Feb 19


Car as phallic symbol?

by Terry 19 February 2007


Has anyone else noticed that the new Volvo icon looks like a male gender symbol? I hear it’s been around for about a couple of many years, but I’ve just noticed it over the last week as ads for this year’s cars are running on tv. ABC News reports that Volvo says its logo is not really male; the ♂ symbol is for Iron and Mars, thus strength, while the female symbol ♀ is really copper and Venus.

Sure looks male to me. And I bet they get a lot of subliminal mileage out of it, too. It makes me wonder if they’re trying to break the association that’s grown over the years as a car that suburban women, specifically mothers, prefer for safety over style?

I doubt this will prevent women from buying their vehicles. But how many men would buy a car, no matter how safe or how fast, with a ♀ on the steering wheel?

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9 Comments

9 Responses to “Car as phallic symbol?”

  1. CGHill on February 19th, 2007 6:01 pm

    This isn’t a “new” logo: Volvo has been using it for decades now. (I’ve seen it on PV544s, which date back to the 1950s.) Wikipedia has a drawing of a 1927 (!) grille in which it’s a design element.

    And I suspect your average guy at the dealership has no idea what either of these symbols means.  (Quote)

  2. Jeff Hess on February 20th, 2007 4:08 am

    Shalom Terry,

    Now I’m really interested to know when Volvo first used the symbol. And I wonder how much Volvo’s reputation as the ultimate Yuppie Momobile plays into this.

    B’shalom,

    Jeff  (Quote)

  3. Have Coffee Will Write » MY COMMENTS… on February 20th, 2007 4:10 am
  4. Mother of Heroes on February 20th, 2007 9:15 am

    That Volvo logo isn’t new. A quick scan through the history of the Volvo group on their site revealed it as early as 1948, which is … umm … before I was born. Maybe earlier, but my eyes aren’t good enough to tell.
    http://www.volvo.com/group/global/en-gb/Volvo+Group/history/

    In the 1930s, when they were still the Penta Group or Penta Volvo, they used an inverted pentagram. Hmmmm …  (Quote)

  5. Terry on February 20th, 2007 9:54 am

    Thanks to everyone who’s provided info on how old the logo is. The commentary I read online was all mentioning it in the last 2 years.

    I do wonder at it’s prominence now, though, when the company seems to be trying to change its image.  (Quote)

  6. *** Dave on February 20th, 2007 11:29 am

    “Sometimes a symbol for iron is just a symbol for iron.” — Sigmund Volvo  (Quote)

  7. boss hogg on September 30th, 2007 7:17 pm

    sometimes a symbol for men is just a symbol for men  (Quote)

  8. Tomb Raider on February 21st, 2008 12:31 pm

    Yes, I find it rather sexist that Volvo would use that symbol on its adverts. I think it puts off the wrong message and let’s face it, nonverbal communication carries far more impact than verbal communication; symbols qualify as non-verbal. And yes, I am a female.  (Quote)

  9. K.A. on July 26th, 2010 10:16 am

    I’m not interested in purchasing a Volvo anymore. It was between Volvo and Acura, and this stupid sexist symbol has made the choice simple. I don’t care what the history is; what matters is how it’s perceived now, and its perception is unavoidable. What a stupid move by the company.  (Quote)

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