What Is the Hyundai Logo?
The Hyundai logo is a slanted, stylised letter H inside a horizontal oval, often shown above the name HYUNDAI in wide capital letters. Hyundai says the H also depicts two people shaking hands. The logo belongs to Hyundai Motor Company, the South Korean carmaker based in Seoul that Chung Ju-yung founded in 1967.
Hyundai's performance cars carry an N badge, and in 2020 it announced Ioniq as a separate name for electric models. The oval H with the HYUNDAI name is available as the Hyundai logo SVG.
Hyundai Logo Facts
| Introduced | Early 1990s |
| Symbol | A slanted H in an oval |
| Logo type | Combination mark: oval H and the HYUNDAI name |
| Earlier mark | A stylised HD, worn by the Hyundai Pony in 1975 |
| Owner | Hyundai Motor Company |
What the Hyundai Logo Means
The H is the initial of Hyundai, a Korean word that means "modern" or "modernity". Hyundai says the word suits the progressive spirit of the brand.
The letter has a second reading. According to Hyundai, its two leaning strokes and the bar between them show two people shaking hands: a company representative on one side and a satisfied customer on the other. The oval around them, Hyundai says, stands for the company's presence around the world.
Hyundai Logo History
The Hyundai name came before the cars. Chung Ju-yung opened a car repair shop in Seoul in 1941 and moved into building in 1947 with Hyundai Engineering & Construction. Hyundai Motor Company followed in 1967, and its Ulsan plant was completed the next year, assembling the Ford Cortina as its first car.
Hyundai's early cars wore a stylised HD. That mark was on the Pony, the company's first car of its own, which was shown at the Turin Motor Show in 1974 and went on sale in 1975. The Pony became the first mass-produced Korean car to be exported around the world, starting with Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Egypt in 1976.
The slanted H in an oval replaced the HD in the early 1990s, a few years after the Pony Excel became the first Hyundai sold in the United States in 1986. The emblem has since moved from dark blue to a shiny metallic silver on the cars.
Hyundai's Other Badges
Hyundai keeps the oval H on its cars while giving its sub-brands their own marks. The N performance range began with the i30 N in 2017, and in August 2020 Hyundai announced Ioniq as a stand-alone electric brand, its second after the luxury brand Genesis. The Ioniq 5 followed in 2021.
For more brands like Hyundai, browse our car logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hyundai logo mean?
Hyundai says the slanted H shows two people shaking hands, a company representative and a satisfied customer, while the oval stands for its global presence.
What does the word Hyundai mean?
It is a Korean word meaning "modern" or "modernity".
What was Hyundai's logo before the H?
A stylised HD, which appeared on the Hyundai Pony when it went on sale in 1975.
Who founded Hyundai Motor Company?
Chung Ju-yung, who founded it in 1967 with his brother Chung Se-yung.