# The Toyota emblem - what is it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808 "2004-12-03T00:20:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/21 "2004-12-03T23:13:44Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > You know, everytime I see that logo I see all the letters in TOYOTA in that oval. You know, now I’m looking for them, I can’t _not_ see them! ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/22 "2004-12-03T23:31:47Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > You know, everytime I see that logo I see all the letters in TOYOTA in that oval. > > A couple are harder to see than others, but they’re all there. > > I could have sworn that was it. That’s what I’ve thought, too. Definitely a “T”, though. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/23 "2004-12-04T00:03:00Z")
Boy, I’d hate to see you people’s handwriting! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/24 "2004-12-04T02:05:57Z")
Another vote for T. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/25 "2004-12-04T02:20:37Z")
Voting for a letter “T” too. Just because they’re from Japan doesn’t mean they invented a design to match that “triple heart of the consumer, company and world” thing they put on their website. Eastern does not automatically equal spiritual. They could have very easily invented that interpritation after the artist created it, or the artist could have invented the interpritation after doodling around with his Spirograph. Occam’s Razor Chicken kisses ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/26 "2004-12-04T02:22:14Z")
forgot to say so in my previous post \<\\> ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/27 "2004-12-04T02:30:02Z")
> [@Pullet](#): > > doodling around with his Spirograph We have a winner!!! Go on, prove **Pullet** wrong, any of you… ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/28 "2004-12-08T05:01:25Z")
Here’s what a dumbass I am– You know how Chevy has slightly different logos for their different vehicles (waves for a Malibu, impala for an Impala)? Well, I thought Ford did the same thing. So for the longest time, when I saw a sedan with that logo, I thought it was a Ford Taurus. I think I only figured this out 2 years ago. And I’m 24, people. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/29 "2004-12-08T21:45:20Z")
> [@easy e](#): > > Here’s what a dumbass I am– > > You know how Chevy has slightly different logos for their different vehicles (waves for a Malibu, impala for an Impala)? Well, I thought Ford did the same thing. So for the longest time, when I saw a sedan with that logo, I thought it was a Ford Taurus. > > I think I only figured this out 2 years ago. And I’m 24, people. I always saw the Toyota logo as a Taurus symbol. And when they first started appearing, I assumed that it was some sly marketing trick to tie into the popularity of the Ford Taurus. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/30 "2004-12-09T00:43:31Z")
I’ve always thought it was a “T.” I swear I’ve seen a different logo on older Toyota pickup trucks - just a large, plain capital “T.” I can’t find any pictures of it though. ---
**Author:** ![Brandon92DSM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecb155/32.png) [@Brandon92DSM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brandon92DSM)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/31 "2004-12-09T05:37:55Z")
I think its just a pretentious looking “T” encased in an oval. I know for sure the symbol dates back to at least 1991, as the MR2 turbo had them when it debuted in north America that year. I owned a 92 a couple years ago and was always pleasantly amused that my “old” car wore the still-current badging. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/32 "2004-12-09T06:49:30Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve tried to make out the Toyota name in there, but with little success. That part’s easy: It’s right underneath the three ovals. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/33 "2004-12-10T00:36:31Z")
You “T” guys are _nuts_. Why on earth would they make a “T” that doesn’t look like a “T”? If someone wanted to make a stylized “T”, they could do a lot better than that. I think you all just want to be contrary. It’s fashionable, I know, but try for once to be original. Forget Dennis Miller, OK? 😉 And, **GorillaMan** , you know better than that. It’s up to someone to prove it’s a “T”, not the other way around. The only one with anything even close to a cite is **Mr. Blue Sky** in the second reply. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/34 "2004-12-10T01:21:53Z")
A cite, you say? [Toyota opens China’s first car trademark dispute](http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0308/07/autos-237943.htm) (emphasis added) > [@](#): > > Geely, China’s sole privately owned carmaker, copied the Toyota logo and misled its customers by falsely claiming its Merrie cars used Toyota’s engines, the Japanese company said in its suit. Geely denied any wrongdoing. > […] > The logo on Merrie’s hood, hub cabs, steering column and boot looks like **Toyota’s stylized “T” marque** , Toyota’s lawyer Shi said. The same phrase can be found in many other articles about the same event. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/35 "2004-12-10T02:02:41Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > You “T” guys are _nuts_. Why on earth would they make a “T” that doesn’t look like a “T”? If someone wanted to make a stylized “T”, they could do a lot better than that. I think you all just want to be contrary. It’s fashionable, I know, but try for once to be original. Forget Dennis Miller, OK? 😉 > And, **GorillaMan** , you know better than that. It’s up to someone to prove it’s a “T”, not the other way around. > The only one with anything even close to a cite is **Mr. Blue Sky** in the second reply. Sorry, **mangeorge** , I too have always seen it as a stylized “t.” The explanation given by Mr. Blue Sky’s cite sounds like an after-the-fact justification of the logo. In other words, bullshit. Logos are rarely, if ever, _that_ abstract. ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/36 "2004-12-10T02:08:49Z")
A Venn diagram consisting of three empty sets? ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/37 "2004-12-10T03:10:02Z")
eh. it’s a “T”. Now I can’t seem to NOT see the cowboy/longhorn/three-ovals-of-the-world/blah/blah/blah. Life used to be so simple. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/38 "2004-12-10T03:42:22Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > eh. it’s a “T”. Now I can’t seem to NOT see the cowboy/longhorn/three-ovals-of-the-world/blah/blah/blah. Life used to be so simple. [From the horse’s mouth](http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/toyota.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=9wlisBsh&p_lva=&p_faqid=376&p_created=1015628931&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTImcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1sb2dvJnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9NCZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMT1_YW55fiZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMj1_YW55fiZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/39 "2004-12-10T04:14:47Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > [From the horse’s mouth](http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/toyota.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_sid=9wlisBsh&p_lva=&p_faqid=376&p_created=1015628931&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9ncmlkc29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTImcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1sb2dvJnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9NCZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMT1_YW55fiZwX3Byb2RfbHZsMj1_YW55fiZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=) Hmm…well ain’t that interesting. I still suspect the graphic designer was toying with the idea of a stylized “t” and then the Toyota honchos decided to make it a bit “deeper” with this explanation, but if that’s what Toyota says, I guess I have no proof to contradict the explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808/40 "2004-12-10T04:16:58Z")
FWIW, I think it looks like a overly-stylized “T”, too. Gotta love those wacky Japanese! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-toyota-emblem-what-is-it/277808.md?page=3)