2015 has been a year of relatively steady growth for the automotive industry despite unbalanced global markets and consumer trends working against them. The image of a brand new car remains one of the most commonplace icons of indulgence in society, and most car manufacturers know their customers' hunger for comfort, safety, and luxury, is what drives the bottom line.

To stand out in a fiercely competitive global marketplace, flawless branding is absolutely crucial for the world's top car manufacturers, and their need to be seen as ultra-modern means they are a great case study of upmarket design. Be it their logos, websites or cars themselves, Toyota, BMW and Co know exactly how to use design to their advantage.

In the logos of the current leading automotive companies we see a strong tendency for sleek, minimal design in sophisticated silver, futuristic (and environmentally friendly) blue, and passionate, racy red. Most companies rely on either standalone or integrated combination marks, combining rich symbols with clear typography for maximum impact and versatility. Others choose the ultra-sleek route of a pure logotype.

Take a look for yourself below and tell us which logo works best OR see if you can make a car logo here!

1.Toyota Motor (Japan) | Profit: $19.1billion

2. Volkswagen Group (Germany) | Profit: 14.4billion

3. Daimler (Germany) | Profit: $9.2billion

4. BMW Group (Germany) | Profit: 7.7billion

5. Honda Motor (Japan) | Profit: $5.6billion

6. General Motors (U.S.) | Profit: $3.9billion

7. Ford Motor (U.S.) | Profit: $3.2billion

8. Nissan Motor (Japan) | Profit: $4.3billion

9. Hyundai Motor (South Korea) | Profit: $7billion

10. SAIC Motor (China) | Profit: $4.4billion

11. Renault (France) | Profit: $2.5billion

12. Tata Motors (India) | Profit: $2.7billion

13. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (U.K.) | Profit: $755million

14. KIA Motors (South Korea) | Profit: $2.8billion

15. Fuji Heavy Industries (Japan) / Subaru (Global) | Profit: $2billion

16. Suzuki Motor (Japan) | Profit: $991million

17. Mazda Motor (Japan) | Profit: $1.8billion

18. Dongfeng Motor Group (China) | Profit $2.1billion

19. Peugeot (France) | Profit: $936million

20. Porsche Automobil Holding (Germany) | Profit: $4billion

21. Isuzu Motors (Japan) | Profit: $1.1billion

22. Great Wall Motor (China) | Profit: $1.3billion

23. Mitsubishi Motors (Japan) | Profit: $1.1billion

24. Mahindra & Mahindra (India)

25. BAIC Motor (China) | Profit: $732million

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Written by Jane Murray on Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Jane Murray is a freelance copywriter based in Sydney. Apart from writing up a storm for the DesignCrowd blog on anything from logo design to Michael Jackson's shoes, she enjoys reading literary science fiction and hanging out with most animals except wasps. Get in touch via LinkedIn.