Car Badges of the World

By Tim Nicholson, illustrations by John (A.J.) Stokes; Publish Date: 1970; Publisher: American Heritage Press (New York), Hardcover, 137 pages

The eleventh book in my review series is one that could very well be categorized in the graphic art section of your local bookstore. Car Badges of the World is a neatly presented overview of worldwide car manufacturing logos, badges, and crests. The book was written by Tim Nicholson and beautifully illustrated by John (A.J.) Stokes.

The book is organized alphabetically by country, and then alphabetically by manufacturer within each country. Each double-page spread displays two car manufacturer graphic identities on the right with the corresponding descriptions on the left. Each description provides a brief historical perspective on the manufacturer with added insight into the concept and development of the graphic identity.

I marvel at the unique direction each manufacturer took to develop their look. The designs from this 1970 collection look much different from what we see on the road today. In the fifty years since Car Badges of the World was released, car manufacturer graphic identity badges have become more refined and, in many ways, rather abstract. Yet, for car brands such as Porsche, BMW, Ford, Chevrolet, Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Mercedes Benz, Alfa Romeo, and Ferrari, the evolution has been much more subtle, keeping their iconic brand identity intact.

I am so glad that I came across this book. One brief glance through the pages told me that it was meant for my collection. I love it when that happens!

TJ ….2020