Hail to the king! There aren’t many monarchies around the world left, but the ones that remain manage to inspire us with a sense of elegance and prestige that only those of royal blood manage to do.
Kings and queens, royalty or royal families, have been associated with luxury and sophistication, decadence and with the attitude the goes with making their own rules without caring about almost anything else.
A crown is a traditional and formal form of headwear, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power. Crowns are mainly symbols of royalty, although they have become a symbol of authority, prestige or high class.
As such, it should not come as a surprise that some car brands have decided to grace their vehicles with the aforementioned symbol, some of which we will be discussing in this article.
But First.. What Do Crowns Represent?
Royalty
The first and obvious symbol of a crown is royalty and have been from the earliest days of human civilization. They indicate that the person wearing the crown is the ultimate leader or undisputed ruler over a territory.
With that in mind, a car manufacturer that decides to create a logo including the crown symbol is aiming to make a powerful and bold statement from the get go.
Power
It has always been about power, and the display of it. Flaunting an expensive manmade object consisting of precious materials and gems is one thing, but the true status of the person wearing the crown becomes obvious and inspires everyone else in the room or territory that everyone should bow down before them and obey them.
With limitless monarchial power comes equally impressive control. These were the dictators of their time: kings and queens could do whatever they want, which is something that some automotive brands aim to convey with the crown symbol as part of their company logo.
Victory and Glory
In the middle ages, if someone invaded a country and won, they demonstrate their control by placing the loser’s crown on their head. The new coronation was meant to let everyone know that a new leader was in town, and the ultimate power was his to make use of.
A sign of victory, the crown is sitting atop some vehicles’ hoods with the obvious purpose of letting us know they were meant to be winners, absolute rulers of their market segment or customer base.
Wealth
As mentioned earlier, crowns were crated out of precious metals such as silver or gold and were adorned with the most precious and rare gems in the land, to make a bold statement to each and all.
Sometimes, kings aimed at impressing other royalties, which is why their crown had to be the most expensive and outrageous anyone had ever heard of. This was one way of earning respect and inspiring great wealth.
Car Logos with Crowns
Let’s remember, at least for a while, that our aim here was to discuss car logos and their references of the crown.
It had become increasingly difficult, as the automotive industry has been taken over by more and more car brands, for companies to build a long-lasting and impactful branding – or choosing a logo.
Displaying the brand’s core values and brand image is not as easy as it seems, the design has to be representative of the company’s history, its founders or manufacture aims and goals.
I think it has become obvious, by now, why car manufacturers choose a car logo with a crown. Each brand, unique in its own way, aims to reveal the level of passion quality and craftsmanship, not to mention the comfort that their vehicle will deliver to owners.
Various companies around the world display the crown as their symbol or brand logo, and there are a few automotive companies that do the same. Let’s focus on them for a few minutes, shall we?
Alfa Romeo
Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili – or Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. – is an Italian car manufacturer established in 1910. A major Italian carmaker, as well as one of the notable names when it comes to powerful and expensive cars, Alfa Romeo has earned its place in automotive history and our hearts for developing some of the most beautiful cars out there.
This company has always proved to be innovative, it got involved with racing events and even Formula 1, and showed off incredible levels of originality when it came to designing beautiful bodyworks. Meanwhile, the company’s logo has become familiar and easily recognizable wherever you might go.
The Alfa Romeo logo comprises various images: a red cross symbolizing Milan, a snake with a man in its mouth, reminiscent of the Visconti clan, as well as a small crown. The latter, a laurel leaf crown, was added in 1925, in honor of Alfa P2 that won the World Racing Car Championship.
Pininfarina
Italian company Pininfarina was founded in 1930 by Battista Farina. Truth be told, this company isn’t a car brand, per-se, but a world-famous car design firm and coachbuilder.
Based in Cambiano, Turin, this company quickly stood out from the crowd thanks to its famous car designs for some of the world’s top car manufacturers, such as Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and many more.
After developing breathtaking custom bodies and numerous styling updates for some vehicles, the era of hybrid engines has inspired the brand to release its own electric car, dubbed Battista. What can we say about the logo?
The cars designed by Pininfarina will display the logo in a less noticeable position. Once noticed, though, the logo suggests a guarantee for quality and luxury.
Pininfarina is represented by a rectangle shape with a bold letter “F” inside written in italic, reminiscent of the founder’s family name, as well as a little red crown with a curved headband, complemented by an exquisite pearl.
SAAB
Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, or simply SAAB, is a Swedish car company that was founded in 1937, initially focused on the manufacture of bombers and fighters for the military forces.
Although it’s now a defunct car maker, the brand has been known to develop a few interesting vehicles over the years; at least since 1949 until 2016. The brand’s vehicles have always been unique, outrageous and fascinating from a designer’s point of view.
Saab later merged with Scania, although 1995 brought a split, with Saab being acquired by General Motors. As a result, the image of the mythical Griffin is used by both automotive brands as a reminder of their common history.
SAAB’s round logo features a gold crown, sitting on the head of a red griffin, reminiscent of Sweden’s coat of arms. The company’s name was written in Sequel 100 Black 95 typeface, and is on display below.
The logo’s meaning was meant to be integrity, independence, as well as the brand’s ability to take over beasts and birds and rule them all – better yet, it reflects the company’s bilateral goals of taking over the air and land with their mechanical creations.
Noble
Noble Automotive Ltd, or simply Noble, is a British sports car manufacturer that’s relatively unknown, but still very interesting. Based in Leeds, Yorkshire, the company was established in 1999 by Lee Noble and has been focused on developing sports cars ever since.
Since this car brand is all about high quality and passion, there aren’t too many vehicles driving out their gates each year. Which means that driving one of their cars is a rare treat.
Although their research and development has led them to release a few super fast sports cars, it wasn’t until the introduction of the M600 model, hand built between 2010 and 2018 by a team of 20 passionate people and bragging about a top speed of 362 km/h, that the world took notice and gave them credit, as they deserve.
By 2012, Noble was almost going bankrupt, which is why car manufacture came to a close and the automotive brand was eventually sold. The brand logo, on the other hand, has remained the same across the years.
Consisting of two different sections, a crown icon, and two mirrored, capital Ns placed above two horizontal lines, the logo honors the company’s founder. Two crossed flags hint towards a performance-oriented automotive company, while the mere mention of the name, Noble, will inspire a feeling of aristocratism and superiority.
Toyota Crown
Japanese automaker Toyota is one of the most prominent companies in the country, if not the entire world. The brand has plenty of cars to offer and it even came up with a nice surprise, that features a crown logo. Toyota Crown is a subsidiary of Toyota, offering a special lineup consisting of premium executive vehicles.
Having earned a leading position among the brand’s production lines since 1955, the Toyota Crown was initially aimed at the Japanese market and other select Asian markets. However, its reputation as the ultimate luxury sedan has ensured its breakthrough onto other markets and the appreciation of customers all around the world.
This car brand can easily be assigned to the Premium category, showing off elegance, smooth lines as well as a unique design and impressive interior details. These cars are all about independence and refinement, driving you towards aristocracy.
The logo varied from generation to generation, but the crown symbol has never disappeared, which is why the current Crown displays a stylized image of the princely crown on the steering wheel and grille.
Scania
We have saved the best for last – we know it’s an odd claim, but give it a minute. As mentioned earlier, Scania is a big truck and car manufacturer from Sweden that was part of a long-time merger with SAAB, at least until 1995.
As a commercial vehicle icon, Scania is famous for making heavy trucks and buses able to conquer the roads and the world if they have to. Moreover, Scania provides diesel engines for numerous heavy vehicles, as well as for marine equipment and general industry.
The major Swedish manufacturer is extremely versatile, focused on high-quality vehicles, that helped it earn its place in automotive industry and history as one of the greatest manufacturers in the world.
Founded in 1891, the company was initially known for developing bicycle cars, with its focus on large vehicles and engines shifting in 1920. Is this brand the king of diesel engines or the ruler of all other heavy-duty commercial trucks? Who is to say?
We do know this: the Scania crown displays a red griffin, reminiscent of the Swedish coat of arms, something that SAAB owners and fans are well aware of.
The Scania logo is among the most popular and memorable car logos ever created. Developed in 1984, the current logo benefits from the expertise and vivid imagination of artist and sculptor Carl Fredrik Reutersward.
The meaning of the logo is easily explained, as follows: The blue background reflects honesty and fidelity to the stated principles of the brand, while speed, strength and attention to detail are also a few traits meant to inspire customers to trust Scania. Owners and drivers will testify to those traits being enjoyable and an honest statement from the company.
Final Words
If you feel like this short list is missing out on some automotive brand names, whose logo displays or includes a crown, in one form or other, feel free to let us know.
Meanwhile, we can only bow down in appreciation while considering the level of craftsmanship, innovation and design the car manufacturers listed in this article have passionately allowed us to enjoy and appreciate, through the release of numerous mechanical marvels.
