Which car manufacturer has the best/worst badge/emblem?
Which car manufacturer has the best/worst badge/emblem?
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Discussion

white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,527 posts

221 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Taking any aspirational qualities out of the equation, which car manufacturer do you consider to have the best and worst badge/emblem? It interests me that the majority of European car manufacturers have instantly recognisable badges/emblems, especially the German manufacturers (VW, Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche etc). Is it just coincidence that they tend to have a strong brand? I also find roundels/shields the strongest/most recognisable badges.

The Japanese/Korean manufacturers typically suck at badges and lack a little imagination, despite making some excellent cars. Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda and Hyundai all have very boring badges (although Subaru and Mitsubishi deserve some credit here).

Although perhaps not having the strongest model line-up (but certainly improving), my favourite has to be Alfa Romeo, although there seems to be some debate over whether the snake is eating the man or he is coming out of the snake's mouth and being reborn! Most confused seems to be Fiat, who seem to have changed their badge multiple times over the years!





My least favourite is a toss-up between SEAT and Kia (probably Kia). They both make some decent vehicles but the badges just look crap.





So which car manufacturer in your opinion has the best badge/emblem and which the worst?

MalcolmSmith

3,059 posts

105 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Alfa best, Nissan worst.

Toltec

7,179 posts

253 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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I was into astronomy at a young age so it has to be-



The worst ones are the logos where you cannot tell what make it is, I don't know which brand they are because I cannot tell.

Moonhawk

10,730 posts

249 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Aston has got to be up there.

I never really liked the Honda badge personally.

Cledus Snow

2,142 posts

218 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Gordon Keeble had the best badge.

underphil

1,353 posts

240 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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I don't mind Vauxhalls, but don't the the design of their badges

anonymous-user

84 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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You've posted the old SEAT badge, they've simplified it now, and I don't mind it, nor the old ones.

I like the Peugeot lion, shame it's usually attached to absolute shyte.

Always thought Skoda's looked like a flying turkey.

I like Toyota's since I learnt you can spell all the letters in the Toyota name with it.

Oh, and you can't not mention Jaguar!

Brinyan

501 posts

123 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Cledus Snow said:
Gordon Keeble had the best badge.
Totally agree

LuS1fer

43,526 posts

275 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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I hate the lopsided Jaguar leaper badge on the rear and have always thought it would be far better if they put it in or almost in a circle, like Vauxhall do with their Griffin. If they went one step further and filled the circle with enamel, it would look far better and more premium.

I'm no fan of the boring BMW badge.

Most Japanese manufacturers have crap, dull badges Toyota's ellipses, Honda's H, Hyundai's fat H, Lexus' L, Nissan's "Nissan" - I mean, come on...

My favourite simplistic design is probably the VW badge - it is clean, classical, clever and has been pretty much the same since the Beetle was about.

Other than that, it has to be this because it's iconic and brilliant (the Shelby snake isn't bad either)


Krikkit

27,938 posts

211 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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LuS1fer said:
I hate the lopsided Jaguar leaper badge on the rear and have always thought it would be far better if they put it in or almost in a circle, like Vauxhall do with their Griffin. If they went one step further and filled the circle with enamel, it would look far better and more premium.
I think they should use the head only on the rear, like the front grille, then have the leaper inside.

white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,527 posts

221 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
quotequote all
Kierkegaard said:
You've posted the old SEAT badge, they've simplified it now, and I don't mind it, nor the old ones.

I like the Peugeot lion, shame it's usually attached to absolute shyte.

Always thought Skoda's looked like a flying turkey.

I like Toyota's since I learnt you can spell all the letters in the Toyota name with it.

Oh, and you can't not mention Jaguar!
I'm not seeing that with the Toyota badge (will have to read up on that). smile

Are you talking about Jaguar in a good or bad way?

The "leaper" looks OK out of context but rubbish on the car because it's assymetrical. The solution would be to use the "growler", which I think looks better on the vehicle.


16v stretch

990 posts

187 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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What about KIA's south Korean badge?


55palfers

6,380 posts

194 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Got to be the best.


cherryowen

12,565 posts

234 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Leftfield choices for "Best"

Hispano-Suiza



Pierce Arrow



Weismann



I've always thought the Lotus badge pretty clever and attractive

As for "Worst", as others have mentioned the Japanese & Korean manufacturers are probably the worst culprits.

Oh, and




P5BNij

15,875 posts

136 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Alfa and Lamborghini are the best for me for me (although I'm biased), in Alfa's case even more so where the badge is integrated into the grille, double stamps on the 'instantly recognisable' front...



The raging bull representing Ferruccio Lamborghini's birth sign of Taurus...



A slight variation on the older dealership emblem...



(I'd love to know how the Gordon Keeble badge came about though!)

lufbramatt

5,686 posts

164 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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First paragraph of wiki says that a pet tortoise photo bombed an early photo shoot, so they chose it as the company emblem.

DoubleD

22,154 posts

138 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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55palfers said:
Got to be the best.

I think its a bit dull

MellowshipSlinky

16,105 posts

219 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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white_goodman said:
I'm not seeing that with the Toyota badge (will have to read up on that). smile

Are you talking about Jaguar in a good or bad way?

The "leaper" looks OK out of context but rubbish on the car because it's assymetrical. The solution would be to use the "growler", which I think looks better on the vehicle.

Can’t beat a good Growler.

WilsonWilson

882 posts

179 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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I always thought it was rather apt that just as Peugeot started making lardy-looking dull cars they made the lion look fat and asthmatic.

In fact, I expected that to be the punchline to that Top Gear piece.

jamei303

3,084 posts

186 months

Thursday 1st November 2018
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Best:


Worst: