The current logo is a combination of three ellipses in the form an encircled "T." The ellipses stand for the relationship between the customer and product.
Before the current logo came into being, the red block letters spelling out "TOYOTA" served as the logo.
Toyoda Family History
The name of the family which started the car company is actually Toyoda. The Toyoda family owned a loom business, "Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Ltd." In 1930, Kichiro Toyoda, son of the man who started the loom company, started working on car engines. In 1936, the first automobile was ready to be unveiled. At the time, it was still under the name of the loom company, which had an automobile department added to it, and they were looking for a logo.
First Toyoda Logo
There was a public contest held to determine a logo. Out of more than 200 entries, the one that won was the name "Toyoda" (written in Japanese characters) in a circle. This symbol still serves as the official company emblem, and is given to every employee.
Toyoda to Toyota
Toyoda wanted to separate the companies. In order to separate his work life and home life, he changed the name of his automobile company. When written in the Japanese characters, the name Toyoda takes seven strokes; with an additional stroke the name spells Toyota. This was accepted because the name had a clearer sound, and eight (the number of strokes to write it) is considered a lucky and prosperous number. Worldwide, the name TOYOTA in red Roman type was used as the logo.
Current Logo is Born
In 1989, the current logo was revealed alongside the Lexus brand logo. The need for a universally recognizable symbol was obvious as the company grew. It is unclear, even within the company's archives, who created the symbol, but the meaning of it is well known.
Three Ellipses
The logo as it is seen today is a compilation of three ellipses. The two intersecting in the middle, making a T shape, are encircled by the third.
"The two intersecting ellipses are intended to represent the customer and the product... and the importance of that relationship", according to an e-mail from Mike Michels, VP of Communication at Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc."The outer ring represents the world and the global nature of our business."
Lexus/Scion Brand
The Lexus brand logo was introduced alongside the Toyota logo in 1989 at the Second World Convention.
The Scion brand logo was introduced in 2002.
While both are partnered with the Toyota brand, they were actually launched in the US and were created to appeal to the North American market. Lexus as the luxury line, and Scion as the "Generation Y" line.
