The Xia Li Sedan. The Japanese pronunciation of the car name is translated as "Xialaiduo". The company initially determined the Chinese name as "Xialide". At that time, Comrade Li Ruihua, who was then mayor of Tianjin, proposed changing it to "Xiali", meaning "beneficial to Huaxia".
The Tianjin Xia Li sedan logo originally had the two characters "Xiali" embedded in the center of the radiator grille. Starting in 1997, a new logo resembling a "high-speed road" was adopted, indicating that the Xia Li sedan is a popular fuel-efficient car and also a high-quality car that can compete with others on highways, symbolizing a bright future for "Xiali". Zhongtai Xiaoshan Modification Factory.
2. Hongqi
The "Hongqi" graphic trademark stands at the front end of the engine cover; another trademark has a feathered "1" inside an ellipse, representing "China First Automotive Group". This trademark is embedded in the center of the radiator; the text "Hongqi" trademark is marked on the rear of the car. The two characters "Hongqi" were personally written by Chairman Mao Zedong.
"Hongqi" is a simplification of the oldest two tribes' totems of the Chinese nation: "Dragon-Phoenix". The flagpole symbolizes the "dragon"; the flag represents the "phoenix". The combination of "dragon" and "phoenix" represents the united, unified, and great Chinese nation. The soaring "dragon-phoenix" represents the awakening of the Eastern dragon and a promising future. The bright red "Hongqi" fully embodies the enthusiasm, straightforwardness, generosity, and vitality of the Chinese nation, expressing the spirit of unity, upwardness, fearlessness in danger, and striving for excellence of the Chinese nation.
3. Santana
In 1987, Shanghai Santana sedans were introduced from Volkswagen Germany by Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. The Volkswagen logo is still used at the front of the car; the text trademark "Shanghai·SANTANA" is used at the rear.
The Santana (SANTANA) brand sedan is produced by Volkswagen Germany in California, USA. The factory is located at the foot of the Santana Valley, which is famous for producing premium grapes worldwide. Moreover, this valley often experiences a windstorm similar to the "Colorado" tornado, so locals call this windstorm "Santana."
At the end of the 1990s, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. developed the "Shanghai·Santana 2000" model sedan, signifying a dash towards the 21st century, challenging the future, and creating a "New Santana" whirlwind along China's eastern coast.
4. Oriental Dragon
In 1953, the First Automobile Manufacturing Plant was founded in Changchun, with Chairman Mao Zedong inscribing the plant's name as "China First Automobile Manufacturing Plant"; In 1956, the first Jiefang brand truck rolled off the production line, along with the subsequently launched Dongfeng sedan, thrilling the entire nation. Chairman Mao Zedong happily announced: We are riding our own small cars!
In 1958, the First Automobile Manufacturing Plant of China developed the Type 71 Dongfeng sedan, pioneering the production of sedans in China. The Dongfeng sedan's trademark is a flying golden dragon, representing the prosperity and self-strengthening of the Oriental dragon. This golden dragon raising its head and leaping forward, together with the two characters "Dongfeng" handwritten by Chairman Mao and embedded at the front of the car, shine brilliantly and radiate with light.
According to research, "dragon" and "phoenix" are the "totems" of two ancestral tribes of the Chinese nation. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has revered "dragon" and "phoenix" immensely, viewing them as symbols of power and nobility. Therefore, the Qing Empire used the "dragon" emblem as the national flag.
5. Beijing Jeep
After several changes following the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Beijing Automobile Manufacturing Plant was formed. At that time, the Beijing 212 off-road jeep produced became one of the main light passenger vehicles and transport vehicles in the country, making significant contributions to national economic construction and defense.
In January 1984, Beijing Automobile Manufacturing Plant and American Chrysler Corporation jointly operated to establish the first joint venture enterprise in China's automobile industry - Beijing Jeep Corporation Limited.
Its trademark consists of graphic and text parts. The graphic part highlights the character "Bei" (北), representing "Beijing"; the text part "BJC" represents Beijing Jeep Corporation Limited. The pattern resembles both a highway and rugged mountains, indicating that the "Beijing Jeep" is suitable for any road conditions. It implies that the company will manufacture high-performance products that will break through national boundaries.
Two, Germany:
1. BMW
In 1916, engineers Karl Rapp and Max Friz founded Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in Munich; in 1917, the company was renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, which is the origin of the abbreviation BMW; in 1918, the company changed its name to its current form - BMW AG.
"BMW" is commonly translated as Bavarian Motor Works. Since BMW started its business by producing aircraft engines, the blue in the logo represents the sky, and the white represents the propeller. This is the first major feature of the "BMW" logo; the second major feature is the metal square intake grille in the middle of the radiator (car nose).
BMW is the abbreviation of the full company name "Bayerische Motoren Werke AG." BMW uses a double-circle graphic design and marks the BMW logo above the double circle. The entire logo resembles the blue sky, white clouds, and a constantly rotating propeller, symbolizing BMW's long history and appearance. It symbolizes not only the company's past leadership in aviation engine technology but also its consistent purpose and goal: to meet customers' maximum wishes with the latest science and technology and the most advanced concepts in vast space-time, reflecting the company's vigorous and ever-renewing spirit.
2. Volkswagen
The German name of Volkswagen is Volkswagonwerk, meaning a car for the masses; the graphic trademark combines the letters V and W from the word Volkswagonwerk and embeds them in a large circle, then places the entire trademark in the middle of the radiator grille in front of the engine. The graphic trademark resembles three "V"s, like the V made by the middle finger and index finger, indicating that the company and its products will be "victorious—victorious—sexually victorious." The text trademark is marked on the luggage compartment lid at the rear of the car to indicate the name of the vehicle. The Volkswagen trademark is concise, vivid, captivating, and unforgettable.
Volkswagen is relatively young in Germany but is also the largest automobile manufacturer in Germany. The product that made Volkswagen famous is the "Beetle" sedan (designed by Porsche), which had produced 20 million units by the early 1980s. It started Volkswagen's first high-speed train, followed by Polo, Golf, Audi, Passat, Santana, etc., which also sell well worldwide.
3. Porsche
"Porsche (PORSCHE)" was once translated as "Porsche," and the text trademark of the "Porsche" brand uses the surname of Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the German Porsche company (who once worked as a designer at Mercedes-Benz, left Mercedes-Benz in 1930, and founded Porsche Design Company. His first successful work was the "Beetle" sedan from Volkswagen.). The graphic trademark uses the shield-shaped city emblem of Stuttgart, where the company is headquartered. In 1948, the first sports car named "Porsche" was introduced. Since then, "Porsche" has occupied a place in the world of sports cars with its superb technology and elegant artistic design.
The word "PORSCHE" is at the top of the trademark, indicating that the trademark belongs to Porsche Design Company; the word "STUTTGART" is above the horse, indicating that the company headquarters is in Stuttgart; the horse in the middle of the trademark represents the famous breed of horses produced in Stuttgart; the antlers in the upper left and lower right of the trademark represent that Stuttgart was once a good place for hunting; the yellow stripes in the upper right and lower left of the trademark are the color of ripe wheat, symbolizing a bountiful harvest; the black in the trademark represents fertile land; the red in the trademark symbolizes people's wisdom and love for nature. Thus, it forms a meticulously crafted, graceful, and beautiful pastoral landscape, showcasing the brilliant past of "Porsche" and implying a bright future for "Porsche."
4. Audi
Audi (AUDI) was founded in 1932 and was formed by the merger of Wanderer, DKW, Horch, and Audi. At that time, it was named Union Automobile Company. On January 1, 1958, it was officially renamed Audi AG and is now the largest subsidiary of Volkswagen AG.
The graphic trademark uses four interconnected circles, symbolizing the union of the four companies, showing the four brothers hand in hand, striding forward to create great endeavors, fully embodying the atmosphere of "unity is strength." These four identical tightly connected rings symbolize the aspiration of the company members for equality, mutual benefit, cooperation, and dedication. "Audi" is the text trademark of Audi sedans and is usually marked on the rear or sides of the car.
There was once a controversy about the name "Audi": In 1890, August Horch founded the Horch automobile factory, using the "Horch" trademark for its products. Later, August Horch left the factory and established another one in 1909, also using the "Horch" trademark. For this reason, the original Horch automobile factory sued in court, forcing August Horch to translate "Horch" (which means "listen" in German) into "Audi" (which also means "listen" in Latin), thus resolving the controversy.
5. Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (Mercedes----Benz), 1936, Type 200: Renowned as the world's number one quality automobile company, Mercedes-Benz has adorned the crown of the global automotive arena with pearls in its nearly 100 years of car-making history, leaving spectators dazzled. Known for its motto "perfection at the forefront of the times," this car was a star in 1936, renowned for its excellent mechanical performance. During World War II, it accompanied German troops around the world, bringing both glory and disgrace. In 1951, the significantly post-war styled 220 series emerged, securing Mercedes-Benz's dominance in the market.
6. Daimler In 1873, Gottlieb Daimler, serving as the technical director of Dentz Engine Factory, casually drew a three-pointed star on a postcard he sent to his wife, representing his current residence, and specially noted: One day, this auspicious star will illuminate my lifelong work. In 1890, this auspicious star began to be used on the products of the newly established Daimler Company. In March 1899, after Emil Jellinek (then serving as the Austrian-Hungarian Consul General and a member of the Management Committee of Daimler Motors) drove the car named after his daughter Mercedes (meaning gentle and elegant) to win the "Nice Journey" car race, he suggested naming all Daimler-produced cars "Mercedes," to which Daimler readily agreed. In 1901, the "Simplex" brand car designed by Wilhelm Maybach first used "Daimler-Mercedes" as the trademark.
In 1909, Daimler placed a three-pointed star, four small stars, and "Mercedes" within a circle; in 1923, the three-pointed star was placed atop the radiator. From then on, this auspicious three-pointed star stood proudly against the wind, elegant and eye-catching.
7. Opel
"Opel" was once translated as "Obel", derived from the surname of its founder Adam Opel. The trademark consists of a graphic and textual part. The graphic represents the company's technological progress and development, resembling a lightning bolt piercing the sky, stunning the world, symbolizing the car's speed like the wind, while also boasting its achievements in aerodynamics research; the text "OPEL" is the surname of the founder.
In 1862, Adam Opel (Adan Opel) founded Opel in Rüsselsheim. The company initially produced sewing machines and bicycles. In 1897, it began producing cars, and in 1924, the company built Germany's first car production assembly line, significantly increasing car production and dominating the affordable car sector in Germany. Additionally, due to possible concerns about the German government, the Opel family sold 80% of the company's shares to General Motors in 1929, making Opel a subsidiary of General Motors in Germany.
8. Mercedes-Benz
Karl Benz ingeniously combined Greek literary and artistic mythology with German manufacturing technology, naturally becoming a pioneer of world automotive culture. This can be seen from the "Mercedes-Benz" trademark, which originally had the words "BENZ" in two nested circles, later adding two laurel branches between the nested circles. The "Mercedes-Benz" trademark resembles a crown, symbolizing the company's dominance in its field, with its products winning the "crown".
The "crown" is not only seen in trademarks like Mercedes-Benz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch, but also frequently appears in the fields of culture, art, and sports, representing success, honor, and brilliance.
The "crown" has a touching legend in Greek mythology: As Apollo, the god of art, was about to cross the Beine River, he saw Daphne, the daughter of the river god, who was beautiful and innocent. He fell in love with her at first sight.
Daphne was a self-loving and freedom-aspiring pure maiden. To escape Apollo's advances, she ran towards the laurel forest. When Apollo caught up with her, Daphne cried out, "Father! Please destroy my beauty!" Instantly, a strange phenomenon occurred: Daphne's legs stood motionless, her feet turned into roots, her body covered with gray bark, her arms turned into branches, and her hair turned into leaves. When Apollo arrived, he could only grasp a smooth trunk but still felt Daphne's heart pounding.
"Ah, Daphne!" Apollo mournfully expressed his unwavering love: "From now on, you are Apollo's favorite tree. I will use your immortal leaves to weave a laurel crown, which will become the crown of heroes and a symbol of poets and victors' glory."
Three, Japan:
1. Honda
Soichiro Honda founded Honda R&D Co., Ltd. (i.e., Honda Motor Co.) in 1946 and used his surname as the company name and trademark.
The letter "H" is the graphic trademark for "Honda" cars and motorcycles, being the first capital letter of the Japanese phonetic spelling "HONDA." The letters "HM" in the Honda car trademark stand for "HONDA MOTOR," and the eagle's wings on these two letters symbolize "the flying Honda technology and the unlimited prospects of Honda Company."
"The harmony between people and cars, cars and environment" is Honda's development direction; dynamism, luxury, and fluidity are Honda's consistent style; designing powerful, low-consumption, and low-pollution engines is Honda's technical goal; attracting more customers through advanced and practical designs, outstanding manufacturing quality, and relatively low prices is Honda's mission.
The "H" trademark, this world-famous trademark, is the foundation of Honda's establishment and the soul of Honda's success.
In 1960, the "H" trademark was first used on the S500 sports car, and the "H" trademark accompanied Honda racing cars to win the championship in the F1 World Car Championship held in Mexico in 1965 and triumphed again in the F2 Car Championship the following year; what made Honda even more glorious was achieving 11 championships in 1967.
In 1969, Honda highlighted the image of the eagle by using a vertically elongated "H" trademark. In 1980, to reflect Honda's youthfulness, advanced technology, and innovative design, the decision was made to use an "H" trademark resembling a shamisen sound box, fully embodying innovation, unity, upwardness, effective operation, tension, and relaxation.
2. Mazda
Mazda Motor Corporation was originally named Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd., and the cars it produced were named "Matsuda," the surname of the company's founder. Due to the phonetic pronunciation of "Matsuda" being MAZDA, people gradually referred to the company by the car's name.
The "M" in the Mazda (MAZDA) logo is the first capital letter of "MAZDA." The company's text trademark is "MAZDA."
In 1920, Matsuda founded Toyo Cork Industry Co., Ltd. in An艺 District, Hiroshima Prefecture; in 1927, it was renamed Toyo Kogyo Co., Ltd., and the cars produced were called Mazda (MAZDA) brand.
In 1979, annual production reached over one million units, ranking tenth in the world; in 1991, it developed the world's first hydrogen-fueled rotary engine; the Mazda 787B won the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours Endurance Grand Prix.
After cooperating with Ford, Mazda adopted a new trademark. The completely redesigned pattern signifies Mazda's ambition to soar high, overcome numerous challenges, and reach the pinnacle of the automotive industry with infinite creativity and sincere service, moving towards the new century.
3. Toyota
In 1933, Kiichiro Toyoda founded Toyota Automatic Loom Works in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. In August 1937, Toyota Motor Corporation was established, and he used his surname as the company name and trademark. The early "Toyota" brand car logo placed the first capital letter "T" of the pinyin "TOYOTA" on the radiator grille and marked the pinyin form "TOYOTA" on the front or rear of the car.
In the 1990s, "Toyota" began using a new trademark. The new trademark cleverly combines three elliptical shapes similar in appearance. Each ellipse is composed of curves drawn with two points as the centers, symbolizing the connection between the hearts of users and the car manufacturers, fostering mutual trust. Moreover, it gives the pattern a sense of space and incorporates the pinyin letters "TOYOTA" into the large elliptical shape representing the Earth. The "T" in the middle overlaps with the outer ellipse, maximizing its presence in the elliptical space, making the "T" more prominent, symbolizing Toyota's expansion into the world.
The essence of the new trademark, as explained by the company, symbolizes Toyota's confidence and ambition for the future based on its foundation; it symbolizes Toyota's commitment to its customers; it implies the height of Toyota's technology and the endless possibilities of innovation. The new elliptical trademark evokes feelings of warmth, gentleness, and intimacy, representing the completeness of Toyota's car quality, operations, and services.
4. Suzuki
The "S" in the Suzuki trademark pattern is the first capital letter of "SUZUKI," giving a sense of infinite power and symbolizing the infinitely developing Suzuki Motor Corporation.
In 1909, Mr. Suzuki founded Suzuki Loom Works in Hamana District, Shizuoka Prefecture, and in 1954, it was renamed Suzuki Motor Corporation. The company mainly produces microcars, light-duty trucks, and motorcycles. Since 1979, the company's microcars have been the best-selling in Japan, and the Suzuki SPORT SWIFT GTI once won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. In 1983, the company collaborated with Chongqing Chang'an Automobile Co., Ltd. in China to produce the Alto microcar.
5. Isuzu
The Isuzu (ISUZU) company has undergone two changes in its trademark. The earliest trademark took its name from Isuzu in Ise (a place name in Japan). The pattern symbolizes the surging waves of the Isuzu River, representing unlimited company development; in 1974, it adopted the new twin-column trademark. The left column in the trademark pattern symbolizes Isuzu advancing shoulder-to-shoulder with its users, while the right column symbolizes Isuzu's cooperation with countries around the world. Every time one sees the twin-column new trademark of Isuzu, it reminds one of the Chinese proverb "supporting pillars reaching the sky, bridging beams spanning the sea," seemingly designed specifically for Chinese users.
The predecessor of Isuzu Motors was Tokyo Ishikawajima Shipyard established in 1916 in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo. In 1922, it produced the A9 type car; in 1933, the company merged with