Famous Car Logo Changes

Cadillac is out to do better for itself, and that covers everything -- cars, advertising, perception, -- and a new logo is part of it, albeit a tiny modification from the old one. The last redesign introduced the brand's "Art & Science" campaign in 1999, shedding Ye Olde Worlde elements for a muted polish, to suggest " high technology and elegance."

The new logo adds gloss and texture: the wreath is harder, the crest gets patterned elements in relief. It's more jewel-like as it also glances back at yesteryear's ornate Cadillac emblems. It is undoubtedly a gem. What we don't know is whether it's a new diamond ... or your grandmother's.

As a symbol of the changes made from the 2009 to the 2010 Mustang, Ford took a chisel to the car's equine emblem. The previous version could almost have been carved from water, the soft curves and recesses stressing the flow of a horse in motion, not the horse itself. The 2010 revamp retains the movement, but beveled egdes make it bolder. This is not an impression of a horse, this is the live, thundering animal, and not in water, but in stone or steel. Even better, it turned out to be an excellent symbol of the new car.

In 2006 Volvo altered its circle-and-arrow graphic to "eradicate inconsistencies in the application of the Volvo identity across models and communications." Changes include adding "more curve" -- though we're unsure of how you add curve to a circle -- using thicker beveled edges, modifying the arrow, and employing a softer matte color.

The redesign was called "the brand's most significant in 75 years," but the efficacy is debatable, and the inconsistencies haven't been eradicated: the logo still appears in different sizes and configurations on the fronts of Volvo models. We're sure it doesn't hurt. We're just not so sure it helps.

We find Audi's explanation for its logo redesign as difficult to comprehend as Swedish films or marzipan. The previous logo featured four large, matte metallic rings perched above the word "Audi," which was centered and written in thick, red backswept type.

The new logo has shinier rings with a sharper bevel (notice a trend?). The word "Audi," now on the far left, appears in a generic-looking font called "Audi Type." Said to be "even more progressive and contemporary than its predecessor," marketing-speak declares "it elevates the brand essence to its key message: Vorsprung durch Technik." We think they traded unique for everyday.

Chrysler's Pentastar is said to have represented five brands that Chrysler once oversaw. When Daimler bought Chrysler in 1998, the Pentastar was retired and replaced by the winged Chrysler medallion, a throwback to branding used back in 1927.

The redesign was unveiled after Daimler departed and Cerberus Capital Management took over. The new logo, which looks like a chunk of billet, communicates strength, and that's good. But it's an icon dredged up from stronger, independent days: the Chrysler Group has three brands, a weak line-up, and the company is owned by Fiat. Still, the climb back has to start somewhere.