No matter the specialization of your company, your logo serves as the “face” of your brand, reflecting your strengths and unique features. In the automotive industry, the choice of a logo is particularly crucial, as it’s the first thing that identifies your product. This is why some car manufacturers have opted for more than just letters and signs in their logos; they’ve embraced logos featuring horses.
The horse, as a symbol, is laden with meanings across various cultures, commonly representing wisdom, power, dynamism, and agility. These attributes align perfectly with the characteristics of the world’s most valuable cars. For instance, the prancing horse on Ferrari’s logo symbolizes not just speed, but also a kind of elegant power. Similarly, a silver horse can suggest sophistication and a futuristic outlook, while a winged horse like Pegasus might be used to denote speed and a soaring spirit.
The use of these powerful images, like the prancing horse or the precious horse, often serves as a pilot, guiding the brand’s image towards associations with good luck, excellence, and prestige. Let’s delve into the history of car logos with horses, exploring how these majestic creatures have come to represent some of the most iconic brands in the automotive world.
Porsche
This brand was established in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche, and Porsche headquarters were in Stuttgart. The porsche logo is based on the coat of arms of the Free People’s State of Württemberg of former Weimar Germany, but since the cars were produced in Stuttgart, its coat of arms with a black stallion on yellow background was also placed in the middle of the emblem The logo as we know it today appeared in 1952 and was initially placed in the centre of the steering wheel. It was sketched by Xaver Reimspieß who claims it symbolizes the origins of the company. Since then, the logo wasn’t changed much.
Ferrari
Enzo Ferrari has decided to put a black horse on his car logos after meeting Francesco Baracca’s (a famous airman of WW1) mother who said that the horse painted on her son’s fighter plane fuselage will bring him luck. The yellow background is chosen to symbolize Modena, Ferrari’s motherland. Since 1947, the letters S and F were simply replaced by the word ‘Ferrari’, although the Italian flag in the Ferrari logo remains.
Ford Mustang
The idea of depicting a horse by Phillip Thomas Clark who joined Ford in the 1960’s and spent over 100 days making sketches of a running stallion. However, the wooden sculpture of the famous running pony was made by Charles Keresztes’ in 1963 (it was based on Clark’s sketches). Mustang logo was altered several times, and in 2010, the horse got a more aggressive and muscular look.
Bajoun
Here, the reason for placing a horse on the emblem is simple. Bajoun is translated from Chinese “寳駿; pinyin: Bǎojùn” as “Treasured Horse”. The logo just represents the company’s name.
When it comes to making up a logo for your car brand, the horse is always a great solution. This is exactly what symbolizes strength, speed, reliability, and loyalty. And the fact that such logos haven’t been significantly altered from the moment of their creation proves that.
Hanteng Autos
This young Chinese automaker, established in 2013, also has a horse as a central element of its visual identity. The badge of the brand is composed of a glossy red roundel in a thick silver frame, which is more square on the inside. The horse is set on a dark red background and executed in the same voluminous silver as the framing of the badge. The animal is drawn diagonally, jumping up left and its three-dimensional execution makes you think that it can jump out of the frame.
Khodro
Khodro is an Iranian auto manufacturer with a long history, dating back to the beginning of the 1960s. The company is not very well known internationally, but it also uses the horse image as the central element of its visual identity. Iranian automaker chooses a blue and white color palette, which looks fresh and clean. As for the animal depiction, here it is a stylized profile silhouette of a horse’s head turned to the right. The head is set in white and silver on a gradient blue background and enclosed into a thin and elegant silver frame in the classic crest shape.
Carlsson Automobile
This German automaker, established at the end of the 1980s, is specialized in car tuning, making them faster, stronger, and more comfortable. The “faster” thing can definitely be seen on the logo of Carlsson Automobile. The matte black roundel in a thick silver framing has a contoured depiction of the running horse set on it, above the massive sans-serif inscription in white italicized letters. The silhouette of the horse is very delicate and elegant, and it only takes the size of four letters, adding lightness and grace to the massive logotype.
Asquith Motors
Asquith Motors is not the most famous British automaking brand, as it specialized in the production of commercial vehicles. However, this company, which operates on the market since the early 1980s, also has good taste and uses a horse as the main element of its visual identity. On the badge of this brand, the horse is drawn in thick flat black lines, with not many details, so it looks more abstract and laconic than on any other logo. The animal turned to the left and comes out of the flat white roundel, diagonally crossed by a thick green ribbon with curved sides.
Kamaz
Kamaz, a prominent Russian automobile manufacturer renowned for its large vehicles and trucks, has embraced an image of a horse as the main element of its company logo. This new logo for Kamaz stands out among car company logos with its depiction of a horse that exudes stability and strength. Rendered in thick and smooth blue lines, the animal conveys a sense of power and reliability, aligning with the brand’s identity.
The horse is strategically placed above the company’s name, which features narrowed geometric sans-serif lettering. This text is separated from the horse image by a medium-thick horizontal line, executed in the same shade of blue, creating a cohesive and visually appealing design. This careful composition of the new logo reflects Kamaz’s commitment to quality and strength, characteristics that are essential in the automotive industry. The distinctive design of the logo helps to differentiate Kamaz in the competitive market of automobile manufacturers.
Corre La Licorne
Corre La Licorne is a historical brand, which was established in France in 1901, and ceased all operation in 1947. The company was known for the production of extremely elegant cars, which features a sleek rounded badge with a depiction of a horse on their bonnets. The Corre La Licorne horse was drawn in a rampant position, using golden metallic shades, and placed against a solid dark-red background of a medallion, enclosed into a thick white frame with golden lettering written around it.
Eicher
Eicher is a large and well-known player in the Indian automaking market. The company, established in 1948, is specialized in the production of commercial vehicles and motorcycles and has a modern powerful logo with an image of a horse on it. The Eicher badge is composed of a heavy geometric logotype in the uppercase, followed by a stylized red and white emblem with the minimalistic drawing of a horse with its mane drawn in several thin horizontal lines, cutting up the red background, creating a feeling of motion and speed.
Pegaso
Pegaso is another discontinued car brand from our today’s list. It was a Spanish company, established in 1946, and ceased all operations in the middle of the 1990s. The company tried itself in the production of different types of vehicles but got remembered for its sports cars, which were decorated by sleek and modern badges with a depiction of the horses on them. The Pegaso badge was set in a monochrome palette, with a black silhouette of a leaping horse, drawn against a white background and enclosed into a thick black circular frame.
What is Car Logos with Horse?
Car Logos with horses are the badge of automobile marques, where the main role is given to an image of a horse, a symbol of speed, motion, and freedom. The horse is one of the most popular animals to be chosen by automakers from different countries of the world.
What is the name of the brand with a horse logo?
There are a lot of car brands, which use a horse as an element of their visual identities. However, the most famous marques with a depiction of a horse in the badge are Ferrari, Porsche, and Mustang.
Which car has a horse logo?
Many automakers from different corners of the world choose a horse as the symbol of their brand and place the depiction of this graceful animal on their logos. Among such brands are Chinese Baojun, Iranian Khodro, German Carlsson, British Asquith, and many more.
Which luxury car has a horse logo?
The most famous luxury brands with the depiction of a horse on their logos are, of course, the Italian Ferrari, and the German Porsche. Both badges feature exquisite heraldic designs and are executed in bright palettes, with the horse, drawn in black.
What car brand has an animal logo?
There are many automobile brands, which use animalistic images for their visual identities. For example, Peugeot has a Lion, Jaguar — a wild cat, Ferrari — a horse, and Lamborghini— a bull.
