Short answer
29 car brands in the archive are named after a person other than the founder, or after a myth, including Tesla, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz.
Quick read
Car Brands Named After People and Myths: Key Facts
- Brands on this list
- 29
- Countries
- 10
- Oldest brand
- Cadillac (1902)
- Newest brand
- XPeng (2014)
- Most brands from
- United States (11)
Car Brands Named After People and Myths at a Glance
| Brand | Country | Founded | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
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United States | 2003 | Founded 2003 |
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United States | 1902 | Founded 1902 |
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Germany | 1926 | Founded 1926 |
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China | 2014 | Founded 2014 |
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United Kingdom | 1913 | Founded 1913 |
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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.
- 1900s1 brand
- 1910s1 brand
- 1920s1 brand
- 2000s1 brand
- 2010s1 brand
Car Brands Named After People and Myths: Entry Details
Tesla
United States · Founded 2003How Tesla moved from a chrome shield to the bare red T, what the T is said to represent, who built the company, and which Tesla cars defined the brand.
- Name
- Founded 2003
- Segment
- Electric vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 8
Cadillac
United States · Founded 1902See how the Cadillac crest traces back to a French explorer's coat of arms, why the wreath disappeared in 2021, and which cars carried the badge into the luxury era.
- Name
- Founded 1902
- Segment
- Luxury vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 10
Mercedes-Benz
Germany · Founded 1926How the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star grew from a 1900s trademark into the ring badge, who stood behind the brand, and which cars made the name famous.
- Name
- Founded 1926
- Segment
- Luxury vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 9
XPeng
China · Founded 2014See how the XPeng logo is built from a split, winged X emblem and a wide wordmark, where the name comes from, who founded the company, and which XPeng cars matter most.
- Name
- Founded 2014
- Segment
- Electric vehicles
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Aston Martin
United Kingdom · Founded 1913Follow the Aston Martin badge from the 1921 AM monogram to today's black-and-white wings, with the people, cars and owners behind it.
- Name
- Founded 1913
- Segment
- Sports cars
- Archived logo versions
- 12
Arash
United KingdomA look at the gold eagle badge of Arash Motor, the small British supercar maker from Newmarket, Suffolk, and how its logo changed after the 2006 rename.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Ariel
United KingdomHow the Ariel badge moved from a horseshoe emblem and a roundel to today's red circle with a cut-out A, and which Ariel vehicles made the name known.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 4
Ascari
United KingdomThe Ascari logo pairs two leaning gray and red shapes with a thin serif wordmark. Here is its meaning, the British supercar maker behind it and the racer it was named for.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Atalanta Motors
United KingdomHow the Atalanta Motors wordmark relates to the 1930s Staines sports car maker and its 2011 British relaunch, plus the cars behind the name.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Carlsson
GermanyA look at the Carlsson badge, a black roundel with a leaping horse and italic wordmark, and the German Mercedes-Benz tuning house founded by the Hartge brothers in 1989.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Corre La Licorne
FranceThe unicorn badge of Corre La Licorne, the Paris-area car maker that ran from 1901 to 1947, with its name story, history and key cars.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Daewoo
South KoreaHow the Daewoo logo moved from an oval monogram to the fan-shaped group mark and the silver three-part emblem, who redesigned it, and which Daewoo cars mattered most.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 5
DeSoto
United StatesTrace the DeSoto logo from its explorer-head badge to the finned Adventurer era, what the emblem depicted, and why Chrysler retired the marque in 1961.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Edsel
United StatesTrace the Edsel logo's short run from 1958 to 1960, what its "E" emblem and horse-collar grille meant, and why the brand became a famous marketing failure.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Faraday Future
United StatesThe Faraday Future logo is a mark of eight slanted bars. Read what it shows, how the company got its name, and which car carries it.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Gilbern
United KingdomThe Gilbern badge puts a red Welsh dragon on a green plaque. Here is its story, the name behind it, and the cars the Welsh maker built from 1959 to 1973.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
GMA
United KingdomThe Gordon Murray Automotive badge, a winged mermaid on a blue and green shield, and the British supercar maker behind it.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Holden
AustraliaHow Holden's lion-and-stone emblem evolved from a 1928 oval badge to a black roundel, who designed it, and which Holden cars became Australian icons.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 6
Hudson
United StatesFollow the Hudson badge from the Detroit start-up of 1909 to the 1957 end of the marque, with its red shield, ships and towers, the people behind it, and the Hudson cars that became icons.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Lincoln
United StatesHow the Lincoln logo moved from ornate 1910s badges to the four-point star, who founded the brand, and which Lincoln cars became icons.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 7
Lobini
BrazilThe Lobini logo pairs a black wolf head with the brand name on a yellow oval. Here is what it shows, where the name comes from and what the Brazilian sports car maker built.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Mercury
United StatesFollow the Mercury logo from its 1938 wordmark to the three-angle emblem of the 1980s and 2000s, and see who built the brand, which cars defined it and how it ended in 2011.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 3
Nikola
United StatesThe Nikola logo pairs a cyan hexagon holding a bold N with a black wordmark. Here is what it shows, who founded the truck maker, and how the company ended.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
ORA
ChinaHow the ORA logo pairs a chrome oval emblem with a wide wordmark, what the name owes to Leonhard Euler, and which ORA cars defined the brand.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Details are shown for the 24 best-known brands. All 29 brands are in the table above.
Car Brands Named After People and Myths: Analysis
Why brands choose this kind of name
Borrowing a name from a person or a myth lends a brand a ready-made character. The name might honour a family member, a famous figure or a creature from legend, and it often explains the emblem too.
Where these brands come from
United States has the most brands on this list (11 of 29), followed by United Kingdom (8) and China (2). In all, 10 countries are represented.
How old these brands are
The oldest brand on this list is Cadillac, founded in 1902, and the newest is XPeng, founded in 2014. The most common founding decade is the 1900s (1 brand).
FAQ: Car Brands Named After People and Myths
Which car brands are named after a person other than the founder, or after a myth?
Tesla, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, XPeng, Aston Martin, Arash, Ariel, Ascari, Atalanta Motors and Carlsson, and 19 more in the table above.
Which is the oldest brand on this list?
Cadillac, founded in 1902.
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