Short answer
26 car brands in the archive are named after a place, including Subaru, Alpine and Auburn.
Quick read
Car Brands Named After Places: Key Facts
- Brands on this list
- 26
- Countries
- 10
- Oldest brand
- Subaru (1953)
- Newest brand
- Alpine (1955)
- Most brands from
- United States (7)
Car Brands Named After Places at a Glance
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Car Brands Named After Places: Entry Details
Subaru
Japan · Founded 1953How the Subaru star cluster badge grew from a chrome oval of loose stars into today's blue oval, what the six stars mean, and which Subaru cars became icons.
- Name
- Founded 1953
- Segment
- Mass-market
- Archived logo versions
- 9
Alpine
France · Founded 1955How the Alpine logo grew from a round 1950s badge with a slanted A into today's blue A and wordmark, what the name refers to, and which Alpine cars made the brand famous.
- Name
- Founded 1955
- Segment
- Sports cars
- Archived logo versions
- 3
Auburn
United StatesTrace the Auburn badge from the Eckhart brothers' carriage shop to E.L. Cord's Art Deco era, and meet the Boattail Speedster that defined Auburn before the marque ended in 1936.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Bristol
United KingdomHow the Bristol Cars roundel pairs a ship-and-castle shield with a black ring, what is documented about it, and which Bristol cars became classics.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Caterham
United KingdomHow the green and yellow Caterham Super 7 roundel ties a Surrey Lotus dealer to the Seven, what its elements show, and which Caterham cars matter most.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Dacia
RomaniaFrom the UAP eagle shield of 1966 to the interlocking D and C of 2021, see how the Romanian carmaker's badge changed and which Dacia cars made it famous.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 8
Daihatsu
JapanHow the Daihatsu logo moved from a Ford-like script oval to the stylized white D in a red rectangle, what the D is said to represent, and which cars made the brand known.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 4
Detroit Electric
United StatesSee how the Detroit Electric roundel names the city behind an early electric car maker, how the script badge of the 1910s differed, and how the name was revived in 2008.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Great Wall
ChinaHow the Great Wall Motors badge went from a flat red oval to a chrome emblem, what the shapes may mean, and which Great Wall vehicles built the brand.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Hindustan
IndiaHow the Hindustan Motors logo moved from a metal HM plaque to a blue and yellow HM monogram, who founded the company, and which cars made it famous.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Hino
JapanHow the Hino logo moved from a script wordmark to the chrome H emblem, where the name comes from, and which Hino trucks, buses and cars defined the brand.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Isuzu
JapanFollow the Isuzu logo from the 1949 red medallion to the 1974 twin-pillar badge and today's red wordmark, plus the meaning of the name and the cars that defined the brand.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 3
Lagonda
United KingdomHow the Lagonda winged badge went from 1930s radiator emblems to the 2009 revival and the 2014 line-art version, and who built the cars behind it.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Leyland
United KingdomFrom a brass works plate in Lancashire to the British Leyland roundel and the Ashok Leyland mark, see how the Leyland name was drawn and what it stood for.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 5
Lloyd
GermanyThe Lloyd triangle badge, the Bremen carmaker behind it, its link to the Norddeutscher Lloyd shipping line, and the small cars that made it known.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Lordstown
United StatesA look at the Lordstown Motors hexagon-and-bolt logo, where the name comes from, and the Endurance electric pickup the Ohio startup built.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Merkur
United StatesThe Merkur badge, the silver cross emblem Ford put on German-built imports sold in North America from 1985 to 1989, and what its lettering says.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Oshkosh
United StatesHow the Oshkosh wordmark and its orange letter O became the badge of a Wisconsin maker of defense, fire and specialty trucks, and which vehicles define it.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Plymouth
United StatesHow the Plymouth badge moved from a Mayflower prow to the Pentastar and a final sailing-ship roundel, plus the name's origin and the cars that defined the brand.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 8
Praga
Czech RepublicHow the Praga script wordmark has looked since 1907, what the name means, and where the Prague company's cars, trucks and racing machines fit in.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Rivian
United StatesHow the Rivian logo moved from an early round badge to today's black diamond and wordmark, where the name comes from, and which Rivian models matter most.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 2
Scania
SwedenFollow the Scania logo from a Malmö bicycle-crank badge to today's crowned griffin emblem, and see what the griffin means, why Vabis left the name, and which trucks made Scania.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 7
Suffolk
United KingdomA look at the winged SS badge of Suffolk Sportscars, the Woodbridge maker of SS100 replicas, what the logo shows and how the company ended.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 1
Tatra
Czech RepublicSee how the Tatra badge went from a hand-lettered diamond plaque to the red roundel, what the name refers to, and which Tatra cars and trucks became icons.
- Segment
- Vehicle maker
- Archived logo versions
- 6
Details are shown for the 24 best-known brands. All 26 brands are in the table above.
Car Brands Named After Places: Analysis
Why brands choose this kind of name
A place name ties a brand to the skills and reputation of a region, such as a city known for metalwork or a mountain range. It also gives a young company an instant sense of origin.
Where these brands come from
United States has the most brands on this list (7 of 26), followed by United Kingdom (6) and Japan (4). In all, 10 countries are represented.
FAQ: Car Brands Named After Places
Which car brands are named after a place?
Subaru, Alpine, Auburn, Bristol, Caterham, Dacia, Daihatsu, Detroit Electric, Great Wall and Hindustan, and 16 more in the table above.
Which is the oldest brand on this list?
Subaru, founded in 1953.
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