Its roots were in the Car Mart group, founded by Major R. S. Grigg. Car Mart began with a hire-car operation, later became an important London motor dealer, and established the Car Mart Garage in Balderton Street near Oxford Street. That garage developed into Dagenham Motors Ltd. around 1932.

During the 1930s, Dagenham Motors attempted to move Ford slightly upmarket by offering limited-production bodies on ordinary Ford chassis. It also commissioned commercial bodies, including van and pickup designs on Ford Model C and CX chassis. The firm was therefore functioning partly like a traditional coachwork agent: selecting or commissioning distinctive bodies and marketing the completed cars through its Ford distributorship.

Among its best-known offerings were the Ford V8 “D.M. Specials.” In October 1935, a bare Ford V8 chassis suitable for special bodywork cost £190. Dagenham Motors offered a completed D.M. Sports Saloon for £425 and a D.M. Foursome Drophead Coupé for £415—nearly twice the price of a standard-bodied Ford.

The Vogue Coupé has several details that distinguish it from the regular Ford body, including a very low, close-coupled two-door roofline, a long, uninterrupted side window opening, a more rounded and formal rear roof treatment, small luggage compartment, flowing rear fenders and a standard Ford V8 chassis, bonnet, running gear with much of the front sheet metal beneath the custom body.

The Foursome Drophead Coupé was the open version, with a folding roof that could be used fully closed, partly open or completely lowered. Surviving references indicate that these were handmade or extremely limited-production automobiles; very few examples are known today.

The coachbuilt cars were only a small and glamorous part of the business. Dagenham Motors’ main activity remained selling, servicing and distributing ordinary Ford cars and commercial vehicles.

By 1958, it was described as one of Britain’s largest Ford distributors, employing approximately 500 people.

Later advertising abandoned the elegant triangular DM emblem. By the 1980s, the identity normally combined the familiar Ford oval with a bold italic Dagenham Motors wordmark.

Dagenham Motors eventually became part of the larger Polar Ford/Ford Retail dealership organization. Ford Motor Company took full ownership of Polar Ford in 2004. In 2014, the various regional trading names—including Dagenham Motors, Polar Ford, Brunel Ford and others—were unified under the TrustFord name.

(sources: Unique Cars and Parts, Commercial Motor)

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it manufactured the Crestmobile, one of the many lightweight gasoline cars that appeared during the experimental years immediately before automobile design became standardized.

The company began by making gasoline engines, ignition coils, spark plugs and other automobile components. Around 1900, it demonstrated that it could manufacture an entire vehicle, initially experimenting with a three-wheeler before introducing a conventional four-wheel automobile in 1901.

The first production Crestmobiles were extremely simple two-passenger runabouts, with Model A producing approximately 2 horsepower, Model B with 3½ horsepower and Model C with 5 horsepower.

All used vertically mounted, air-cooled single-cylinder engines. The earliest cars drove the rear wheels by chain and had very short wheelbases, light tubular frames and tiller steering. Crest adopted shaft drive by 1903, an important improvement that the company emphasized heavily in its advertisements.

By 1903 and 1904, Crest offered more substantial versions. The later Model D developed approximately 8 to 8½ horsepower and used a two-speed transmission.

The advertisements show how Crest positioned the car: simple, attractive, mechanically accessible and less expensive than larger automobiles. Early examples were advertised around $600; later two-passenger cars were approximately $750, while a four-passenger version cost around $850.

For such a short-lived manufacturer, Crest reached a meaningful scale. A Cambridge historical account reports that in 1904 the company employed approximately 300 workers and was producing about five automobiles per day. Crest claimed to have produced more than 1,000 vehicles. Financial difficulties appeared near the end of 1904, and automobile production effectively ended in 1905.

(sources: History Cambridge, Bonhams, Veteran Car Run)

Unlike many early automobile companies that began as bicycle manufacturers, Loreley grew out of a successful machinery business. Originally, the company manufactured sewing machines, shoe-making machinery, dynamos, and electric motors. By the turn of the twentieth century it had become one of the region's leading engineering firms.

After Rudolf Ley died in 1901, his son Alfred Ley, a talented engineer, became fascinated by the rapidly emerging automobile industry. He designed the company's first automobile around 1903–1905, and production began shortly afterward.

The cars were marketed under the name Loreley, inspired by the legendary maiden of the Rhine River whose beauty supposedly lured sailors to disaster.

The name was chosen because it sounded elegant and distinctly German, making it memorable in export markets. Contrary to an old myth, the cars were not named after a daughter of the Ley family—the automobiles had already carried the Loreley name years before Alfred Ley’s daughter Lore was born.

The first production model was the Loreley 6/10 PS (1905–1906) with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine making approximately 10 horsepower with a top speed around 60 km/h (37 mph).

Its moderate price and reliable engineering made it one of Germany's better-known light automobiles. Alfred Ley focused on practical cars for everyday owners rather than expensive luxury machines. Remarkably, by 1907 Loreley introduced a compact six-cylinder automobile, something almost unheard of in this class. It demonstrated Alfred Ley's willingness to innovate.

The Loreley-Kleinauto 5/11 PS was one of the company’s lightweight four-cylinder models aimed at buyers wanting an economical touring car.

Loreley quickly developed a strong export business and using the Ley family's existing worldwide machinery sales network, automobiles were exported all over the world. They even established a dedicated Loreley Autocar Company Ltd. in London to market the cars in Britain.

Following World War I production resumed in 1919 and the automobiles gradually began carrying simply the Ley name.

One particularly fascinating project occurred in 1922, when aerodynamic pioneer Paul Jaray collaborated with Alfred Ley to build one of the world’s earliest streamlined automobile prototypes—a concept decades ahead of its time.

Like many independent German manufacturers, Ley struggled during the Great Depression.

Passenger-car production ended around 1933, while the company continued producing commercial vehicles, machinery, and engineering products until after World War II. Following the war, the factory was expropriated under Soviet occupation, bringing the Ley company to an end.

Today, only a handful of Loreley automobiles survive. The earliest Loreley 6/10 PS is exceptionally rare—only about three examples are known to exist, making them among the rarest surviving German automobiles of the Brass Era.

There are actually three versions of the Loreley/Ley logo.

Early Loreley radiator emblem (c. 1909–1914) is the emblem most closely associated with the Loreley name. It has a circular white enamel border with a red three-armed cross (or trefoil) with the letters L, E, and Y. A black center medallion reads: Rud. Ley A.-G. Automobil-Fabrik Arnstadt and the outer ring features RUD. LEY AUTOMOBILFABRIK A.-G. ARNSTADT.

A second version uses the same red three-point design but omits the white circular border. This version appears on some period literature and surviving badges.

After World War I, the company gradually dropped the Loreley name and marketed its cars simply as Ley. The emblem became a flowing black script reading “Ley”, which appeared on brochures and later automobiles.

Although the cars were sold as Loreley, the emblem itself cleverly spells LEY, emphasizing the family name while promoting the Loreley brand.

(sources: Wikipedia, Ley Automobil)

During the 1950s–1970s, Spain experienced an explosion in automobile ownership. Rather than producing a dry safety manual, publishers created colorful sticker albums that children could complete while learning.

Children purchased small packets containing random stickers, traded duplicates with friends, and tried to complete the entire collection. These educational albums covered every imaginable subject—history, geography, nature, science, sports, transportation, and space—and were intended to make learning enjoyable while encouraging collecting.

This album combined three subjects. Road safety, modern transportation and the exciting future of space travel with over 300 stickers.

It was a Catalan brand of motorcycles and motorcars in Barcelona between 1956 and 1965.

The first Cremsa model was called “Pato” (duck) in 1956 powered by a Hispano Villiers engine, and was updated in 1957. During the 1960s, Cremsa manufactured the “Toro” (bull) and “Rata” (rat) by Trimosa with Hispano Villiers 250 cc engines.

Cremsa also produced the “Rally” motorcycle in 1960, and the Turisme I Sport in 1965.

Gutbrod was founded in 1926 by Wilhelm Gutbrod in Stuttgart, Germany. They did not initially build automobiles. Instead, they manufactured agricultural machinery and small equipment, serving Germany's farming industry during the difficult economic years following World War I.

As the company expanded, Gutbrod diversified into small tractors, motorized farm equipment, delivery vehicles and industrial machinery. By the 1930s, Gutbrod had become known for producing compact commercial vehicles, delivery vans, small utility trucks and agricultural tractors.

Rather than competing with Mercedes-Benz or Auto Union, Gutbrod concentrated on practical transportation for tradesmen, farmers, and small businesses.

The original factory was heavily damaged during the Second World War.

Rather than rebuilding conventional automobiles, Wilhelm Gutbrod decided Germany needed small, economical cars that ordinary families could afford.

This decision led to the Gutbrod Superior, introduced in 1950.

Gutbrod made automotive history in 1952.

The Gutbrod Superior 700E became one of the first production passenger cars in the world equipped with gasoline direct fuel injection. The fuel-injection system was developed by Bosch, years before fuel injection became common on sports cars and luxury vehicles. This was a remarkable technological achievement for such a small company.

Unfortunately, Gutbrod faced increasingly intense competition from manufacturers with far greater resources. The immensely popular Volkswagen Beetle dominated the economy-car market, making it difficult for smaller companies to survive.

Although the cars earned praise for their engineering, Gutbrod lacked the production volume and dealer network needed to compete against Germany’s major manufacturers. Only a few thousand passenger cars were built.

Automobile production ended in 1954.

MÁG (Magyar Általános Gépgyár)—translated as Hungarian General Machine Factory—was one of Hungary’s most important early automobile manufacturers and later became a significant producer of aircraft and aircraft engines. Although the company officially adopted the MÁG name in 1912, its roots stretch back to 1884, making it one of the oldest engineering firms in Hungary.

The company began as a machinery business founded in Budapest by Dániel Podvinecz and Vilmos Heisler. Initially they manufactured agricultural equipment, mill machinery, and industrial engines. Around 1900 they became interested in the emerging automobile industry.

Rather than immediately designing their own cars, they assembled vehicles from parts purchased from struggling Austrian and German manufacturers, including Leesdorfer, Cudell, and later Alba. These early vehicles were marketed under the Phönix name.

In 1912, the business was reorganized as Magyar Általános Gépgyár Rt. (MÁG). The Hungarian government was actively encouraging domestic automobile production, particularly for military and postal use.

The company hired the talented engineer Jenő Fejes, formerly of MARTA, to design an entirely new automobile. The result was MÁG’s first true in-house passenger car. Only about 50 chassis were built, with coach builders supplying the bodies.

When war began in 1914, civilian automobile production was largely suspended, so MÁG shifted its resources toward aviation. After the war, Hungary's economy struggled, but MÁG resumed automobile production. Its best-known postwar car was the Magomobil, introduced around 1922.

During the mid-1920s, MÁG was among Hungary's most common automobile brands, competing against imported Fiat, Ford, Mercedes, Opel, and Austro-Daimler models. Despite building reliable cars, MÁG faced increasing challenges. Passenger-car production ended around 1931, although the company continued producing engines and military equipment. In 1941, MÁG was dissolved and its remaining assets were absorbed into Hungary's wartime industrial system.

(sources: Wikipedia, National Széchényi Library, Budapest City )

Long before BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Auto Union became household names, a small automobile company near Leipzig, Germany quietly helped shape the future of the German automobile industry.

Its story begins with Hugo Ruppe (1879–1949), one of Germany’s most gifted early automotive engineers. Working in his father’s company, A. Ruppe & Sohn in Apolda, he designed the famous Piccolo, one of Germany’s earliest successful lightweight automobiles. Introduced in 1904, the inexpensive, air-cooled Piccolo proved that practical motoring could reach a much wider audience than luxury automobiles.

But Hugo Ruppe was an independent thinker. Following disagreements with his brothers over the company’s future, he left the family business in 1907 and founded the Markranstädter Automobilfabrik (MAF) in nearby Markranstädt, west of Leipzig. Unlike many automobile manufacturers of the period that evolved from bicycle or machinery companies, MAF was built from the ground up solely to manufacture automobiles—a rarity in Germany at the time.

Ruppe carried over many of the ideas that had made the Piccolo successful. MAF automobiles featured robust air-cooled four-cylinder engines, simple construction, shaft drive, and exceptional reliability. Rather than chasing luxury buyers, MAF concentrated on producing dependable cars that ordinary professionals and businesses could afford.

The cars quickly earned an impressive reputation. They performed well in endurance competitions and reliability trials across Europe, proving that air-cooled engines could compete with the more common water-cooled designs. Within only a few years, MAF had sold more than one hundred automobiles in Germany, England, and even the United States, an impressive achievement for such a young manufacturer.

Unfortunately, engineering talent did not guarantee business success. Production interruptions, labor disputes, and financial difficulties forced MAF into bankruptcy in 1911. Investors rescued the company, allowing Ruppe to remain as technical director, but the outbreak of the First World War halted production just as the company was gaining momentum.

After the war, MAF resumed production and even introduced larger six-cylinder models, but the postwar German economy proved unforgiving. In 1921 the company was absorbed by the Apollo-Werke, bringing the MAF name to an end after little more than a decade of automobile production.

Yet Hugo Ruppe’s influence extended far beyond MAF. After leaving Markranstädt, he joined Danish-born entrepreneur Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen in Zschopau, where he helped develop the small two-stroke engines that became the foundation of DKW—one of Germany’s largest motorcycle and automobile manufacturers and, later, one of the four companies that formed Auto Union, the predecessor of Audi.

Today, only a handful of MAF automobiles survive. They are rare reminders of a company that existed for only a short time but helped advance affordable motoring in Germany. Though often overlooked, MAF represents the spirit of the pioneering automotive age—an era when a brilliant engineer with a bold idea could build an entirely new automobile company and leave a lasting mark on history.

(sources: Oldtimerverein, Motorostalgie, Axel Oskar Mathieu, Wikipedia)

The company first concentrated on electric vehicles, making their first one, a runabout with tiller steering called the Style A, in 1900. They moved into internal combustion engined cars in 1903 with a two and four cylinder model both using engines made for them by Rutenber.

The 1904 National Tonneau was a tonneau model. It sold for US$2000. The single electric motor was situated at the rear of the car, producing 9 hp (6.7 kW). A 4-speed herring bone transmission was fitted. The armored wood-framed car could reach 15 mph (24 km/h).

For 1905, the two cylinder model was dropped and a six cylinder car with a circular radiator took its place. The last electric cars were made in 1906, and in 1907, National starting building its own engines.

Peak production for National was reached in 1915 with over 1800 cars made. The company changed its name in 1916 to the National Motor and Vehicle company, and in 1922, became part of the Associated Motor Industries group. However, sales dropped in the early 1920s and the company closed in 1924.

(text source: Wikipedia)

Although it never achieved the production numbers of Ford, Buick, or Cadillac, Apperson earned a reputation for engineering excellence, speed, and luxury. The company produced automobiles from 1901 until 1926, leaving an important legacy in early American automotive history.

The company’s story begins before the automobile industry truly existed.

In the late 1880s, Elmer Apperson operated the Riverside Machine Works in Kokomo, Indiana. His younger brother Edgar Apperson joined the business, where they built and repaired machinery for local industries.

In 1893–1894, inventor Elwood Haynes approached the brothers about building a gasoline-powered carriage. Edgar became the chief mechanic on the project, and on July 4, 1894, the completed vehicle made its famous test drive through Kokomo. It is widely recognized as one of the first successful gasoline-powered automobiles built in the United States.

The success of this machine led to formation of the Haynes-Apperson Company, one of America's earliest automobile manufacturers.

Differences over management and finances eventually caused the partnership with Haynes to dissolve.

In 1901, Edgar and Elmer founded the Apperson Brothers Automobile Company in Kokomo. The company was formally incorporated later, expanding into one of Indiana’s leading automobile manufacturers. Its stated purpose extended beyond automobiles to include motorcycles, self-propelled vehicles, and related machinery.

Unlike many early manufacturers that produced simple runabouts, Apperson quickly established itself as a builder of high-performance and luxury automobiles.

Perhaps the company’s best-known model was the Jack Rabbit, introduced in 1907.

The Jack Rabbit became synonymous with speed.

Early versions produced around 60 horsepower, allowing speeds approaching 75 mph, remarkable performance for the era. Advertisements proudly emphasized both reliability and racing success, and the rabbit mascot became one of the most recognizable automotive emblems of the Brass Era.

One of Apperson’s greatest achievements arrived in 1917.

To commemorate roughly twenty-five years of automotive work by the Apperson brothers, the company introduced the elegant Anniversary Eight. Automotive historians often regard it as one of the most beautiful American touring cars of the late 1910s. Because production was limited, surviving examples are extremely rare today.

Apperson remained a relatively small manufacturer.

Annual production generally ranged from several hundred to around 2,000 automobiles, with peak output occurring around 1916. Every vehicle required significant hand labor, which limited production but enhanced quality.

Several factors contributed to the company’s downfall:

• Henry Ford’s mass-production methods dramatically lowered automobile prices.

• Consumers increasingly preferred less expensive cars.

• Luxury independent manufacturers faced intense competition after World War I.

• Elmer Apperson died in 1920, depriving the company of one of its founders and technical leaders.

By 1924, the company reorganized under the name Pioneer Automobile Company, but the change could not reverse declining fortunes. Production ended in 1926.

Following the collapse of the Scripps-Booth Company in 1922.

He was unable to interest any automobile manufacturers in his ideas, so, at his own expense, he had a prototype DaVinci built in 1925 at Louis Chevrolet’s factory in Indianapolis. The body was designed by Scripps-Booth and built by Fleetwood.

(source: American Auto Emblems)

They also produced an assembled car called the Babcock in small numbers from 1909 to 1913. The introduction of the stamped metal body combined with their geographic isolation caused them to exit the coach building business a couple of years prior to the start of the Depression.

Hermann A. Brunn worked at Babcock for a while prior to becoming supervisor of the New Haven Carriage Company. Brunn then went on to form Brunn & Company in 1908, which was one of the premiere American custom body builders of the 1920s and 1930s. Interestingly, a Babcock electric car was built in Buffalo, New York, but was unrelated to the Watertown firm.

After building increasing numbers of bodies for local Model T chassis, Babcock introduced six different styles of delivery van and depot hack bodies for Ford Model T and TT chassis that were marketed directly to Ford dealers. By September of 1915, they had received orders for over 1,000 examples.

During the United States’ participation in World War I, the company devoted all its plant resources to the manufacture of ambulance bodies and army stretchers. In March of 1917 Babcock got an initial order for 500 (another source says 600) ambulance bodies for the war department’s Medical Corps.

After the war was over, Babcock formed a subsidiary, The Babcock Manufacturing Supply Company, devoted to painting, trimming and upholstering automobile bodies.

Babcock received a large order from the Ford Motor Company for a run of Model T sedans later in the year followed by an August 1919 order from Franklin for sedan bodies, an arrangement that would continue into the mid-1920s, when the Walker Body Company of Amesbury, Massachusetts took over all Franklin body production.

Two devastating fires ravaged the Babcock plants severely limiting their production capacity, the first in May of 1920, the second in January of 1921.

In October of 1923 Babcock secured an order from Wills Ste. Claire of Marysville, Michigan 250 7-passenger sedan bodies and 200 roadster bodies, with a stipulation that examples be ready for the New York Automobile Show in January.

In June of 1924, Lincoln placed an additional order with Babcock for 120 Sports Sedan bodies, and Wills Ste-Clair added several hundred more bodies to their standing order.

In 1925 the commercial division received a small order from the General Bakery Company for 50 delivery van bodies and a large one for 500 taxicab bodies from the Twenties Century Taxicab Association Inc.

Both Ford and Dodge also placed orders in 1925 for the commercial division’s new Suburban light truck body. Dodges initial order of 50 was completed by the beginning of 1926, and the Ford suburbans were produced on an as-needed basis.

At the time of its demise in July of 1926, Babcock owed $605,000 to over 250 creditors.

The firm was sold to C. Wesley Gamble, head of the newly organized H.H. Babcock Equipment Corporation, which was made up of the firm’s creditors.

Existing contracts were filled by July of 1928 and the doors closed forever on August 1st.

(source: Coachbuilt) ©2004 Mark Theobald – All rights reserved.

Eddy Rickenbacker was a Flying Ace during World War I. He founded the Rickenbacker Motor Car company in 1921.

The Top Hat inside a ring was his flying squadron’s emblem and used that for his company, which was located at Cabot Street in Detroit. The emblems were located both on the front and the back of the cars.

Rickenbacker made sporting coupes. Four wheel inside brakes were introduced in 1923. Rickenbacker made an unsuccessful attempt to merge with the British Peerless around 1924. Early six cylinder engines were replaced in 1925 by an eight cylinder engine. The model was named Vertical Eight Super Fine which referred to the advanced proprietary engine and the high quality of the cars.

Although 1926 saw new models signed 6-70, 8-80 and 8-90, Rickenbacker cars were too expensive for the time and sales were poor.

After the death of lead designer Walter Flanders, the company began a freefall and closed in 1927. More than 11,000 cars had been built.

The manufacturing equipment was sold to Audi and transported to Germany. This transaction was reflected in Audi Zwickau and Dresden models, using six or eight cylinder Rickenbacker engines. Some Rickenbacker cars still survive.

The first years they were quite successful with the model Piccolo. Karl Slevogt, who had worked as engineer for Laurin & Klement, was engaged by Apollo. A 1921 prototype with a V-8 engine was not put into production.

Germany’s Adler was run by Erwin and Otto Kleyer sons of Heinrich Kleyer, founder of Adler, and by Alfred Theves (founder of the ATE piston-ring works) from 1900 to 1940. These cars won many sporting events.

Popular models of the 1920s, were 2298cc, 1550cc and 4700cc four-cylinder and 2580cc six- cylinder cars. Gropius and Neuss coachwork was seen on many models, built between 1927 and 1934. They had 2916cc six- cylinder and 3887cc eight-cylinder engines. The front-wheel- drive Trumpf models of the 1930s with 995cc (Trumpf Junior), 1494cc and 1645cc four-cylinder engines, gained many successes in races, including the Le Mans 24 hours.

Among rear-driven Adler cars were the 1943cc “Favorit”, the 2916cc six-cylinder “Diplomat” and the 1910cc four-cylinder and 2494cc six-cylinder models with partially streamlined bodywork built until the Second World War. Adler only built motorcycles after World War Two.

From then on they built their own trucks under the name: Benz Gaggenau with production peaking during WWI.

A company called Bergmann Industriewerke (earlier Bergmann’sche Werke) was producing vehicles and engines in Gaggenau. Around 1905, Benz & Cie. acquired this company. The factory became Benz’s second major production site and vehicles built there were often branded “Benz Gaggenau”.

In 1926, Benz & Cie. merged with Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft forming Daimler-Benz (now Mercedes-Benz Group).

After this the “Benz Gaggenau” name disappeared the Gaggenau plant continued as part of Mercedes-Benz truck production.

Benz Gaggenau points to a specific chapter of the Benz story, not a separate standalone car brand.

He called himself an inventor and car builder. He even could show some patents. He was an engineer as well: an Honoris Causa from an American university.

He definitely has built beautiful cars: about 75 since 1947. The most of them were small race cars which were very beloved directly after the war, but there followed wonderful sport coupes and touring cars as well. His cars were mostly provided with speeded up Fiat-engines, but Bandini built a lot of cars with American Crossley-engines as well.

That four cylinder engine wasn’t old-fashioned in Bandinis time at all, which was from 1947 till 1952. It had upper camshafts which were driven by a standing shaft. A lot of times, Bandini provided the Crossley-engine with a self-made cylinder head with two camshafts and another crank-shaft, also made by himself of course. The turn of the engine stipulated the cylinder capacity.

During the golden time of the company (the fifties), there worked fifteen mechanics and man could build one car each month. In 1960, Bandini built even his engines in not less then seven different versions: from 760 cc till 1300 cc. When the mid engine came into fashion, Bandini was one of the first who built them in these ways: in spiders and coupes, for the circuit or for the sporting weekend driver.

Ilario Bandini was also the driver of his car and won a lot of races, specially hill climbs, but also took part in Millemiglia.

Bandinis aslo won the national SCCA championship (H Modified class) in 1955 and 1957.

Since 1959 he completed Bandini 850-1000 (1300 16 valve) engines and the last car he completed, the 1000 16 V supercharged was when he was 80 years old (1991).

He also endorsed steering wheels, from the 60s, and wheels from the 70s, all Bandini signed. His home town Forlì dedicated a square to Ilario Bandini.

(Special thanks to Michele Orsi Bandini for all content and assistance).

I’ve had four Audis. A 2010 R8 v10 with a gated shift and full carbon engine bay. A 2005 manual S4 B6 sedan, 2006 manual S4 B7 Avant, and a pristine 2001 225 TT manual Quattro coupe. Still have the latter. Every one of them was amazing, and I wish I still had them all. One of my biggest regrets is selling the Avant (yes, even more than the R8). I searched for it for years, and to this day I am not entirely clear why I sold it.

The brand was a trailblazer. Industry leading interiors and a trend setter in lighting design with a lineup desired by enthusiast and the general public alike that included innovations like…

• 1980: Pioneered modern performance AWD with Quattro

• 1982: First to widely mass-produce fully galvanized bodies

• 1989: First modern high-speed direct-injection turbodiesel (TDI)

• 1994: First large-scale aluminum space-frame luxury sedan (A8)

• 2001: Helped popularize gasoline direct injection (FSI)

• 2004: Popularized LED daytime running lights as a design signature

• 2008: First production car with full LED headlights (R8)

• 2013: First production matrix LED adaptive headlights

It is outlined in A Legacy Story in Five Cylinders.

Even the name of the company, how it got started and why the “four rings” became a standard for simplicity and understated elegance. It just seemed unstoppable.

So I will touch just a bit on their past…

The History of the Four Rings. A brief summary.
The Audi four rings emblem denotes one of Germany’s oldest automobile manufacturers. It symbolizes the merger in 1932 of four previously independent motor vehicle manufacturers: Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. These companies are the foundation stones on which the present-day AUDI AG is built.

Horch.
At the end of the 19th century, there were already a number of car manufacturers in Germany. One of them was August Horch & Cie., founded on November 14, 1899 in Cologne. August Horch was one of the pioneer figures of automotive engineering. Before setting up business on his own, he worked for Carl Benz in Mannheim for three years as Head of Automobile Production.

In 1904, August Horch relocated his company to Zwickau and transformed it into a share-issuing company. However, in 1909 August Horch withdrew from the company he had founded, and set up a new enterprise under the name of “Audi”.

Audi.
The company established by August Horch in Zwickau on July 16, 1909 could not use its founder’s name for reasons of fair trade. Horch found a new name for the company by translating his name, which means “hark!”, “listen!”, into Latin. The second company to have been set up by August Horch commenced operations under the name Audi Automobilwerke GmbH, Zwickau, on April 25, 1910.

Wanderer.
In 1885, the two mechanics Johann Baptist Winklhofer and Richard Adolf Jaenicke opened a repair business for bicycles in Chemnitz. Shortly afterwards they began to make bicycles of their own, since demand at that time was very high. These were sold under the brand name Wanderer, and in 1896 the company itself began to trade as Wanderer Fahrradwerke AG.

Wanderer built its first motorcycle in 1902. The idea of branching out into automobile production was finally put into practice in 1913. A small two-seater by the name of “Puppchen” heralded in Wanderer’s tradition of motor car production that was to last several decades.

DKW.
Originally founded under the name Rasmussen & Ernst 1902 in Chemnitz, the company was moved to Zschopau in the Erzgebirge region in 1907. The company initially manufactured and sold exhaust-steam oil separators for steam-raising plant, mudguards and lighting systems for motor vehicles, vulcanization equipment and centrifuges of all kinds.

The company’s founder Jorgen Skafte Rasmussen began to experiment with a steam-driven motor vehicle in 1916, registering DKW as a trademark. In 1919 the company, by now renamed Zschopauer Motorenwerke, switched to the manufacture of small two-stroke engines, which from 1922 on served as a springboard for its success in building motorcycles under the brand name DKW. The first small DKW motor car appeared on the market in 1928.

Auto Union AG, Chemnitz.
On June 29, 1932, Audiwerke, Horchwerke and Zschopauer Motorenwerke - DKW merged on the initiative of the State Bank of Saxony to form Auto Union AG. A purchase and leasing agreement was concluded at the same time with Wanderer, for the takeover of its Automobile Division. The new company’s head offices were in Chemnitz.

Following the merger, Auto Union AG was the second-largest motor vehicle manufacturer in Germany. The company emblem, with four interlinked rings, symbolized the inseparable unity of the four founder-companies. The brand names Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer were retained. Each of the four brands was assigned a specific market segment within the group: DKW assumed responsibility for motorcycles and small cars; Wanderer built midsize cars; Audi manufactured cars in the deluxe midsize class, and Horch produced deluxe top-of-the-range automobiles.

Auto Union GmbH, Ingolstadt.
In 1945, after the end of the Second World War, Auto Union AG was expropriated by the occupying Soviet forces. The company’s leading figures consequently moved to Bavaria, where a new company was founded in Ingolstadt in 1949 under the name of Auto Union GmbH, to uphold the motor vehicle tradition of the company with the four-ring emblem. The first vehicles to leave the company’s production line after its new start were DKW’s successful models with two-stroke engines — motorcycles, cars and delivery vans.

A new Auto Union model appeared on the market in 1965, the company’s first post-war vehicle with a four-stroke engine. To emphasize this dawning of a new era, a new product name was likewise needed: the traditional name of Audi was resurrected. A short time later, the last DKWs rolled off the production line in Ingolstadt. From then on, the new models with four-stroke engines were produced under the brand name “Audi”. A new era had begun in another sense, too: the Volkswagen Group acquired the Ingolstadt-based company in 1965.

NSU.
NSU was founded in 1873 in Riedlingen, on the Danube, by the two Swabian mechanics Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll. Seven years later they moved the company to Neckarsulm. For its first twenty years, the company manufactured knitting machines.

Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinenfabrik diversified into bicycles in 1886. From then on, the bicycle was to have a decisive influence on the company’s fortunes. Motorcycle production commenced at NSU in 1901, and five years later the first motor car was built there. Automobile production activities were halted again in 1929, to allow the company to concentrate on building two-wheelers. It was almost thirty years later, in 1958, that production of cars recommenced in Neckarsulm.

On March 10, 1969, Auto Union GmbH of Ingolstadt merged with NSU Motorenwerke AG, of Neckarsulm. The new company bearing the name Audi NSU Auto Union AG, with its head offices in Neckarsulm, was created retrospectively as of January 1.

1969. Union GmbH and NSU Motorenwerke AG merge.
The two firms Auto Union GmbH and NSU Motorenwerke AG merged in 1969. As a consequence of this, the product portfolio of “Audi NSU Auto Union AG” had expanded to more than ten model ranges encompassing a multitude of technical concepts. Marketing employee Hans Bauer put this technical diversity and finesse in a nutshell by coining an advertising slogan that was as brilliantly simple as it was ingenious: Vorsprung durch Technik!

Audi AG.
The last NSU left the production line in March 1977, and from then on the company manufactured exclusively Audi cars. About this time, the company’s bosses began to consider streamlining the company’s rather cumbersome name of Audi NSU Auto Union AG. With the objective of giving the company and its products the same name, in 1985 Audi NSU Auto Union AG was renamed simply AUDI AG. To coincide with the change of name, the company’s registered headquarters were transferred from Neckarsulm to Ingolstadt.

The Audi Quattro changed everything in modern times. When it came out in 1984 it was simply unbeatable. It was followed by the groundbreaking S2 Avant in 1990, and by the early 2000s, they were the one to beat.

Audi’s brand has evolved since then, but always with varied applications of the four rings, with a wonderful custom typeface by designer Erik Spiekermann in 1997.

But when I heard that Audi was going to drop the four rings I honestly thought it was an April fools day joke. It could not be true.

It was showcased with the launch of the Audi E Concept electric Sportback at Auto Shanghai 2025 which revealed the new “AUDI” wordmark instead of the four rings.

Now, I know this is only for China (somehow it makes it even worse for me, and I’m not sure why) but nevertheless, I thought it was just another enormously bad call by the folks in charge and I was baffled.

Audi is working closely with SAIC Motor to develop next-generation EVs for China. They have been testing “badge-less” or “simplified branding” on concept EVs as well as some China-focused models and the language used to “sell” this direction is just as ridiculous.

“Minimal, tech-forward design”, “Clean surfaces without traditional emblems” or “Strong emphasis on digital identity over physical badges”.

Audi is adapting to this expectation, where a logo feels “old-world” rather than futuristic.

It is testing a future where the badge matters less than the experience, especially in China’s fast-moving EV market but I disagree with the theory that a badge will “matter less”. A badge, logo, brand - whatever you want to call it is the signature that represents who you are, what you do and what you stand for. I don’t see that going away. And it shouldn’t.

Additionally, a “word mark” is the same as a “mark”. It does the same thing. It is a reflection of the company. This is just word salad that only means something to the “marketing” teams that build 100-page branding guidelines that certainly mean nothing to a consumer who simply wants a good, reliable, affordable and beautiful vehicle.

Speaking of “future experience”, they would not be in this situation if they had continued their industry leading achievements from the previous generations.

Now we have fake exhaust sound, cheap plastics in interiors that not too long ago changed the industry, dashboards full of screens, “piano black” surfaces that scratch at the slightest touch, tech that dates as fast as an iPhone and reliability issues that J.D. Powers ranks below the industry average on their “Initial Quality Study”. According to them, Audi is not a top-tier reliability brand. In 2024, Audi ranked 28th out of 34 brands.

A very long but detailed recap of the Audi decline is perfectly and lovingly outlined in this video A film by Audis desperate community by Auditography. I highly recommend it. A shorter recap is covered in this video, The unexpected end of Audi.

There are a few cars they still make that I would love to have, like the Audi RS6 Avant Performance, which starts at $130,700. I added a handful of options and the price ballooned to $164,790 and there was plenty of opportunity to go higher, but even this model includes features that I feel fall short.

The brand is shifting heavily toward SUVs and EVs. 65%–70% of sales in the U.S. are SUVs. Audi has been phasing out traditional two-door coupes, and by 2025–2026 the lineup is essentially gone in the U.S. I understand that is the world we live in. I just miss the “good old days” and they say.

I know that Audi is not abandoning the four rings globally, but this does not lessen the damage in my mind. The fact that this was even considered is a sign that something is not well. in fact, I almost feel they should pick a lane. My lane has four rings.

PS • The four Audi images at top are not generated. Long before AI, I hired 1stCar - a concept car designer and illustrator to draw every car I have ever owned. He did such a great job, people think they are AI. All for a book called “los CARros de CARlos”.

While I try to address varied categories of the automotive industry, I primarily do so through the lens of design, branding, photos, emblems, marketing, and other forms of creativity of this amazing sector.

In just over 130 years, the degree of innovation continues to surprise and amaze me.

I am particularly attracted to the time when it was all done by hand embracing a more artistic approach.

The marketing and branding of a vehicle seemed to take as much effort as the vehicle itself. It was as full of pride, excellence, and craftsmanship as the vehicle it represented.

Many marks included historical stories, specifically designed characters, multiple uses of animals, and typography elegantly crafted and drawn by true masters.

These marks became part of the vehicle’s aesthetics. They were embedded in the personality and attributes of the car and represented the optimistic approach to general design of the time.

I have documented endless examples and each time I am exposed to a new one I think that I have covered them all. Then a new surprise seems to always comes along and I see another amazing one that I have never seen before.

Naturally, through this process, I started to see more modern branding applications. Unfortunately, I see examples of brands that have had a historical impact only to be turned into what I see as a travesty of graphic design.

I have been meaning to write about this for some time, but the current redesign of the Chrysler logo pushed me over the edge. It was introduced with the Chrysler Halcyon Concept in 2024. It was developed internally by the design and brand teams at Stellantis and led directionally by Chrysler’s design leadership under Ralph Gilles (Chief Design Officer of Stellantis).

Chrysler has had many variations of their logo and emblem, but below are just a handful of examples that the new logo above replaces.

Of course, some would argue that all of this is just a matter of opinion, but I do believe that there are craftsmen and creative leaders that posses the capacity to guide the rest of us towards a more refined and mature aesthetic, however I feel something has been lost in the new executions.

The GM logo.

The current GM logo was updated and released in January of 2021. It was created in collaboration with the brand consultancy Wolff Olins.

The update was part of GM’s broader electric vehicle strategy and repositioning, aligning with campaigns like “Everybody In,” meant to present GM as a forward-looking, tech-driven mobility company.

In my view, there is nothing here that speaks to “everybody in”, “electric vehicle strategy” or even “forward-looking”. In fact, one of the main reasons I dislike this approach is that it embraces an “art-deco” typographical feel with an early 2000s dated gradient, at a time when GM was all about “the future”.

While the previous underlined, upper case GM in a blue box was arguably not the best, it did have better readability, reproduction and certainly history.

The destruction of brand equity.

Then there is the self inflicted wound. And the BMW “M” brand is the catalyst for this rant.

In 1972, BMW founded BMW Motorsport GmbH as a wholly owned subsidiary, built specifically to handle racing and high-performance development and led by Jochen Neerpasch. In 1993, BMW Motorsport GmbH was renamed BMW M GmbH.

The first true BMW “M” car was the BMW M1 (introduced in 1978). It was designed as a homologation car for racing with styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Early examples like the BMW M535i (1979) bagged started the watering down of the “M” brand trend, but during the 1990s–2000s BMW began concentrated brand expansions with “M Sport” trim packages becoming widely available with “M” branding appearing on steering wheels, shift knobs and exterior trim. This is when “M” started becoming lifestyle branding.

There are now three different levels of “M”. Full “M” cars (M3, M4, M5), middle tier “M Performance” models like the M340i and M550i, and the “M Sport package” (mostly cosmetic) and where most of the confusion comes from.

It has become so bad that the consumer has switched from knowing that “M” stood for Motorsport, to now seeing it a simply representing “marketing”.

The obvious downside is that it dilutes the meaning of “M” by creating confusion about what’s “real” and many enthusiasts have begun to push back.

Of course BMW is not alone. Audi has followed with the “S” moniker in the same manner by slapping “S line” on anything they can sell for more. The “S line” is a sport appearance package, not a full performance model.

The first true “S” model from Audi was the Audi S2, introduced in 1990. Before the S2, Audi’s performance identity was led by cars like the 1984 Audi Sport quattro, but they didn’t use the “S” naming.

Mercedes and AMG.

As I was writing this post I came across this well documented subject by Carisma called “The Day Mercedes Stopped Building Cars for Their True Customers”. It covers the brand’s twenty year decline during a desperate need and desire for “volume”. It’s worth a watch.

Jaguar.

One can argue that the brand was in trouble and needed something fresh. Clearly. Their sales were abysmal. But it wasn’t because of a logo. It was because theirs cars did not measure up.

The answer was not to erase their astonishing past, eliminate the brand’s loyal market and reposition the company similar to a perfume. The brand consciously removed all historical images from all of their social media platforms. This was the most self inflicted damage I have seen in recent time. I hope they make it and come up with something desirable. And I am probably going to be proven wrong, but while I actually like the concept shown, and have nothing against EVs, I don’t see how a $100,000 plus, huge luxury electric sedan is going to do it.

And I haven’t even talked about the logo, which was introduced in 2024 as part of a major brand reset led by Jaguar Land Rover’s in-house creative team that introduced a minimal, fashion-like wordmark, and removed the classic “Leaper” (jumping jaguar symbol) from primary branding.

Jaguar began as Swallow Sidecar Company, later becoming SS Cars Ltd. The name “Jaguar” first appeared in 1935 on the SS Jaguar models but the company didn’t become Jaguar Cars until 1945.

The Leaper quickly became one of the most recognizable hood ornaments in automotive history. Jaguar then introduced the “Growler” front-facing jaguar head as a grille badge in the 1950s.

The Ford Mustang.

This car is as American as it gets. The Mustang debuted on April 17, 1964 at the New York World’s Fair — and it was an instant sensation. Over 1 million units sold in just 18 months, making it one of the most successful launches in automotive history.

It was developed under Lee Iacocca and it created a whole new class: the “pony car”. There are countless models of this car, now in its seventh generation.

The Mustang isn’t just a car—it’s a cultural icon. It is a symbol of freedom and individuality and has deep roots in American car culture. It is one of the longest-running nameplates in automotive history.

In 1969, Ford Motor Company introduced the Mach 1 to reinforce the Mustang’s performance identity and compete in the growing muscle car market.

It was special because it came standard with V8 power (no six-cylinder option). It had a distinctive “shaker” hood scoop attached to the engine, matte black hood treatment and bold striping with sportier interior and woodgrain accents.

It was an immediate success—over 72,000 units sold in 1969 alone, making it one of the most popular Mustang variants ever.

So imagine my disgust when I learned that Ford decided to come out with an electric SUV, and call it a Mustang Mach E in 2019.

To be very clear, I have no issue with electric cars, and I actually like the look of this EV SUV. I just can’t understand why in all of the meeting they surely had, no one put a stop to using the equity of the Mustang brand like this.

Many Ford Mustang enthusiasts and traditionalists are extremely upset at the company’s decision, and I completely agree.

Other examples of this decline for me includes fake exhaust audio in the cabin, calling a four door sedan or even an SUV a “coupe”, labeling an electric vehicle a “turbo” model, expanding the subscription model on features like heated seats, creating non repairable parts, and eliminating the consumer’s right to repair.

These habits are now industry wide.