According to Porsche, the story behind the logo can all be traced back to New York City in the early 1950s.
The Porsche coat of arms logo is one of the most iconic brandmarks in the world. Since 1952, it has been proudly worn by every sports car from Zuffenhausen, Germany, but how did the idea for it come about?
Inspired by the Stuttgart city seal (the home of Porsche cars), the Porsche coat of arms features a rearing horse in the centre, framed by the contours of a golden shield. The city name above (Stuttgart) is flanked by the state colours of red and black and features stylised antlers, while the Porsche lettering acts as a protective roof.
The bonnet of every Porsche sports car had featured the Porsche lettering since 1948 but the idea of applying a genuine brand logo or ‘quality seal’ to its cars didn’t come to fruition for another three years.
In March 1951, Porsche and Ottomar Domnick, a Stuttgart doctor and one of the original Porsche customers approached German art academies with a design competition and the chance to win 1,000 Deutsche Marks. But none of the designs won them over.
The idea eventually gained traction in New York City thanks to Max Hoffman, the owner of the Hoffman Motor Company. Hoffman specialised in the import of European sports cars to the US and had already made a name for himself in the automotive industry. Whatever he presented in his showrooms usually became the next big thing on American roads.
Shortly after importing the first Porsche 356 into the US, he won an award for the most interesting car at Concours d’Élégance in Watkins Glen, New York. But the car connoisseur saw more potential in the winning vehicle. At a business dinner with Ferry Porsche in New York in late 1951, Hoffman put the brand logo back on the agenda: a quality seal needed to be developed that’s visually appealing – a symbol that created even more identity.
Hoffman Motor Company had already been the US importer of Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Austin, Cooper Healy, Morgan and Volkswagen by this time, so he knew a thing or two about brands and the power of logos.
On December 27, 1951, Ferry Porsche wrote down the following: “Steering wheel hub featuring ‘Porsche’ and the Stuttgart coat of arms or something similar.” Back in Germany, he commissioned Porsche designer Franz Xaver Reimspieß to design a trademark that symbolically reflected the company’s roots as well as the quality and dynamism of the products.
In 1952, the coat of arms debuted on the steering wheel of the 356, before making its way to the bonnet of the cars in 1954 and then the hubcaps as of 1959. Now into its fifth evolution, the Porsche coat of arms has undergone minor revisions to keep it contemporary but has never lost the essence of the original.
Keyword: Porsche reveals the story behind its iconic crest