BMW’s M Sport, AMG from Mercedes-Benz and SRT from FCA spring to mind. Some have proved so potent their owners have promoted them to become full brands in their own right. And the latest candidate is about to appear on our roads, in the case of Ford’s Bronco. The revival of this much-loved nameplate after 24 years off the market heralds not just a new family of vehicles, but a standalone badge on the nose. They’ll have a blue oval on the back, though.

It comes hot on the heels of another child from Ford, this time Mustang, the badge on the front of the upcoming Mach-E electric crossover – it seems without a blue oval in sight. Time, then, to take a look at all the most famous automotive sub-brands there’s ever been, in chronological order: