We all know who Henry Ford was, but what about Volvo?
What is a Mitsubishi? Discover the origin behind 10 iconic cars’ names
Published on June 18, 2025
Credit: Victor Furtuna
Car companies are named after a myriad of things. Starting a new company usually requires individuals with a healthy dose of optimism and self-confidence, which is why it should come as no surprise that many car brands are named after their founders, who were confident people themselves. Other companies are named after ideas, concepts, places, and more. Take a look at the following 10 famous brands and their stories!
Mercedes-Benz
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"Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz," sang Janis Joplin, a testament to the iconic nature of this brand. Most people know that the name is connected to the founder, Karl Benz, and they’re not entirely wrong.
The company we know today started as Benz & Cie., founded by Karl Benz, and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). The name Mercedes comes from Mercedes Jellinek, the daughter of Emil Jellinek, who worked with DMG and was an avid racing enthusiast.
Cadillac
Credit: Sidney Pearce
Not many people know that one of the most iconic American car brands was named after a French explorer. Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded the city of Detroit, Michigan.
The brand began in 1902 when Henry Ford’s financial backers renamed the Henry Ford Company to the Cadillac Automobile Company. Cadillac soon became synonymous with luxury and reliability, establishing itself as one of America’s premier luxury car brands.
Volkswagen
Credit: Erik Mclean
The German brand Volkswagen was founded in 1937. Its name translates to "the people’s car," with Volks meaning "people" and wagen meaning "car," reflecting the idea of an affordable vehicle for the masses.
Today, Volkswagen owns several other brands, including Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini, making it one of the largest car manufacturers in the world.
Toyota
Credit: Jessica Furtney
Another brand named, at least partially, after a person is Toyota. It comes from the family name of its founder, Sakichi Toyoda. When the company first produced vehicles, it even used a Toyoda emblem. However, in 1936, the name was changed from Toyoda to Toyota.
The name "Toyota" was chosen partly because the "ta" sound is a voiceless consonant in Japanese, which is considered clearer and crisper than the voiced consonant in "Toyoda." Additionally, the name "Toyota" requires eight strokes to write in Japanese katakana, a number considered lucky in Japanese culture.
Tesla
Credit: Michael Förtsch
What better name for an electric car company than that of a genius inventor closely associated with electricity? Yes, the name Tesla comes from Serbian inventor Nikola Tesla, who was famous for his contributions to the fields of electricity and magnetism.
Tesla Motors was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. Both were avid fans of Nikola Tesla and decided to name their company after the scientist. In February 2004, Elon Musk made a $6.5 million investment in the company, and the rest is history.
Audi
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What do you do if your name’s already taken? Audi’s founder, August Horch, didn’t want to name the company after his surname because it was already being used in A. Horch & Cie. Motorwagen Werke.
In German, Horch means "listen," so August Horch decided to use the Latin translation of his surname instead: Audi. In the end, it worked out for the better, as the name sounds good.
BMW
Credit: Tom Muller
Another very famous German brand is BMW, which stands for the more complex name Bayerische Motoren Werke, which translates to "Bavarian Motor Works." The company’s roots lie in aircraft engine manufacturing, originally operating under the name Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke, or "Bavarian Aircraft Works."
In 1917, the company changed its name to Bayerische Motoren Werke, which was later shortened to the famous BMW initialism we know today.
FIAT
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FIAT is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, which translates to "Factory Italy Automotive Turin." A slightly more interpretive but meaningful translation is "Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin."
In 1900, the first FIAT factory was indeed opened in Turin, a city in northern Italy known as a center of business and culture, and historically, a political capital. Even today, Turin remains a hub for the production of the latest FIAT models.
Mitsubishi
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This is a curious case. Mitsubishi is not the name of a founder, a city, an acronym, or any of those things. Instead, the brand name refers to the company’s three-diamond logo, which has ties to the family crest. "Mitsu" (三) means "three," and "hishi" (菱) means "water chestnut," a term the Japanese use to describe a diamond shape—like the ones that make up the logo. Combined, the two words are pronounced Mitsubishi.
Volvo
Credit: Mario Amé
The Swedish brand known for the quality and safety of its vehicles is named after the Latin first-person conjugation of the verb volvere, which directly translates to "I roll."
Before manufacturing cars, Volvo produced iron ball bearings (yes, those roll too). These early iron products also influenced the logo we know today for their automotive company, featuring the ancient chemical symbol for iron (a circle with an arrow), which reflects strength and durability.
