle giant for years and continues to grow while adding innovative features like semi-autonomous driving. The logo is simply a “T” with a curved line at the top. While many theories exist, Tesla founder Elon Musk said on social media that the “T is like a cross-section of an electric motor.” The Tesla Model S remains one of the fastest street-legal cars on the market, whether gas- or electric-powered.

Volvo is among the more affordable luxury brands. The logo is the brand’s name in a circle with an arrow. The Volvo logo seems fairly simple, but the circle with the arrow is an old iron chemical symbol. It offers a full array of cars, including electric, hybrid, and gasoline. Even though they are more moderately priced, some models, like the range-topping Volvo XC90 T8 Ultra Bright Theme (2025.5) start at more than $82,000.