The How Stuff Works website recently posted an interesting article about automaker logos and the stories behind them. Many of the histories I was already familiar with, but many of them were surprising. For instance, I got that the Acura “A” is a caliper, a tool that suggests “precision engineering.” And that several badges feature coats of arms (Alfa, Buick, Cadillac, and Porsche). I was also aware that BMW’s center represents airplane propellers. But I was pleased to discover that the Chevrolet “bowtie” was inspired by French wallpaper.
Browse the article to find your favorites, though some—Ford and VW, in particular—chose not to participate. However, I can reliably report that Ford uses a variation of the hand-lettered script developed in 1912 for use on its Model “T” badge.