Car Logos With Known Designers

The artists, engineer, typographer and racing driver who created the original Bentley, Maserati, Porsche, Lamborghini and Aston Martin emblems.

Logos & hidden meaningsUpdated By Sources & methodology

Porsche sports car; illustrative photograph for the emblem-design article
Porsche sports car; illustrative photograph for the emblem-design article. Photo credit

Short answer

Bentley uses F. Gordon Crosby’s Winged B, an illustrator’s design with an anti-copying detail hidden in the feathers. Maserati’s artist brother and Porsche’s engineer show how many kinds of people shaped car emblems.

Data period
Historical emblem origins and documented redesigns
Entries
5
Comparison
Editorial order
Topic
Logos & hidden meanings

Car Logos With Known Designers at a Glance

Car Logos With Known Designers — Historical emblem origins and documented redesigns
Brand Emblem or meaning Origin
Bentley logo, archived 1919 version
Bentley1919 original badge
F. Gordon Crosby Illustrator and anti-copying detail
Maserati logo, archived 1926 version
Maserati1926 official emblem debut
Mario Maserati Artist and Bologna fountain
Porsche logo, archived 1952 version
Porsche1952 crest design
Franz Xaver Reimspieß Engineer and heraldic composition
Lamborghini logo, archived 1963 version
Lamborghini1963 emblem design
Paolo Rambaldi Typographer and founder symbolism
Aston Martin logo, archived 1932 version
Aston Martin1932 feathered-wing design
Sammy Davis Driver, editor and scarab inspiration

Car Logos With Known Designers: Entry Details

Bentley logo, archived 1919 version
Archived 1919 logo version.

Bentley

1919 original badge · F. Gordon Crosby

A motoring illustrator created the Winged B. Unequal feather counts in the early wings were intended to discourage imitation.

Origin
Illustrator and anti-copying detail
Bentley logo & history →
Maserati logo, archived 1926 version
Archived 1926 logo version.

Maserati

1926 official emblem debut · Mario Maserati

The artist in the Maserati family drew the trident from Bologna’s Neptune fountain. A local monument became the brand’s identifying shape.

Origin
Artist and Bologna fountain
Maserati logo & history →
Porsche logo, archived 1952 version
Archived 1952 logo version.

Porsche

1952 crest design · Franz Xaver Reimspieß

An engineer with drawing talent brought Stuttgart and regional heraldry into one shield. The elements gave the badge a specific geographic identity.

Origin
Engineer and heraldic composition
Porsche logo & history →
Lamborghini logo, archived 1963 version
Archived 1963 logo version.

Lamborghini

1963 emblem design · Paolo Rambaldi

A local typographer received the commission for Lamborghini’s emblem. The bull translated the founder’s Taurus symbolism into a badge.

Origin
Typographer and founder symbolism
Lamborghini logo & history →
Aston Martin logo, archived 1932 version
Archived 1932 logo version.

Aston Martin

1932 feathered-wing design · Sammy Davis

A racing driver and motoring editor drew on Egyptian scarab imagery. His feathered treatment gave the wings their familiar character.

Origin
Driver, editor and scarab inspiration
Aston Martin logo & history →

Car Logos With Known Designers: Analysis

F. Gordon Crosby and the Bentley Winged B

Bentley’s original winged badge came from F. Gordon Crosby, an artist associated with motoring illustration. He gave the wings unequal feather counts to make copying harder, turning a tiny visual irregularity into a practical feature.

Mario Maserati and the Trident

Maserati entrusted its emblem to Mario, the artistic brother who did not work directly in the car business. Bologna’s Neptune fountain supplied the trident, giving the designer a strong local form to adapt. The Maserati logo history follows that connection.

Porsche, Lamborghini and Aston Martin Logo Designers

Porsche engineer Franz Xaver Reimspieß assembled the city horse and regional symbols into a crest. Lamborghini commissioned local typographer Paolo Rambaldi, whose bull design made the founder’s personal symbolism visible.

Aston Martin’s Sammy Davis drew on Egyptian scarab imagery for the feathered wings. The Aston Martin emblem history shows why a winged badge can come from mythology as well as ideas about flight.

FAQ: Car Logos With Known Designers

Who designed Bentley’s Winged B?

F. Gordon Crosby designed the original badge. Bentley credits the motoring artist with the winged design and its deliberately unequal feather counts.

Who designed the Maserati logo?

Mario Maserati, the artist among the brothers, created the trident drawing. He took inspiration from the Neptune fountain in Bologna.

Who designed the Porsche crest?

Franz Xaver Reimspieß created the decisive crest design. Porsche’s history also credits publicity head Herrmann Lapper in developing the solution.

Who designed the original Lamborghini logo?

Ferruccio Lamborghini commissioned Paolo Rambaldi, a local typographer. The bull drew on the founder’s zodiac sign and his own description of his character.

Who designed Aston Martin’s feathered wings?

Sammy Davis designed the feathered-wing treatment associated with 1932. Egyptian scarab imagery supplied inspiration for that version of the emblem.

Sources & methodology

Manufacturer histories identify original creators, distinguishing them from later studio revisions.

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