What car has a cross and a snake?
3 Answers
A car logo featuring a cross and a snake represents Alfa Romeo, the renowned Italian manufacturer of luxury cars and sports cars. The brand's emblem incorporates two traditional symbols of Milan: the red cross from the city's coat of arms and the dragon-like serpent derived from the heraldry of an ancient noble family. Here are some details about the Alfa Romeo emblem: 1. When Alfa Romeo was founded, its creators combined two symbols of Milan to create the logo. The red cross is part of Milan's shield-shaped coat of arms, commemorating the medieval Crusader knights, while the man-eating dragon-serpent comes from the coat of arms of the Visconti family, symbolizing the legend of the medieval Duke of Milan's ancestors defeating a giant serpent that tormented the city's people. These two unrelated yet traditional Milanese symbols were merged to form one of the most famous logos in the automotive world. 2. Over its century-long history, the added 'Alfa Romeo' and 'Milano' lettering, along with the decorative borders, have undergone subtle changes. In 1972, the dragon-serpent was simplified and abstracted, modernizing the logo's style, and the hyphen between 'Alfa' and 'Romeo' was removed.
That day I was volunteering at the automobile museum when a child pointed at the Maserati logo and asked this question. Actually, the trident emblem design originates from the statue of Neptune in Bologna's square, as the founder believed the trident symbolizes power and speed. Old car enthusiasts know this brand started with racing cars a century ago, and even now those streamlined bodies still zoom on the road. By the way, after last year's facelift of the Maserati Quattroporte, the front grille became sharper, but the quad exhaust pipes and wavelike taillights remain classic features.
After twelve years of car repair, I often encounter young people pointing at the trident on the hood and asking me about it. This is the emblem of the Italian sports car Maserati, with the trident representing the weapon of the sea god. Maserati's engine sound is particularly distinctive; the moment a Quattroporte I worked on started up, the entire workshop would buzz with resonance. However, a word of caution: the air suspension on this car is quite delicate—take it easy over speed bumps. Last time, a client replaced the shocks with aftermarket parts, and the chassis computer threw a tantrum.
