Why do the Porsche and Ferrari emblems look similar?

Cars and their emblems are curious things. Each have their own stories, whether rooted in an intriguing history, a delightful coincidence, or an underwhelming narrative. It is no mere coincidence that both Porsche and Ferrari feature majestic black horses in their iconic logos. Beyond symbolizing qualities like strength, speed and elegance, there’s an interesting story behind these remarkably similar emblems.

The Porsche logo

The Porsche emblem derives from the coat of arms that once represented the now-forgotten independent state of Württemberg. After it was consolidated into West Germany following World War II, the state vanished into history. Interestingly, it was Ferry Porsche himself who sketched this iconic logo on a napkin in 1952, during a meal with an American importer in New York. The emblem that now graces the hoods of Porsche automobiles combined the medieval coat of arms with the shield of the city of Stuttgart near Zuffenhausen, where Porsche’s headquarters and factory are located.

The Ferrari logo

Enzo Ferrari’s biography is an extraordinary tale, yet it’s firmly rooted in reality, just like the magnificent cars adorned with the iconic prancing horse emblem. As Enzo Ferrari achieved great success and fame, he was bestowed with Italy’s distinguished title of “Knight of the Republic” and often mingled with the country’s high society. During one such encounter, Countess Paolina Baracca granted him permission to display her son Francesco’s emblem on the Ferrari cars. Francesco, a celebrated Italian aviator who died in 1918 during World War I, flew planes that always bore the emblem of a prancing horse. The Ferrari horse is deliberately black to symbolize mourning for the fallen pilot.

Why is the background of the Ferrari logo yellow? Nothing in the design is coincidental: everything holds significance. Yellow is a tribute to the flag of Modena, Enzo Ferrari’s hometown in Italy. Enzo was born on February 18, 1898, the son of a skilled blacksmith who crafted metal beams. Ferrari attended a technical school in Modena and began working in mechanical engineering after his father switched his business to repairing the first automobiles of the new century.

A common link

There is an unconfirmed theory that Baracca may have adopted the horse as the logo for his plane after shooting down a German enemy pilot from Stuttgart, and then flaunting his victory by using the coat of arms of the defeated pilot’s city. It all comes together if you know that Stuttgart comes from the German word stutengarten, which means horse stable (for mares, specifically).

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