What Is the Honda Logo?
The Honda logo is two marks: a letter H in a rounded frame on Honda cars, and a single wing above the name HONDA on Honda motorcycles. Both belong to Honda Motor Co., Ltd., the Japanese maker of cars, motorcycles and power products that started out as a small factory in Hamamatsu in 1948.
Honda's top motorcycles carry a deep crimson version of the wing badge, first fitted to the RC212V racing bike in 2006. The wing with the HONDA name is available as the Honda logo SVG.
Honda Logo Facts
| Introduced | Single wing 1955; H mark 1963 |
| Symbol | A single wing (motorcycles); the letter H in a shamisen-shaped frame (cars) |
| Logo type | Combination mark: wing and the HONDA name |
| Earlier mark | A winged figure with HONDA lettering, on the A-Type engine |
| Owner | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. |
What the Honda Logo Means
The wing comes from founder Soichiro Honda, who wanted his company to be number one in the world, not just in Japan. Honda says the shape combines the wings of an eagle with those of the Greek statue Nike of Samothrace, and stands for flight, reliability, speed, tradition and honour.
The H has a different root. Soichiro Honda liked to say there are only three shapes: the circle for harmony, the triangle for innovation and the square for solidity. His designers looked for a way to mix them and settled on the shamisen, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, framing the letter H with the outline of its body.
Honda Logo History
The first Honda logo showed HONDA lettering behind a winged racing figure, on the tank of the A-Type, an engine that clipped onto a bicycle. Wings first appeared in 1953, and in 1955 the single wing made its debut on the Dream SA motorcycle, fixed to both sides of the tank so it faced forward.
In 1968 the wing was simplified to fewer feathers, and from then until about 2000 it was the trademark of Honda Motor Co. on all its products. In 1972 a new wing put the name HONDA in place of the letters HM, marking the motorcycles as a brand of their own. Honda refined the wing again in 2001 and made Honda Red its corporate colour.
The H mark first appeared in 1963, the year Honda began selling its first car, the T360 mini truck, and was redrawn in 1969, 1981, 1991 and 2001. Honda showed a new H at CES in January 2024 and adopted it for its car business in January 2026, for models launched from 2027. Honda says the new shape looks like two outstretched hands.
Honda and Toyota
Both Japanese carmakers built their badges around a letter. Honda's H dates from 1963, while Toyota's three ellipses, which also form a T, arrived in 1989 (compare the Toyota logo). Honda differs by keeping a second mark for its motorcycles.
For more brands like Honda, browse our car logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Honda have two logos?
The H mark has stood for Honda cars since 1963, while the wing stands for Honda motorcycles. From 1968 to about 2000 the wing was Honda's trademark on all its products.
What does the Honda wing represent?
It combines an eagle's wings with those of the Nike of Samothrace statue, and reflects Soichiro Honda's wish to make Honda number one in the world.
What shape is the frame around the Honda H?
It is based on the body of the shamisen, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument.
When did Honda redraw its H logo?
In January 2026 Honda adopted a redrawn H for its car business, starting with models launched in 2027.