Porsche Upgraded Its Logo – Can You Notice What’s New?

“The ‘75 years of Porsche sports cars’ anniversary was the occasion for us to rework this trademark,” said Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche. And they did in fact introduce some changes to the famous Porsche crest.

Porsche logos through the years. Image credit: Porsche

The logo of Porsche is quite a complex image compared to many other car brands. You may have scribbled Audi rings or even Ferrari’s prancing horse in your notebook back in school days, but you’d be hard-pressed to describe the Porsche logo without looking at it. On the other hand, it is definitely recognizable.

This famous crest has been in use since 1952. The logo was updated in 1954, 1963, 1973, 1994 and 2008, but the changes were rather minor – you can see them in the photo above.

The first Porsche logo was meant to be created during a competition that was announced in March 1951 at the German art academies.

Design process. Image credit: Porsche

The prize for creating the logo was 1,000 Deutsche Marks, but none of the designs submitted matched what Porsche’s management had in mind. Finally, in 1952, the original Porsche logo was created by Austrian engineer Franz Xaver Reimspieß. He, by the way, was probably also the author of the first Volkswagen logo.

In the centre of the Porsche’s crest is a horse from the coat of arms of Stuttgart – home city of the legendary German car maker. Meanwhile, the black and red colours surrounding the horse and the stylized deer antlers were taken from the logo of the state of Württemberg-Hohenzollern.

Design of the Porsche crest. Image credit: Porsche

This West German province existed very briefly – only from 1945 till 1952. Then it was incorporated into the newly founded state of Baden-Württemberg. However, when Porsche’s logo was conceived, the Württemberg-Hohenzollern was still on the map.

What changes have been introduced now? From the end of 2023, Porsche cars will be decorated with a new logo. You can see how different it is from the previous one here:

New logo on the left and the previous one on the right. Image credit: Porsche

The changes, of course, are minimal – the automaker has to preserve its easily recognizable historical crest. However, the horse’s mane has changed a bit, the name of Stuttgart has been coloured in black (you might not see it, but Stuttgart’s name is also present in the previous version of the logo).

The biggest change is the removal of that texture or little dots. In many places it has been replaced by just a flat polished surface, but the red stripes now feature hexagons.

Design of the new crest. Image credit: Porsche

“We have reinterpreted historical characteristics and combined them with innovative design elements such as a honeycomb structure and brushed metal. The result is an aesthetically ambitious arc that bridges the history and the future of the brand,” explained Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche.

Actually, those little dots were probably abandoned for digital reasons – logos are now usually simplified and flatter, because that looks better on screens and in black and white images.

Top interesting facts about the Porsche logo

• The iconic horse rising in the center of the crest is derived from the seal of the city of Stuttgart. The name “Porsche” itself has roots in horse breeding, as it translates to “stud garden.” By combining the horse emblem with the city’s name, the company symbolizes its connection to its Swabian hometown.
• The colors black and red, as well as the stylized deer antlers, were borrowed from the traditional coat of arms of Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
• The first search for a Porsche trademark involved an open competition. In March 1951, Dr. Ottomar Domnick, a doctor and art collector from Stuttgart, organized a competition in German art academies. The prize for designing a logo was set at 1,000 German marks. However, none of the submitted designs matched the vision of the company’s management.
• An American car importer Max Hoffman also played a role in the creation of the crest. During his visit to the US at the end of 1951, he discussed the idea of a logo with Ferry Porsche. On December 27, 1951, Porsche made a note: “Steering wheel rim decorated with ‘Porsche’ and the Stuttgart crest or similar.”
• The original crest was designed by Franz Xaver Reimspieß. Reimspieß, a highly skilled draftsman, is believed to have also created the Volkswagen logo in 1936. In early 1952, he sketched the initial version of the Porsche crest.
• The Porsche logo has been protected as a trademark since 1952 (DE 657728). Its commercial usage requires explicit consent from Porsche AG.
• The logo in the form of a crest appeared on Porsche cars four years after the Porsche lettering. The logo made its first appearance on the steering wheel rim in late 1952 and was later integrated into the handle on the bonnet of the 356 Speedster in November 1954. Starting from 1959, it also adorned the hubcaps of the sports cars from Zuffenhausen.
• The new rendition of the classic crest underwent extensive testing to meet the highest quality standards. This included a climatic cycle test conducted at the Porsche Development Centre in Weissach.
• On April 1, 2019, the company unveiled the world’s first crest with an integrated QR code, known as the “QREST”.

Written by Povilas M.

Source: Porsche