10 Incredible Facts You Didn’t Know About Famous Auto Brands

Sexy, beautiful and elegant – these adjectives may not always be used for women, but they can always be used for cars. Your car is your companion for your daily commute, and your soulmate when you want to go on a long drive. Last but not the least, it is your style statement when you want to impress girls. However, if you think you know cars and their brands like the back of your hand, think again. Here are a few facts you didn’t know about your favourite luxury car brand!

#10. The Spirit Of Ecstasy On The Rolls Royce Is Worth $40 Million.

Better known as the ‘lady on the bonnet of the Royce’, the Spirit of Ecstasy is an extremely expensive and integral part of the brand. So much so, that when BMW bought Rolls Royce in 2002, BMW paid $40 million so that they could manufacture Rolls Royces with the winged lady on the front.

#9. Lamborghini’s Murcielago Is The Real Batmobile.

The Lamborghini model that is driven by Bruce Wayne in Nolan’s Batman trilogy is a Murcielago which, in Spanish, literally translates to ‘bat’.

#8. Daniel Craig Has A Lifelong Access to Aston Martin cars!

For his role as James Bond, the macho Daniel Craig has now been awarded the privilege of taking any Aston Martin from the factory for the rest of his life.

#7. The Myth About The History Of BMW Logo.

A lot of people believe that the logo of BMW represents the propellers of a helicopter, since the company used to manufacture propellers before they were barred from doing that by the Russian government. Well, this is not true, and the real reason behind the blue and white colour combination on the logo is they were symbols for the free state of Bavaria, the part of Germany that came under USSR post World War II.

#6. Lamborghini Initially Manufactured Tractors.

When Ferruccio Lamborghini took his Ferrari 250GT to get its clutch replaced and propose the idea of a better clutch, Enzo Ferrari ferociously replied, “You’re just a silly tractor manufacturer, how could you possibly know anything about sports cars?” Four months after this incident, Ferruccio launched the first Lamborghini car, the Lamborghini 350GTV. Since then, there has been no looking back.

#5. The Symbol Of Toyota Is Not Merely A ‘T’.

The “T” is formed from three distinct ovals, each one stands for something different. The two overlapping ovals in the centre represent the relationship and trust between the company and its customers, and the encircling oval represents the global expansion of Toyota and endless opportunities ahead. The logo also forms a steering wheel, representing the car itself.

#4. Aston Martin Has Been Owned By 11 Different Owners.

The name for the company came from one of the founders Lionel Martin who used to race at Aston Hill. Ironically, the two founders, Robert Bamford and Martin, left the company a long time ago, in 1920 and 1926, respectively. Currently, under the banner of Ford Motors, the company has had around 11 different owners in the past 102 years.

#3. Volkswagen Isn’t Called The People’s Car For No Reason!

The Volkswagen Group’s brand currently fits 12 brands under its umbrella. Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche, BMW and Skoda are among its most popular subsidiaries. Statistics reveal that every third car sold in Germany, and every tenth car sold around the world is a Volkswagen automobile.

#2. The Name Of Lamborghini ‘Countach’ Is Inspired From A Cuss Word.

When a young designer proposed the prototype for Countach, his senior at Lamborghini yelled “Countach!”, for the design of the car was something that had never been seen before. While Countach has no exact translation in English, it roughly translates to “holy f***!” or “oh my god!”

#1. The Silver Arrow Was Initially Grey.

In 1934, Mercedes Benz mechanics had to scrape off the white paint and putty on the W 25 in order to meet the weight regulations. The car was scraped down to its metal body and then sold. This paved the way for the idea of Mercedes Silver Arrow.