The fascinating stories behind your favorite Italian sports car logos

Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Maserati have four distinctive logos.

They’re immediately recognizable and iconic.

But have you ever wondered where they come from?

Interestingly, one of these four logos has actually nothing to do with the brand itself.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie

Alfa and Maserati honored two cities, while Lamborghini’s bull is a tribute to the founder’s obsession

Lamborghini’s founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, was obsessed with bullfighting (most Lambos are named after fighting bulls), and so choosing a logo for his company must’ve been a no-brainer for him.

Ferruccio founded Lamborghini as a tractor company before switching to supercars, but the logo never changed.

As for Maserati and Alfa Romeo, both badges are tributes to their respective cities.

Even though Maserati is currently based in Modena, the automaker was originally founded in Bologna, and the Maserati trident logo is inspired by the statue of Neptune in Bologna.

Alfa Romeo was founded in Milan, which is the reason why the shield features a serpent and a red and white cross.

The red and white cross, not to be confused with the nearly identical flag of England, is the flag of the city of Milan.

As for the serpent, it is the biscione (Italian for ‘big grass snake’) that Milan’s most powerful noble family used to use as part of their family crest.

Why Ferrari chose the prancing horse

The logos of Alfa Romeo and Maserati are tributes to two cities, while Lamborghini opted for a logo that meant a lot to the company’s founder.

By contrast, Ferrari’s iconic prancing horse has nothing to do with Maranello or the company’s founder, Enzo Ferrari.

The prancing horse comes from the emblem of a World War I pilot whose mother personally knew Enzo.

In 1923, the pilot’s mother told Enzo Ferrari he should adopt the prancing horse as a lucky charme ahead of a race, which he did.

And he won.

Italians are famously quite superstitious, which is why Enzo Ferrari decided to keep the prancing horse, and he added the distinctive yellow background as a homage to the shield of the city of Modena.