Redesigning history is hard. For many automakers, their logos represent decades worth of heritage. But in the past few years we've seen a number of automakers redesign their iconic logos—some for the better, others for the worse.
The trend of beveled edges and silver finishes are long gone. These days, graphic designers have reduced most logos—even outside of the automotive space—to bland 2D silhouettes. The swarm of redesigns for car markers kicked off with Mini in 2015, while brands like Audi, Aston Martin, and BMW followed in the years since.
Let's take a look at all of the automaker logo redesigns that have taken place in recent years.
Alfa Romeo (2015)
Alfa's iconic cross and serpent logo has stayed mostly the same for 114 years. In 2015, though, the company freshened up its badge with a sleek new look. Alfa ditched the gold text and outline introduced in 1982, swapping it for a sleeker silver finish with a reworked cross and serpent no longer separated by a center line.
Aston Martin (2022)
Aston Martin's iconic wings haven't changed much since they debuted in the early 1930s. But for 2022, the company simplified its angelic icon with fewer lines and a more pronounced "Aston Martin" wordmark.
Audi (2022)
Audi hasn't strayed far from its roots with this most recent look. The company ditched the raised edges of its iconic interlocking rings logo—which debuted originally in 1969 and received a silvery redesign in 2005—and went the trendy 2D route.
BMW (2021)
To BMW's credit, the BMW roundel logo hasn't changed much since its introduction in 1917. But this new look follows a theme common on this list: flattening. The beveled edges of the roundel redesign from 1997 fade for a flatter, minimalist look with fewer elements. The blue and white colors are gone, too, going for a transparent motif instead.
Bugatti (2022)
Bugatti went for the ultra-minimalistic route with its logo redesign in 2022. The classic red oval is gone and in its place is a simple, subtle new Bugatti wordmark. Thus far, though, even the newest Bugatti models still use the red logo—the new logo is more for corporate use.
Buick (2022)
Buick's new logo is arguably one of the few on this list that improves on the previous design (rather than just flattening it). This new look sheds the staggered tri-shield emblems and removes them from inside the circular badge, laying them neatly side-by-side.
Cadillac (2021)
The Cadillac crest logo loses its red, blue, and gold inserts for a stylish black-and-white motif. The overall shape hasn’t changed, but again, designers flattened the logo for a 2D effect as opposed to the raised edges of the previous design.
Citroen (2016)
Citroen simplified its logo while also reviving some historic cues in the process. The dual upward arrows—now with less beveling, of course—are positioned within an oval badge that harkens back to the original Citroen logo from 1919.
Dacia (2021)
Unlike some other companies that opted for subtle rebrands, Dacia fully reinvented its corporate look with a sharp new logo and wordmark. Unveiled in 2021, the angular Dacia logo reflects the brand's core values, it noted in a press release—"robust, simple design, and a willingness to focus on the essentials."
Fiat (2020)
Fiat simplified its logo in 2020, swapping the somewhat iconic round badge for a taller, bolder wordmark. The South American Chronos and the new 500 were among the first models to officially use the new Fiat logo for the 2022 model year.
FCA / Stellantis (2020)
This isn't so much a simple logo redesign as it is a complete rebranding. FCA and PSA are now Stellantis—and have been since 2020. That updated corporate structure also comes with a fresh logo with the new group name front and center.
General Motors (2021)
GM updated its logo in 2021, removing the hard edges and blocky letters for sleeker, more modern branding. The light blue edges are to represent “clean skies” as the company continues its EV push, while the new GM logo marks the first redesign in 50 years.
Genesis (2023)
The Genesis brand hasn't been around long, but the company already updated its logo. In 2023, with the debut of the GV80 Coupe concept, we saw the reworked wings for the first time. Like many of the other logos on this list, Genesis flatted the badge and removed some of the original elements, opting for a simplified look.
Honda (2024)
Honda has a new retro logo—but only for its EVs. The company updated its iconic “H mark,” which has been around since the early 1960s. This new look will debut on Honda's 0 Series range of electric cars, with the Saloon and Space Hub concepts previewing the first production vehicles.
Infiniti (2023)
Infiniti didn’t do much to its logo, but the new badge looks slightly different than it did before. The logo has a wider opening at the base and a narrower "road" in the center that no longer comes to a point. Infiniti says the new look "visually accentuates the horizon."
Jaguar (2021)
Jaguar's “leaper” logo has been around since 1982, and in 2021, it received a subtle makeover. Since 2012, the “leaper” logo had a silver finish with embossed elements, while this newer look opts for a flattened, simplified look. It's nearly identical to the logo the company used from 2001 to 2012, with a few updated lines.
Jaguar Land Rover / JLR (2023)
The individual Jaguar and Land Rover brands aren't changing their logos (so far as we know), but it's the entire corporate entity that is moving to a new name and design. Formerly Jaguar Land Rover, the new JLR simplified its identity and unveiled a clean abbreviation logo to reflect that.
Kia (2021)
Kia had one of the more controversial redesigns on this list. The company shed its longstanding oval identity and went with an ultra-sleek new logo. But the lack of spacing between the "I" and "A" in "KIA" still has some people on the internet wondering what the new "KN" car is.
Lamborghini (2024)
Lamborghini's raging bull logo has been a staple since 1963—and this new iteration is barely different. Lamborghini flattened the shield and raging bull, and went with a subtler bronze finish over gold.
Lancia (2022)
Lancia, the Italian automaker once known for iconic rally cars like the Delta Integrale and the O37, is on the verge of a major comeback. A new concept car with a fresh Lancia logo debuted late last year, ushering in the brand's electric era.
Lotus (2019)
The updated Lotus logo signifies the brand's fresh start. But the look doesn't stray far from the automaker's history by doing what many other brands have done—flatting and simplifying its formerly beveled edges. The Lotus lettering has also been straightened for a cleaner look.
Mack Trucks (2014)
Even prior to Mini, Volkswagen, and other mainstream automakers transitioning to simplified logos, Mack Trucks took gave its iconic bulldog badge the same treatment. The historic truck builder has been around since the 1900s under the Mack name, with the bulldog making its debut in 1992.
Maserati (2020)
Maserati tweaked its iconic Trident logo twice in recent history. The automaker ditched the oval surround and red coloration back in 2015 and opted for a simplified trident instead. In 2020, it further simplified the logo and cleaned up the text.
Mini (2015)
Mini was one of the first brands to remove the raised edgess and go completely flat. The historic winged logo loses its silvery edges and opts for a monotone, minimalist design, like many other updated emblems on the list.
Nissan (2021)
Nissan's former logo was stuck in the '90s with hard beveled edges and a shiny silver finish. Thankfully, this new logo goes 2D with a simpler wordmark and a minimalist look, even ditching the sharp edges of the previous emblem for a sleeker open design.
Opel (2023)
Opel’s lightning bolt logo—or “Blitz” in German—has a simplified new look to mark the start of the automaker’s electric transition. The company wants to be a fully electric brand in Europe by 2028, with 15 electrified models scheduled this year. The first Opel vehicles to wear this simplified new logo will debut in 2024.
Peugeot (2021)
Peugeot didn't simplify so much as the company did a full redesign of its iconic lion logo. The full-bodied feline is gone, and in its place is a new shield with the Peugoet wordmark and an aggressive (but still minimalist) lion's head.
Porsche (2023)
Porsche went with the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" redesign. The classic crest logo remains, but now it features more pronounced "Stuttgart" lettering at the top, new honeycomb-like vertical slats, and less spackling on the bronze elements. Porsche even added a new Turbo-specific badge to its lineup.
Renault (2021)
Renault really went simple with its logo redesign in 2021. The Renault name was removed entirely and the silver diamond logo is now two interlocking angular lines that create the same shape.
Rolls-Royce (2020)
The Rolls-Royce logo received a makeover in 2020. A simplified version of the double "R" logo and a sleeker Spirit of Ecstasy were both part of the rebrand, plus a new signature color called Purple Spirit. The automaker even updated its corporate font from Gil Sans Alt to Riviera Nights.
SEAT (2017)
SEAT simplified its “S” logo in 2017 just ahead of the launch of its new Cupra performance brand. The silver and red elements of the previous SEAT logo were swapped for a simple black hue, and the embossed elements were flattened.
Toyota (2020)
Toyota touched up its logo in 2020 with a new 2D look—but it didn't change much. The company shed the silver and embossed elements for a cleaner, flatter logo in dark gray or white.
Volkswagen (2019)
Volkswagen's iconic roundel logo hasn't changed much since the mid-1940s. So for the redesign in 2019, VW cleaned up its look with a flattened design that features no beveling. And for the first time in history, the "W" doesn't connect with the lower portion of the outer edge.
Volvo (2021)
Volvo quietly updated its logo in 2021 and, again, opted for the minimalist route. The logo is flatter, cleaner, and simpler than the silvery logo from the mid-2000s. The company even removed the rectangular housing for the Volvo wordmark.
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