Auto, motorcycle brands with horses in their badges

The horse has, for a long time, been one of the major means of transportation for many of us humans. These beautiful beasts can carry a person behind their backs (or persons, via coaches) and even haul cargo using carriages. 

On that note, many car brands have adopted the silhouette of the steed into their branding and further cemented the horse’s representation as a dependable companion for journeys, short and long. 

Further, the equine symbol has been used by some carmakers to represent their company’s performance models, as horses are known for their power, speed, and agility. 

That said, let’s take a quick look at some of the auto brands that use horses in their badges —  a fitting topic as we celebrate World Horse Day within this month. 

Ferrari: from the battlefield to the race track

Arguably, the brand with the closest association to the noble creature is Ferrari, that the company’s emblem is often referred to as the “prancing horse” — due to the steed’s stance portrayed in the Italian carmaker’s emblem. 

Per the Maranello-headquartered luxury carmaker, the “prancing horse” was first seen on the fuselage of Francesco Baracca’s warplane. 

The well-known aviator ace of the First World War and Enzo Ferrari had a fateful encounter resulting in the “prancing horse’s” transition from the battlefield to the race track. 

As Ferrari (Enzo) recalled: “When I won my first Savio Circuit in Ravenna in 1923, I met Count Enrico Baracca and Countess Paolina, parents of the flying hero. One day, the Countess said to me, ‘Ferrari, why don't you put my son's prancing horse on your cars? It'll bring you good luck.’”

“The Horse was and will always be black; I added the canary yellow background, the color of the city of Modena,” he added. 

Ferrari in PH

In the Philippines, Ferrari is distributed by Velocita Motors, Incorporated, with a dealership located in Greenhills, San Juan City. 

According to the Italian stallion’s website (which you can check out, here), its lineup in the country includes the following models: 

• Ferrari F80
• Ferrari SF90 Stradale 
• Ferrari SF90 Spider 
• Ferrari 296 GTB
• Ferrari 296 GTS
• Ferrari 12 Cilindri
• Ferrari 12 Cilindri Spider 
• Ferrari Purosangue 
• Ferrari Amalfi 
• Ferrari Roma Spider 

Porsche: the seal of Stuttgart 

Aside from Ferrari, Porsche is yet another brand that uses the “horse” in its emblem. Embedded at the center of the company’s crest is a proud steed, portrayed “with a prominent shoulder joint and a sweeping tail.” 

Porsche noted that the horse on its crest was taken from the seal of the city of Stuttgart in Germany. Depicted within the contours of a golden shield, the company’s iconic crest was made by Franz Xaver Reimspieß sometime in 1952. 

Additionally, the badge adopts the state’s red and black colors and uses stylized antlers taken from the traditional crest of Württemberg-Hohenzollern.

It was first applied to the horn button (by the end of 1952) and was later incorporated into the hood handle of the Porsche 356 Speedster in November 1954. 

According to the automaker, the emblem “symbolizes the roots of the company and at the same time illustrates the quality and dynamics of its products.” 

Speaking of which…

Porsche in PH 

Locally, Porsche is distributed by PGA Cars, Incorporated, which also handles the sale of other marques in the country, like Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley. 

The company has several outlets in the country, with popular dealer locations in Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Mandaluyong and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. 

Based on its website, below are some of its offerings: 

Porsche 718	Gasoline
Porsche 911	Gasoline
Porsche Taycan	Electric
Porsche Panamera	Gasoline, hybrid
Porsche Macan	Gasoline, electric
Porsche Cayenne	Gasoline, hybrid

Ford (Mustang): the running pony 

While the company’s actual logo is a stylized “Ford” in a blue oval emblem, its Mustang line of performance cars dons a special galloping horse badge — believed to be a symbol of growth and freedom. 

Embodying just the aforementioned, the Ford Mustang family represents fun-to-drive vehicles that provide owners with “the unbridled joy of the journey.” 

Ford Mustang in PH 

In the Philippines, the Ford Mustang is offered in two variants: one is fitted with a 2.3-liter Ecoboost gasoline engine, while the other uses a hard-hitting 5.0-liter gasoline mill. Here are their performance figures, for those wondering how much horsepower (hp) these ponies can produce: 

Ford Mustang 2.3-liter Ecoboost	314 hp, 475 Newton-meters (Nm)
Ford Mustang 5.0-liter V8	486 hp, 567 Nm

Here’s how much they will set back car buyers in the Philippines: 

Ford Mustang 2.3-liter Ecoboost	P3.499 million
Ford Mustang 5.0-liter V8	P3.999 million

To note, Ford Motor Company Philippines announced not too long ago that it will bring the Mustang Mach-E to the country soon — bolstering the number of ‘Stangs buyers can purchase locally.  

Ford (Bronco): the wild one

Another nameplate from Ford, which uses the horse branding, is the Bronco. Instead of a galloping steed like that of the Mustang, it uses a bucking horse, which symbolizes the nameplate’s strength and ability to tackle almost any terrain, as they offer enthusiasts a host of off-road-ready machines. 

Ford Bronco in PH 

In the Philippines Ford’s local subsidiary is offering the Bronco in a single Outer Banks trim with the Sasquatch Package. 

Some of its notable features include the below: 

Exterior

• LED illumination 
• Removable roof and doors
• Black-painted grille with white “BRONCO” lettering 
• High-clearance fender flares

Sasquatch Package

• 35-inch mud-terrain tires
• 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels
• Position-sensitive BILSTEIN shock absorbers

Interior 

• Eight-inch digital instrument cluster 
• Electronic parking brake 
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel 
• Dual-zone electronic automatic air conditioning system 
• 12-inch LCD infotainment system 
• Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto 
• Premium Bang and Olufsen sound system with 10 speakers (including subwoofer) 

The Ford Bronco is sold in the Philippines with a P4.998 million price tag. 

Honorable mention

Counting all mobility companies in the Philippines that use a horse in their emblem, one honorable mention we would like to include in the list is TVS. 

TVS 

TVS is an Indian mobility brand that specializes in producing motorcycles. Not much is said about how the company has came up with the horse in its logo or what it represents, but the silhouette of the equine appears to showcase its agility — relating to the freedom one gets when riding atop a two-wheeler. 

Their offerings include the below models: 

• TVS Apache RR310
• TVS Ronin Nimbus 
• TVS Apache RTR 200 4V
• TVS MAX 4R

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