Heritage Notes

BMW 50 Years M: why the 1973 badge returned

BMW 50 Years M: why the 1973 badge returned

Marc Dubois

In 2022, BMW turned 50 and reissued the staggered-semicircle emblem from half a century earlier. The tricolor has a stranger origin than most people realize.

BMW 50 Years M: why the 1973 badge returned

Marc Dubois

In 2022, BMW turned 50 and reissued the staggered-semicircle emblem from half a century earlier. The tricolor has a stranger origin than most people realize.

Aston Martin wings logo: the 1932 redesign that defined the badge

Aston Martin wings logo: the 1932 redesign that...

Marc Dubois

From Sammy Davis’s hand-drawn scarab in 1932 to Peter Saville’s 2022 digital overhaul, the Aston Martin wings emblem is a record of every ownership change and near-collapse the marque came...

Aston Martin wings logo: the 1932 redesign that...

Marc Dubois

From Sammy Davis’s hand-drawn scarab in 1932 to Peter Saville’s 2022 digital overhaul, the Aston Martin wings emblem is a record of every ownership change and near-collapse the marque came...

Bruce McLaren’s kiwi emblem: history, design, and meaning

Bruce McLaren’s kiwi emblem: history, design, a...

Marc Dubois

The kiwi on Bruce McLaren’s original 1964 crest was not decoration. It was a declaration of origin, drawn in the language of classical heraldry when racing teams still thought in...

Bruce McLaren’s kiwi emblem: history, design, a...

Marc Dubois

The kiwi on Bruce McLaren’s original 1964 crest was not decoration. It was a declaration of origin, drawn in the language of classical heraldry when racing teams still thought in...

Jaguar Growler emblem: origin, symbolism, and 74 years on the nose

Jaguar Growler emblem: origin, symbolism, and 7...

Marc Dubois

The Growler spent 74 years staring down the road from Jaguar’s grille. Here’s where it came from.

Jaguar Growler emblem: origin, symbolism, and 7...

Marc Dubois

The Growler spent 74 years staring down the road from Jaguar’s grille. Here’s where it came from.

Alfa Romeo badge history: two symbols, one tram stop, 115 years

Alfa Romeo badge history: two symbols, one tram...

Marc Dubois

A designer sketched the Alfa Romeo crest at a tram stop in 1910, combining a crusader’s cross and a serpent from Sforza Castle. Every revision since has been a negotiation...

Alfa Romeo badge history: two symbols, one tram...

Marc Dubois

A designer sketched the Alfa Romeo crest at a tram stop in 1910, combining a crusader’s cross and a serpent from Sforza Castle. Every revision since has been a negotiation...

Carburetor, crankshaft, and a BMW veto: Alpina’s badge origin story

Carburetor, crankshaft, and a BMW veto: Alpina’...

Marc Dubois

How a rejected Bavarian-diamond logo, a BMW veto, and a family typewriter trademark produced a badge that changes its mechanical parts every time the engine does.

Carburetor, crankshaft, and a BMW veto: Alpina’...

Marc Dubois

How a rejected Bavarian-diamond logo, a BMW veto, and a family typewriter trademark produced a badge that changes its mechanical parts every time the engine does.