Short answer
143 car brands in the archive have an invented name, including Lexus, Volkswagen and Geely.
Quick read
Car Brands With Invented Names: Key Facts
- Brands on this list
- 143
- Countries
- 23
- Oldest brand
- Jaguar (1935)
- Newest brand
- NIO (2014)
- Most brands from
- China (65)
Car Brands With Invented Names at a Glance
No brands match your search.
The scale of the difference
Brands by founding decade
Brands on this list with a known founding year, counted by decade.
- 1930s2 brands
- 1940s1 brand
- 1950s2 brands
- 1980s2 brands
- 1990s1 brand
- 2000s1 brand
- 2010s1 brand
Car Brands With Invented Names: Entry Details
Lexus
Japan · Founded 1989How the Lexus oval and L were created for the 1989 launch, who designed the wordmark and the L, what the name means, and which Lexus cars became icons.
- Name
- Founded 1989
- Segment
- Luxury vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Volkswagen
Germany · Founded 1937How the VW monogram grew from a 1937 cogwheel-and-propeller mark into today's flat blue roundel, who may have drawn it, and which cars made it famous.
- Name
- Founded 1937
- Segment
- Mass-market
- Archived logo versions
- 13
Geely
China · Founded 1986Follow the Geely logo from a red cone mark to the blue roundel, the blue-and-gold shield and today's flat black grille emblem, plus the founder and the cars behind it.
- Name
- Founded 1986
- Segment
- Mass-market
- Archived logo versions
- 6
Chery
China · Founded 1997Follow the Chery emblem from a red open ellipse to a flat charcoal oval, learn how the name was chosen in Wuhu, and see which Chery cars defined the brand.
- Name
- Founded 1997
- Segment
- Mass-market
- Archived logo versions
- 4
NIO
China · Founded 2014How the NIO logo pairs a two-part arc emblem with a bold wordmark, what is documented about the brand's name and launch, and which NIO cars defined it.
- Name
- Founded 2014
- Segment
- Electric vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Hongqi
China · Founded 1958How the Hongqi emblem moved from red brush characters to a sunflower disk, an oval and today's shield, and which models carried China's oldest passenger car brand.
- Name
- Founded 1958
- Segment
- Luxury vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 4
Jaguar
United Kingdom · Founded 1935Follow the Jaguar logo from the winged Swallow Sidecar badge to the leaping cat, learn who is credited with the Leaper mascot, and see which Jaguars became icons.
- Name
- Founded 1935
- Segment
- Luxury vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 8
Land Rover
United Kingdom · Founded 1948Follow the Land Rover logo from a 1948 metal plate to the green oval, see why the hyphen disappeared, who built the first Land Rover, and which models became icons.
- Name
- Founded 1948
- Segment
- Off-road & SUVs
- Archived logo versions
- 7
Mini
United Kingdom · Founded 1959How the Mini badge moved from Morris and Austin emblems to a winged roundel, what its elements show, and which Minis became icons.
- Name
- Founded 1959
- Segment
- Compact cars
- Archived logo versions
- 6
DS
France · Founded 2009How the chrome DS monogram replaced the Citroën chevrons, what its two halves show, who designed it, and which cars carry it today.
- Name
- Founded 2009
- Segment
- Luxury vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Hyundai
South KoreaFollow the Hyundai logo from the early HD monograms to the slanted H in an oval, see what the name means, and meet the cars and people behind South Korea's largest carmaker.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 7
Kia
South KoreaFollow the Kia logo from a 1940s gear-and-triangle mark through the red oval to the 2021 angular wordmark, and see what the name means and which Kia cars mattered most.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 7
Genesis
South KoreaHow the Genesis winged badge developed from the 2008 sedan era to the flat black emblem of 2020, what the wings and shield show, and which cars defined the brand.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 3
Volvo
SwedenSee how the Volvo logo went from an oval Gothenburg badge to the iron-mark ring and arrow, what the symbol means, and which Volvo cars became icons.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 13
Acura
JapanHow the Acura caliper badge was drawn, what it is meant to show, why Soichiro Honda once ordered thousands of emblems destroyed, and which Acura cars became icons.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Aion
ChinaHow the Aion wordmark of GAC's electric car brand is built, what the chevron-and-diamond A stands for, and which Aion models made the brand known.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Aiways
ChinaA look at the Aiways logo, its block symbol and wordmark, where the name comes from, and the U5 electric SUV that carries it.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Alpina
GermanyHow the Alpina badge with its carburetors and camshaft came to define a Bavarian BMW specialist, who founded the company, and which Alpina cars became icons.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Alvis
United KingdomHow the Alvis red inverted triangle replaced an earlier winged green triangle, who started the Coventry company, and which Alvis cars and armored vehicles mattered.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Arcfox
ChinaHow the Arcfox logo works, from the metallic fox-head emblem to the spaced wordmark, plus the history of BAIC's electric brand and its key cars.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Arrival
United KingdomHow the Arrival logo pairs an asterisk with a custom wordmark, who founded the British electric van maker, and how the company ended in 2024.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Artega
GermanyThe Artega shield with its fruit tree and rampant dog, the German sports car maker from Delbrück, and the cars behind the badge.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Askam
TurkeyA look at the Askam logo, the Turkish truck maker's blue emblem and wordmark, plus the company's Chrysler roots, its Fargo and DeSoto trucks, and its end.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Aspark
JapanLook at the Aspark logo, from the blue arch of 2013 to the dark shield badge of 2017, and at the Owl electric hypercar the Japanese company is known for.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Details are shown for the 24 best-known brands. All 143 brands are in the table above.
Car Brands With Invented Names: Analysis
Why brands choose this kind of name
A coined name belongs to its brand alone. It is easy to register as a trademark and carries no meaning that has to be translated, which is why it is a common choice for brands that sell in many languages.
Where these brands come from
China has the most brands on this list (65 of 143), followed by United States (17) and United Kingdom (15). In all, 23 countries are represented.
How old these brands are
The oldest brand on this list is Jaguar, founded in 1935, and the newest is NIO, founded in 2014. The most common founding decade is the 1930s (2 brands).
FAQ: Car Brands With Invented Names
Which car brands have an invented name?
Lexus, Volkswagen, Geely, Chery, NIO, Hongqi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini and DS, and 133 more in the table above.
Which is the oldest brand on this list?
Jaguar, founded in 1935.
How is this list compiled?
The name-origin type comes from each brand's documented facts; brands whose origin is disputed are not listed here.
Sources & methodology
The name-origin type comes from each brand's documented facts; brands whose origin is disputed are not listed here. Each brand page lists its own sources, and the logo images are an educational reference archive.
Maintained by Artsiom Dusau, a software engineer and BMW 4 Series owner. Editorial policy