Branding

Subaru Logo Design – History, Meaning and Evolution

Japanese quality has long become the stuff of legend. It can be a tiny camera or a giant industrial mechanism, but the quality remains that of the highest one possible. And Japanese cars surely are but another example here. Subaru is extremely popular due to precise assembling, high passability and many useful features. Company workers also purchase these cars and the logo characterizes them both. So, what are the origins of such an unusual and romantic symbol? Let’s find out!

Subaru logo history

Want to make your own car logo? Explore car logo design ideas for inspiration.

Most car brands are named after their founders, and it also holds true for Japanese brands. But when it comes to Subaru it is not the case. So what does this beautiful Japanese word mean? The answer is rather simple. The six stars in the logo are “Subaru”, or “pleiad” in English. Those are six brightest stars in Pleiad cluster, which shine from a distant Taurus constellation. You can make them out even without a telescope, if the sky is clear at night. And the dark background in the logo symbolizes the night sky, where four-pointed, chrome stars shine.

Pleiad is one of the most romantic constellations. And Japanese cherish them. Kenji Kita, the first president of Subaru wanted an authentic name for a Japanese car. And he was first to make his dream come true. If you are a Japanese learner, you might have already noticed that a phrase “six stars” translation resembles a word “Subaru” to great extent. That is why there is a relation between the symbol and the constellation.

Subaru logo meaning

Japanese are known not only for their cars, but also for having love for meaningful words. Maybe it’s their hieroglyphical writing that makes them put in numerous meanings into one sign. Anyway, that’s what happened with Subaru logo. When the company was founded, six different companies were united. So, each of star in the logo symbolizes one of these six company.

Subaru logo evolution

Just like many other car symbols, the logo remained slightly altered throughout the years. Trends have no hold on car symbols. Maybe it’s a question of prestige and brand popularity. The stars in the logo were silver first, and then went gold on a transparent background. There were a few background color alterations, ranging from red to black with white dots. And finally, the stars were to their rightful, dark-blue background, where they truly belong.

Subaru logo is filled with oriental, Japanese atmosphere. If you need the logo, you can try our logo generator. It is absolutely free unless you’ll try to use it with no alterations at all. Japanese lawyers truly honor copyright laws!

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Published by
Victoria Maybach

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