It was through the genius of Ferdinand Porsche that in 1931 the Porsche was born in the city of Stuttgart. After several years working for brands such as Volkswagen, the talented German engineer decided to create his own brand, together with his son Ferry Porsche. The first production model appeared 17 years later and was design No. 356 by Ferdinand Porsche. Hence the name chosen for this model was… Porsche 356!
The Porsche 356 would also become the first model to bear the famous brand emblem, but the adoption of the first (and only) Porsche logo was not immediate.
“Customers like to have a brand emblem. They are vain and appreciate this kind of details in their cars. It gives them exclusivity and pomp. The owner of a car with an emblem tends to devote a feeling of loyalty to it”, argued businessman Max Hoffman, during a dinner in New York in which he tried to convince Ferry Porsche to create a symbol for Porsche. It was at this point that the German designer realized that the Porsche lettering would have to be accompanied by a symbol, a graphic representation that would reveal the brand's personality. And so it was.
According to the official version, Ferry Porsche immediately took a pen and began drawing an emblem on a paper napkin. He started with the Württemberg crest, then added the Stuttgart horse and to finish the family name – Porsche. The sketch was sent directly to Stuttgart and the Porsche emblem was born in 1952. However, some credit the creation of the logo to Franz Xaver Reimspiess, head of the Porsche design studios.
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The Porsche logo reveals the strong connection the brand has always had with the German state of Baden-Württemberg, in particular with its capital, the municipality of Stuttgart. This connection is represented by the “shield of arms” with the red and black stripes and the horns of a wild animal – believed to be a deer. In turn, the black horse in the center of the logo symbolizes the coat of arms of Stuttgart, formerly used on the uniforms of the local army.The coat of arms so characteristic of the brand has evolved over the years, but has changed little from the original design, having remained practically unchanged at the forefront of the brand's models until today. In the video below, you can see how everything is done, from the fusion of materials to the careful painting of the black horse in the center.
Do you want to know more about other brands' logos? Click on the names of the following brands:
- BMW
- Rolls-Royce
- Alfa Romeo
- Toyota
- Mercedes-Benz
- Volvo
- Audi
- Ferrari
- opel
- citron
- Volkswagen
At Razão Automóvel a «story of logos» every week.