Mercedes-Benz is one of the largest and best car manufacturers in the world today. Luxurious cars with a three-pointed star sparkling on the hood attract the attention of everyone, even a person who does not understand cars. But now I would like to talk not about the powerful technical characteristics of the models produced by the concern, but about what the Mercedes sign means.

Let's look into the past

The history of the emblem began in the distant 1880, and in a very interesting way. Gottlieb Daimler, the founder of the concern, made graffiti on the wall of his house. He depicted that very three-rayed star. And then he signed it with an interesting phrase. Translated into Russian, it sounds like this: "A star will rise over this place and, I hope, bless all of us and our children."

This is how the Mercedes sign was born. True, it was approved as a logo only in 1909. Only then was the concern still known as Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft.

Element reference

In the famous star Gottlieb Daimler put not only moral meaning. The Mercedes sign, the photo of which is provided above, has a completely logical meaning.

The fact is that the DMG concern produced not only cars. He was also engaged in the manufacture of marine and aircraft engines. So each ray in the symbol represents the element in which the DMG manifested itself: land, air and water.

Interestingly, in the year of the official design of the logo, two stars were registered as TM at the same time. They differed in the number of rays. One had three, according to the canon, and the other had four. Perhaps the second version was registered as a fallback. But, as you know, the “classic” logo model has taken root very well. Moreover, now it will be very difficult to imagine one of the "Mercedes" with a four-pointed star.

Merging brands

As you know, the Mercedes-Benz concern, known in its modern form, was formed as a result of the joining of efforts of two once competing automotive companies. One of them was owned by Karl Benz and the other by Gottlieb Daimler. They competed for a while, but in 1926 they merged, and this was perhaps the best mutual decision in their life.

Naturally, the question arose concerning what the new Mercedes sign would be. It was decided to compromise and combine the symbols of both companies. Karl Benz's trade symbol was originally the steering wheel, which he replaced in 1909 with a laurel wreath.

In the end, it was decided to inscribe a three-pointed star in it. The new Mercedes sign has become very harmonious and original. The photo provided above allows you to verify this. This design decision is so successful that even now many models can still see a variant of the emblem with a wreath. The most interesting is the star, "standing" on a small round platform, on which the Mercedes-Benz logo is visible in a laurel wreath. Although on the most modern models there is another option, without a rising star. It is increasingly being placed in the middle of the grille.

By the way, the wreath, which is a symbol of victory for cars in races, was removed only to make it easier to use the logo in advertising. Everyone knows very well that the fewer elements in the emblem, the better it is remembered, since there is nothing superfluous that provokes additional visual stress.

In 1937, the Mercedes-Benz badge was transformed into its final version - the star was enclosed in a circle. After that, no further rebranding was carried out.

Another version of the origin of the symbol

The sign of the Mercedes car seems quite familiar, but in fact, it is shrouded in the most real legends. There is a very romantic version telling how this emblem supposedly appeared.

It is believed that the three-pointed star is actually a female figure inscribed in a circle. If you turn on the imagination, then you can imagine a girl with legs wide apart and her arms raised above her head. There is a reference to ancient times, when a female figurine was carved on the prows of ships. She was later considered an idol keeping the ship. Likewise, in a Mercedes - in a stream of fast wind, a beautiful goddess floats on the stern of a land ship, protecting the owners from external adversity of the road and not allowing them to get lost in the stone jungle.

In a dispute ... an emblem is born

It is worth noting another version, according to which the Mercedes sign appeared. This is also a kind of legend.

They say that the founders of the company (Gottlieb Daimler, Emil Ellinek and Wilhelm Maybach) argued and swore for a very long time because of the future logo. This is understandable, because everyone wanted to see in the concern's emblem a reflection of his ideas. The "humble" Gottlieb Daimler, for example, suggested making his own portrait a logo.

Maybach insisted on the orange as the emblem. And according to the legend, he did not even substantiate his proposal in any way. Unlike Ellinek, who insisted: "Mercedes is the elephant of the automotive industry!" It's not hard to guess which animal he wanted to see as a logo. But Gottlieb and Wilhelm did not even want to listen to Emil. Their indignation was understandable, because the company itself was named after the daughter of Ellinek. Naturally, they didn’t want Emil to create the Mercedes sign.

And then at one point the dispute reached its climax. The men grabbed their canes and crossed them, intending to fight notably. It was at that moment that Emil's daughter ran into the room, hearing the whole skirmish through the wall. It hurt her to hear three geniuses fighting over a problem that could be solved with a logical approach. The girl fell to her knees, let out a tear and, wringing her hands, screamed: “Please do not quarrel! After all, the fate of the company is in your hands! "

This could not but move the men. They shifted their gaze to their "weapons" to lower them, and suddenly an insight descended on them. In the crossed reeds, they saw the future logo. The decision was made instantly, and the conflict was settled.

Brand price

There was a lot of interesting information about the Mercedes sign. What this emblem means is clear. Now it is worth touching on another, no less entertaining topic. And it concerns the cost of the logo.

It is very expensive. According to data for 2005, Mercedes-Benz ranks 11th in the world in the ranking of brand values. And the value of the rights to the logo is over 16.605 billion euros. The same fact makes the concern the most expensive German brand.

It is worth noting the results of a number of sociological studies, the subject of which was the concern's logo. Hundreds of people were asked the same question - what associations does the Mercedes-Benz emblem evoke in them? The most common answers were: the elite segment, high cost, German quality, reliability, prestige, confidence, stability, security, technical excellence, conservatism.

For luck

The Mercedes badge on the hood looks pretty and many agree. But for some, the love for this logo is shown too much. The former president of Ukraine, for example, once ordered himself a noble coat of arms. The images are rather complicated, but of those elements that are first of all striking, one can note a rose (the symbol of Donbass), a palm branch (the personification of victory) and ... the "Mercedes" emblem. It is difficult to give a logical explanation for its presence in this context. Perhaps the owner of this masterpiece thus decided to attract the blessing of the star of captivating happiness or to personify success, wealth in this world.

Relation to the emblem

True, some believe that the Mercedes logo symbolizes evil and evil spirits. Semiotics (specialists in signs) assure that a three-rayed swastika is veiled in this emblem, the ends of which simply "bent" and form a circle.

And in some cultures, such a star personifies the desire for spirituality. But the fact that it is outlined in a circle is very bad. He suppresses the desire to be spiritually enlightened and directs towards acquisitiveness.

However, all this is just opinions, versions and guesses. In fact, the three-pointed star is simply an expensive and recognizable trademark belonging to one of the best automobile concerns in the world.

What does the Mercedes emblem mean?

The history of the Mercedes emblem dates back to 1880. Then the entrepreneur Gottlieb Daimler painted a three-pointed star on the wall of his house, accompanied by the inscription "A star will rise over this place and, I hope, bless all of us and our children." In 1909, the three-pointed star was approved as the logo of Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which produced, in addition to cars, marine and aircraft engines. Thus, the star symbolized the use of Daimler engines on land, in water and in the air, or, if you will, the company's superiority in these three elements. By the way, in 1909 two stars were registered as trade marks at the same time - with three and four rays, but later only the three-ray symbol began to be used.
Karl Benz, the creator of the world's first gasoline-powered car, registered his company's trademark, the steering wheel, in 1903 and replaced it with a laurel wreath in 1909. After the merger of the Daimler and Benz companies in 1926 and the formation of Daimler-Benz AG, the star was inscribed in a laurel wreath, and the emblem acquired its modern appearance - a three-pointed star in a circle - in 1937. True, in our time, in some cases, a laurel wreath surrounds a star.
Three rays of the star, according to the second and most famous version of the appearance of this symbol, denote the names of three people involved in the creation of the Mercedes car - Wilhelm Maybach, Emil Jellinek and his daughter Mercedes. The "king of designers" Maybach stood at the origins of the transport internal combustion engine. Austrian consul Jellinek, a car enthusiast and passionate racer, invested a lot of material resources and mental strength to make the engines of the cars more powerful and the company that produced them flourished. Jellinek's daughter Mercedes “donated” her name to the car.

The first version of the appearance of the Mercedes emblem looks more believable and organic than the second, although there is another story associated with the three-pointed star - strange, but therefore no less romantic. They say that a female figure is inscribed in a circle - imagine a girl who spread her legs wide and raised her arms above her head. Remember, in ancient times, a woman's head or figure was carved on the bow of a ship, and this woman-idol was considered the keeper of the ship? Likewise, on a Mercedes - the goddess-protector floats in a stream of headwind on the bow of a land ship, protects her owners and does not allow them to get lost in the asphalt jungle.
The superbrand is another example.

The three-pointed star in the circle is the designation of the Mercedes brand. In the 2005 rating of brands (The Best Global Brands), which was compiled by the InterBrand consulting agency together with Business Week magazine, Mercedes ranks 11th in the world. The Mercedes brand, according to the compilers of the rating, is worth 16.605 billion euros. Ahead, however, Toyota with a brand worth 20.615 billion euros. In a press release accompanying the rating, Mercedes is named the most expensive German brand.
The Mercedes brand has been in the making for over a hundred years. Consciously or unconsciously, during this time, the owners of the brand put a certain meaning into it, which has been entrenched in the centuries. When looking at the three-pointed Mercedes star, according to the results of a number of surveys, the respondents had the following associations: German quality, an elite car, an expensive car, reliability, confidence, prestige, safety, conservatism, and design superiority.

And in the coat of arms the star is burning ...

The success of the Mercedes symbol haunts the famous of this world. They seem to believe that by bringing good luck to cars for many decades, the star of captivating happiness will bless them too. For example, Viktor Yanukovych, a former opposition leader of the orange movement in Ukraine, commissioned a coat of arms of the nobility. Among other things, there are three symbols on it - a rose, a symbol of Donbass, a palm branch, which means victory, and ... the Mercedes badge. What oz

The Mercedes sign is known to all people today. Even those who are poorly versed in the topic of cars. Mercedes-Benz is a world-famous concern, and the cars produced by it have established themselves as luxurious, expensive and of high quality. And on the hood of each model is a three-pointed star. What does it mean? How did this symbol appear? It's worth looking into.

date

The Mercedes sign appeared in 1925. It arose shortly before the merger of the two companies - DMG and Benz & Cie. The firms merged a year later, in 1926. And the new enterprise became known as Daimler-Benz AG. This event subsequently marked the emergence of a new automotive brand. It is known today as Mercedes-Benz. Along with the emergence of this company, the co-founders also had a desire to preserve their traditions.

Interestingly, the logo itself was registered as a trademark in 1909, on August 6. And what is most interesting, the laurel wreath and the "Mercedes" star have completely independent origins.

History

Back in 1886, they did not even suspect the existence of each other. But it was in that year that both entrepreneurs created their own cars powered by an internal combustion engine. Then they registered their own trademarks. And again, at the same time - in the summer of 1909. The two companies seemed to be competitors to each other in advance. Their founders set a definite direction for development and began to use the newly-made emblems on the machines they produced.

But then, as mentioned above, the companies merged. And a common logo appeared - a three-pointed Mercedes star and a Benz laurel wreath. Although Daimler still used a different version of the emblem when creating its cars. On the hood just adorned the inscription "Daimler", and above it a mythical phoenix seemed to hover.

The emergence of the trade name: the story of Daimler

So, later it will be possible to talk in more detail about the Mercedes sign, but now it is worth saying a few words about the name. Regardless of how the founding company was called - DMG or Daimler, the cars had to be called somehow. Therefore, the company reached an agreement in 1900 with a man like Emil Jellinek. He was involved in the sale of innovative engines and cars. And at that time Jellinek was the largest dealer of cars produced by DMG. He, in fact, gave the name to the machines. Mercedes was his pseudonym, which he used to race. But in fact, later it turned out that this is the name of his beloved daughter.

So in 1902, on June 23, the Daimler company applied for the registration of this name as a personal trademark. And just three months later, the brand found legal protection. New was the inscription "Mercedes", curved like an arc.

Benz trademark

Since the Mercedes sign, which we all know today, has a “double” history, the attention should also be paid to the company Benz. Or rather, how she advertised herself at the beginning of the last, XX century.

The founder made everything simple - he created a memorable one. It was an inscription on which the words Original BENZ flaunted. It was decided to put it inside a black gear wheel. It looked very impressive and really remembered well. Then, however, the last part became the central element of the emblem - they decided to remove the Original prefix. And the black cogwheel was replaced with a laurel wreath, which is a symbol of victory. And since the company achieved considerable success at that time in the production of cars, it was very symbolic.

Becoming a star

The history of the Mercedes sign is very rich and complex. After all, the company itself comes from two companies, so the trademark, respectively, could not but undergo changes.

The formation of the recognizable three-pointed star began soon after the adoption of the name “Mercedes”. The idea was proposed by Paul Daimler, who is the son of the founder of the company who went to the next world in 1900. The three-pointed star has become a symbol that Damyler engines are used everywhere - on land, in the air and in water. After all, the power units that the company produced were used for aviation, ships, and cars.

Initially, the star did not have a ring, which is now difficult to imagine. It appeared in 1916. It became much more convenient to place the Mercedes sign on the hood, and besides, it looked much more organic. And then, after another five years, it was decided to add a star in a wide ring - it was placed on the radiator.

And after the merger of Daimler and Benz, in addition to the names, it was also decided to combine their logos. From each brand something was taken from its own, special. Daimler left the star, and the head of Benz offered to enclose it in a laurel wreath. The decision was made, so that in 1927, on October 7, the name Mercedes-Benz and the three-pointed star enclosed in a wreath ring with the company's name inside were officially assigned to the new firm.

Many people wonder what the Mercedes sign means. The answer was given above - this logo embodies the fact that the company's engines were used in aviation, in the navy and in cars. But many people decided, as they say, to dig deeper. And some of the information turned out to be very interesting.

So, the circle is a symbol of movement, protection, prosperity and concentrated energy. Another circle is eternity. Maybe it’s an accident, but people who drive Mercedes are successful, energetic and self-confident.

And what does the Mercedes sign, that is, the three-pointed star, mean? It turned out that you can see something special in it. This sign is related to In other words, it is an all-seeing eye, a symbol of fate. In many nations, this symbol means tremendous strength, power, strong spirit. This can also be reflected in “Mercedes” - after all, we all know perfectly well how fast, powerful, dynamic and reliable these cars are.

And finally, the number of rays itself is three. You can talk about him for a long time, delving into numerology and esotericism, but this does not apply to the topic. So only one thing can be said. Number three is a synonym for excess, well-being, abundance. "Three" - striving, sometimes even greatness, success. This figure is more than magical. And definitely, all of the above is reflected in such an emblem as the Mercedes car sign. People who know what these cars are will certainly agree.

Location of the emblem

There are always two “Mercedes” emblems on the hood. Today there are several options. On the example of the “five hundredth” popular in the 90s, one can see that a three-pointed star in a ring proudly rises on the hood, and a little lower, at the very top of the radiator grill, is the same sign, but enclosed in a laurel wreath and with the name of the company.

Now more and more often there are models with a large star in the ring in the middle of the grille. Nevertheless, a sign with a wreath also modestly flaunts on their hood. There are options (usually tuning) that combine two prominent options at once. The star on the hood in the ring and on the grille is in the middle. In general, there are a lot of options. But in any case there is always a star on Mercedes. If this is perhaps something that did not come off the conveyors of this tuning studio, they often have a stylish three-dimensional letter B instead of a star on the grill, although everyone still knows that this is a Mercedes.

Long-term success

"Mercedes-Benz" is a sign that carries not only a certain meaning, which was described above. From a normal human point of view, this is an incredibly expensive brand. Today its value is more than 16.505 billion euros! And this concern was unanimously recognized as the best German brand. And the most expensive, of course. And this is not surprising. The brand has been forming for over a hundred years. Over the years, a huge amount of effort, money and nerves of its creators, developers, specialists in various industries has been invested in the brand. More than one hundred people tried to make “Mercedes” not just a car brand, but a legend. And it succeeded. Today people, seeing a person who drives a car of this brand, understand that he has money. He is successful and wealthy. He is probably confident in himself and in his abilities. Because only such a person can afford a car of the highest German quality. These cars are elite, expensive, reliable, prestigious, safe, comfortable, exquisite on the inside and amazing on the outside. And of course, technically perfect. Here's what can be said about Mercedes cars.

The history of the Mercedes emblem dates back to the late 1800s, when Gottlieb Daimler became the technical director of the Deutz internal combustion engine plant. There is a legend that at the beginning of his work there, Gottlieb Daimler decorated his own home with a star and wrote to his wife that the day would come when this star would shine over his own plant and symbolize prosperity.

Already in the early 1900s, when the question of the company's logo was acute, Daimler's sons, Paul and Adolf Daimler, recalled this story and designated the star as their trademark. Gottlieb Daimler himself died in 1900 shortly before the 66th anniversary.

The photo emblem of a Mercedes 1902 will allow you to more clearly imagine what the logo was.

In June 1909, the three-pointed and four-pointed stars were registered as trademarks. But starting in 1910, the three-pointed star began to adorn cars.

The photo emblem of a Mercedes of 1909 will allow you to more clearly imagine what the logo was.

Photo emblem Benz 1909.

What does the Mercedes emblem mean? The three-pointed star symbolizes the Daimler Group's commitment to universal motorization “on earth, water and air”.

Over time, the emblem has undergone minor changes.

In 1916, the Mercedes emblem was enclosed in a circle. Along the perimeter of the circle itself, there were four more small stars, also the name Mercedes.

Photo emblem Mercedes 1916.

In 1923, a new emblem was patented.

The history of the Mercedes emblem was continued during the Second World War. It was a rather difficult time, which could not but affect sales, especially of such luxurious cars. Only financially independent companies could survive. This was the time when the only way out was to merge Mercedes and Benz.

For a couple of years, separate logos were used, but then a decision was made to merge. The basis was the Mercedes logo, which was ringed with a Benz laurel wreath. So, on February 18, 1925, a new Mercedes emblem was registered - a star in a laurel wreath.

Photo emblem Mercedes after the merger of the two logos

In 1952, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL received a modified type of star, the emblem was not on the hood, as it was before, but on the radiator grille. This change was due to the desire to emphasize the sporty character of the car.

Photo emblem Mercedes 1991.

2008 Mercedes logo.

Recently, some changes have been made to the three-pointed star, now that higher-end vehicles will receive a real shining Mercedes emblem.

Modern version:

Information taken from the site.

Today there are many brands of cars, each of which has its own logo. Each emblem is unique in its own way and is designed to uniquely highlight the brand, but few people think that they have a symbolic meaning. Few will be able to answer the simple question: "What does the Mercedes emblem mean?" Meanwhile, the answer lies on the surface, as does the meaning of most other brands' logos.

Mercedes

The Mercedes emblem is easily recognizable. It looks like a three-pointed star inscribed in a circle. The circle symbolizes world fame. The number of beams is no coincidence: three beams means that the company produces engines designed for use in three elements - on the ground, in water and in the air.

Mercedes-Benz is a subsidiary of Daimler, which produced power units not only for cars and buses, but also for aircraft and for water transport.

The history of the appearance of the symbol is quite interesting. When the three founders of the company, Wilhelm Maybach, Gottlieb Daimler and Emil Ellinek thought about what the emblem should be for the cars produced by their company, an argument arose that almost turned into a quarrel.

It was proposed to use, among other things, the image of an elephant or an orange as a logo. The end of the dispute was put by the daughter of Emil Ellinek - Mercedes. She asked the co-founders sitting at the table not to quarrel and cross their canes - and this is how the famous three-pointed star appeared.

In 1929, the company merged with the Benz company, and a laurel wreath was added to the star, symbolizing the victory of Benz cars in races.

Opel

The emblem of Opel cars has the appearance of a lightning bolt. In this form, she first appeared in 1964. The logo owes its appearance to the Opel Blitz truck model (in German, blitz - lightning). The Blitz model was launched in 1930.

A distinctive feature of these cars was their low weight and high speed. Opel Blitz became the most massive military truck of the Third Reich. The modern image of the emblem symbolizes lightning speed.

Audi

To understand the meaning of the four rings on the radiator grilles of Audi cars, it is necessary to turn to the history of the appearance of this emblem, and it is quite interesting. The company is named after its founder August Horch. The word "Horch" is translated from German "listen", and in Latin - audi. It would seem, why not just call the company Horch?

Initially, the company was called just that, but 10 years after its opening, the founder of the company survived and was judicially prohibited from using his own surname as the name of the newly founded enterprise. When August Horch and his business partner Franz Fikentscher were discussing the name of the new company, the latter's son, who was studying Latin, suggested the name Audi.

The four rings on the modern Audi emblem symbolize the merger of four companies:

• Audi Verke;
• Wanderer;
• August Horch Automobile Werke.

The original Audi emblem, inside each ring, depicted its own emblems of the enterprises that became part of the Audi union. Initially, only the company's racing cars were marked with this logo, while the rest were decorated with their own logos of manufacturers-members of the union.

Volvo

The brand name is of Latin origin, and in translation means "I roll." The company logo is a symbol of iron used in ancient times. It is one of the oldest and most famous depictions in Western culture. In ancient Rome, this sign was also identified with the god of war, Mars, who always fought with iron weapons.

The symbol of iron is not accidentally used as the emblem of the Volvo company.

1. First of all, there is an association with the achievements of Swedish metallurgy.
2. Secondly, this emblem is perceived by motorists as a symbol of reliability, durability and high quality.

The metal strip running diagonally through the entire radiator grille was initially of purely practical importance - a nameplate was mounted on it. Over time, it has become an integral and recognizable part of the company's logo.

Skoda

The Skoda emblem appeared in 1926. The logo of the Czech manufacturer's cars, which to many resembles an Indian with feathers on his head, is actually nothing more than a winged arrow.

The Skoda emblem is made in the best marketing traditions, its elements have the following meaning:

• wing - a wide range of activities;
• eye - high accuracy;
• arrow - striving forward, towards perfection;
• the circle framing the logo - distribution of the company's products around the world;
• the green color of the logo symbolizes the company's respect for the environment.

Toyota

There are several versions of what the Toyota emblem means.

According to one of them, two mutually perpendicular ovals, located inside the third, are a symbolic image of a thread threaded into the eye of a needle. This version is adhered to by those who know that from the moment of its foundation until the thirties of the last century, Toyota was engaged in the production of looms.

According to the second version, three ovals symbolize the unity of the three components of success: customers, product and idea. Some people even manage to read the name of the company in these ovals. However, in fact, according to the official book on the history of the company, the crossed ovals inside the large one mean close interaction between the company and the customers, and in addition, they form the letter "T". The large oval means endless possibilities.

Subaru

It is the first Japanese company to take its name in its native language. Translated into Russian, it means "to unite" or "gather together." In addition, Subaru is the Japanese name for the star cluster in the constellation Taurus, known to us as the Pleiades.

It is estimated that this cluster includes about three thousand stars, but a person can see no more than fourteen with the naked eye. The most striking are only six, which is reflected in the emblem of Subaru cars. In addition, the Fuji Heavy Industries concern, which produces Subaru cars, was also formed through the merger of six companies.

Chevrolet

One of the most laconic emblems is located on the radiator grilles of Chevrolet cars. By its appearance, it resembles a bow tie. Co-founder Louis Chevrolet was a racing driver. He won his first race in 1905. Then he set a world record, covering a distance of one mile in 52.8 seconds. From that time on, a continuous series of his victories began in races taking place on the American continent. He won worldwide fame and became a racing star.

William Durant, the second co-founder of the company, inspired by the successes of Louis Chevrolet, proposed to name the company under his name. The logo was invented by Durant himself; there are several versions of his birth, which have not been reliably confirmed by anything. It symbolizes the success of the eminent driver.