What Is the Mazda Logo?
The Mazda logo is a stylised letter M with outspread wings, set inside an oval and usually shown beside the name MAZDA. It belongs to Mazda Motor Corporation, the Hiroshima car maker founded in 1920 as Toyo Cork Kogyo, a cork-making factory.
Mazda calls the winged M its brand symbol and keeps a separate corporate mark, which since 2018 has been the MAZDA wordmark on its own. The symbol with the wordmark is available as the Mazda logo SVG.
Mazda Logo Facts
| Introduced | 1997; refined in 2015 and 2025 |
| Symbol | A letter M shaped like soaring wings, inside an oval |
| Logo type | Combination mark: winged M and the MAZDA wordmark |
| Earlier mark | A 1991 emblem of wings, sun and halo inspired by Ahura Mazda |
| Owner | Mazda Motor Corporation |
What the Mazda Logo Means
Mazda says the brand symbol is the letter M with the evocation of soaring wings. It stands for continuous self-reform and dynamic, unceasing growth. Inside the oval, the centre of the M opens into a V, which Mazda links to growth and improvement.
The name itself comes from Ahura Mazda, the god of wisdom, intelligence and harmony in early West Asian civilisation. It also echoes the surname of founder Jujiro Matsuda. The name first appeared on Mazda vehicles in 1931, decades before the company formally adopted it.
Mazda Logo History
Mazda's marks follow the company's changes of name and product, from a cork-crusher outline around 1920 to the winged M of 1997.
| Year | Logo change |
|---|---|
| around 1920 | The letters T and C inside an outline shaped like a cork crusher blade |
| 1928 | As Toyo Kogyo, the Japanese character for manufacturing in a circle |
| 1931 | The Mazda name arrives on the Mazda-Go Type-DA truck |
| 1936 | An emblem of wings combining three Ms with a river emblem |
| 1959 | A stylised lowercase m |
| 1975 | A corporate symbol in a new identity system |
| 1991 | A product emblem of wings, sun and halo |
| 1997 | The winged M brand symbol |
| 2015 | A metallic finish |
| 2025 | A sleeker, bolder form for digital screens |
The 1928 circle mark was known to staff as the Maru-Kō mark. The Mazda-Go Type-DA was a three-wheeled truck. The 1936 emblem came when Mazda began selling its trucks through its own network, and it used the flowing-river emblem of Hiroshima City.
The lowercase m arrived a year before Mazda launched passenger cars with the R360. The 1975 identity system also introduced the Mazda typeface and Mazda Blue. The 1991 emblem looked back to Ahura Mazda.
Mazda had been selling cars under several brands at home and abroad. In 1997 it reunified them under the Mazda name and created the winged M as its brand symbol. The 2025 update came alongside a modernised wordmark.
Mazda and Mitsubishi
The first product mark of 1931 combined the letters of Mazda with the three diamonds of Mitsubishi Corporation, then Mazda's sales distributor (compare the Mitsubishi logo).
Sixty years later, in 1991, a four-rotor Mazda 787B won the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright. It was the first overall win for a Japanese brand.
For more brands like Mazda, browse our car logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the M in the Mazda logo stand for?
It stands for Mazda, drawn with outspread wings. Mazda says the shape represents continuous self-reform and growth.
Where does the name Mazda come from?
From Ahura Mazda, the West Asian god of wisdom, intelligence and harmony. It also echoes the surname of founder Jujiro Matsuda.
When did Mazda introduce its winged logo?
In 1997, when Mazda brought its car brands back together under one name.
Why was there a Mitsubishi symbol on early Mazda trucks?
Mitsubishi Corporation distributed Mazda's three-wheeled trucks, so the 1931 product mark combined the Mazda letters with its three diamonds.