What Does the Bullseye-Shaped Symbol with the Spanish Flag on Cars Mean?

When we think of car stickers today, most people will visualize the environmental labels from the DGT (General Directorate of Traffic) that became mandatory a few years ago to differentiate the emissions produced by vehicles circulating in Spain and to restrict their traffic in favor of improving air quality.

However, in the past, talking about car stickers meant something different. Specifically, many drivers used, and still use, stickers of various shapes and designs that they place mainly next to their car's rear brake light. The most popular in our country used to be those featuring the Osborne bull or the national flag.

Others choose to showcase their place of origin by placing stickers on their cars such as a donkey for Catalans, the Cross of Victory for Asturians, the Celtiberian horse for those from Soria, or Don Quixote and Sancho Panza for those from Castilla-La Mancha, for example.

But imagination knows no bounds, and today you can find stickers and vinyls of almost anything, allowing people to personalize their cars with other types of symbols, ranging from the Apple logo to images of any cartoon character. However, nationality or origin remains the most common reference.

This relates to another sticker you might see on the back of some cars, which looks like a bullseye with the colors of the Spanish flag. We explain what it is.

This striking symbol is the Cockade of Spain and has nothing to do with a bullseye. Specifically, it refers to a national emblem that began to be used during the War of Independence as an expression of patriotism, usually linked to the military sphere.

The symbol consists of three concentric circles with the colors of the flag: red, yellow, and red again from outside in. Currently, this symbol is used as an identifier for Spanish aircraft or airplanes, typically military ones since they cannot carry a flag due to their speed. The aeronautical cockade is a heraldic roundel, which is a round piece on coats of arms.

Although each person may have a different reason for putting these types of stickers and symbols on their cars, the main reason would be to show their nationality or pride in their country. It serves as a distinctive marker indicating where they belong when driving on roads or streets, similar to placing a Spanish flag sticker on their car.