Emblems have been the calling cards of automobiles since their invention over a century ago. It was important for the early manufacturers to have a way to quickly provide indentification for their products. Some of these emblems were simply the name of the car, think Rolls Royce; while others, think Porsche, were more abstract.

Porsche was formed in 1931 in Stuttgart, the capital of the Baden-Wurttemburg region of Germany. As such, Porsche's emblem is the amalgamation of the coats of arms of its birthplace. The prancing horse in black, which interestingly is similar to that of Ferrari, represents the coat of arms of Stuttgart which was a stud farm in Middle Ages; hence the name itself.

The large shield  which is divided into quarters represent the Baden-Wurttemburg region. The horizontal bars on the very early Porsche had a more orange hue to it but over time has become more red as seem on current models.

The emblem first appeared on a 1953 Porsche 356A and has been used consistently since even as the company and its products has undergone significant changes such as becoming a part of the Volkswagen Empire.