The Porsche Crest is a well-known automotive icon.
Not to be confused with the Porsche logo, the crest depicts a distinctive horse with a sweeping tail.
The Porsche Crest symbolizes the roots of the Porsche company and simultaneously illustrates the quality and dynamics of its products – with the prancing horse taken from the seal of the city of Stuttgart depicted within the contours of a golden shield.
The surrounding red and black state colors and the stylized antlers are taken from the traditional crest of Württemberg-Hohenzollern.
Finally, the Porsche logo forms a protective arch over the entire design.
While the Porsche logo had already been used on the brand’s first vehicle in 1948, the Porsche Crest was not created until 1952.
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The Porsche crest itself has an unusual history.
Let’s take a look!
The crest was first suggested as a quality seal for the 356 at a meeting between company founder Ferry Porsche and US importer Max Hoffman back in 1952.
The same year, advertising manager Herrmann Lapper and designer Xaver Reimspieß produced a preliminary design for the crest. And it’s the same one that is still used to this day with just a few minor differences in detail.
Reimspieß sketched a crest that symbolized the roots of the company as well as the dynamism and quality of its products. Interestingly, is also said to have designed the Volkswagen logo way back in 1936.
The crest based on original drawings and created using special tools. As with the original, it is gold-plated and the color and enamel are painstakingly applied by hand.
The crest is durable.
The traditional Porsche Crest has had to undergo extensive quality testing that includes climate testing at the Porsche Research and Development Centre in Weissach as well as a stone impact simulation carried out at a ballistic firing range.
This symbol, steeped in history, signals a continued long life for classic Porsche models.
The story of the Porsche logo is equally interesting.
In March 1951, Porsche launched a competition among German art academies, offering the DM 1,000 for the creation of a Porsche company logo.
Unfortunately not a single design offered in the competition passed muster.
But late in late 1951, Ferry Porsche visited New York City and was asked for a logo by the American importer Max Hoffman.
Work on a logo was ramped up within the company and by early the next year, Reimspieß, a highly talented designer who had already designed the Volkswagen logo in 1936, created the fantasy crest.
The Porsche Crest was registered with the German Patent Office and then first seen on the horn button at the end of 1952, before being incorporated into the characteristic bonnet handle of the Porsche 356 Speedster in November 1954.
By 1959, it also appeared on the hubcaps of the Zuffenhausen sports cars and, since then, every Porsche vehicle has featured this seal of quality on its bonnet.
The copyright-protected Porsche Crest has become one of the most famous trademarks in the world and may only be used commercially with the express permission of Porsche AG.
The original Porsche Crest is even available from Porsche Classic for a wide range of historic models.
Over the years, the Porsche Crest has undergone careful design changes. The crests available through Porsche Classic are differentiated as follows:
• From 1954 for the Porsche 356 and from 1964 for the 911 also in another size. For design details, please see Page One.
• From 1974, the Porsche logo shines in gold; Stuttgart is embossed on a recessed background and the color in the Porsche Crest radiates a red-transparent glow.
• From 1994: the Porsche logo is characterized by slim Black letters. the word Stuttgart is recessed; the Porsche Crest is red-transparent and the horse is portrayed elegantly.
