Why The Porsche & Ferrari Logos Look Like The Same Horse

Car logos are just as important as the brand name when it comes to recognizability and essence, with Mazda's "M" logo appearing like wings to show growth and freedom, and Toyota's overlapping ovals signifying trust and connection. While the meaning can often be hidden, the symbols still evoke a feeling within you. Two of the most recognizable and powerful logos are also strangely similar: Porsche and Ferrari both feature a black horse rearing with a mane flying and tail flicked upward. 

Despite the closeness, there is no intentional connection between the Porsche and Ferrari logos. The similarities between the logos are coincidental — nobody was copying anybody.  While they both happen to have prancing black stallions, the stories behind the logos come from each automaker's individual histories. What makes it interesting, however, is that it seems the two automakers' stories overlapped at one point, leading them to draw inspiration from the same town.

The origin of Ferrari's prancing horse logo began in World War I. Italian fighter pilot Francesco Baracca had painted a black prancing horse on his plane before he was killed in 1918 — he died a national hero due to taking down 34 enemies. Enzo Ferrari met Baracca's parents in 1923, who told him to use the prancing horse on his cars for good luck. The iconic symbol has barely changed over the years, representing Ferrari's speed and power — it's now considered one of the coolest luxury car brand logos of all time for its blend of history and impact. 

Over in Germany, Porsche took the prancing horse from Stuttgart's Coat of Arms, which used the horse to represent the horse breeding farm on which the city was built. Porsche's headquarters was in Stuttgart, and it wanted to use the logo to pay homage to the city and showcase the agility and elegance of its vehicles. 

While both stories seem entirely different, there are some rumors that the black horse on Baracca's plane was to honor a German enemy he killed, who also had the horse symbol on his plane. The fallen enemy in this story was from Stuttgart. If this is true, it means Ferrari and Porsche unknowingly used the same horse in their logos.