The impact and history of Detroit cars, Motor City
Below are some facts about Detroit’s automotive industry.
- Automotive companies have been matching fragrances for decades.
- Automakers have a variety of involvement in design.
- Most of these scents can be purchased wherever you buy regular cologne and perfumes.
You may see the scents of Gucci, Versace, Prada, and Nissan on the shelves of modern stores.
You read it correctly.
While most people may not notice, many automakers have reached out to sell personal fragrances with varying levels of success.
Which car companies have the scent?
If the car maker has a scent, it’s no surprise that fancy ones go first. So yes, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley and Jaguar are currently selling scents and are quite successful with it. Other brands with scent are designs from Ferrari, Lamborghini, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche. But then there are Nissan, Fiat and Ford too.
Why do car companies create scents?
Automakers have a unique reason to dive into their own scent. Nissan has teamed up with the Formula E racing team to release a scent named “Smy My Dust.” Using Japanese cherry blossom and rubber notebooks, the company’s Japanese heritage is blended with the racing team to create a unique perfume that smells like tires. “It was a tongue-tonguing campaign, but in reality there is a scent there.” Maria De Juana, head of Nissan’s Global Motorsports Communications.
Anne-Cécile Leclerq, Communication and Influence Director of Give Back Beauty, said her company wanted to do something different for Mercedes. Mercedes-Benz Club (Black) is the most popular fragrance, and its scent profile features masculine amber and vanilla notes.
“Many brands outside of fashion and beauty have entered the world of perfume. Isn’t it Mercedes-Benz? It was a natural step for us. We didn’t accidentally become perfume either. Above all, perfume is a business of emotions.
How much involvement does the automaker really have?
How much work a car company does to create scents is very different.
“Mercedes-Benz is very open in its approach,” Leclerq said. “Like automotive design, they trust the best experts. In scents, that means working with us and master perfumes at the top of the industry.” Mercedes offers insight into what scents the company wants to create, but there will be a ton of production by Give Back Beauty, a privately owned beauty group that produces fragrances for several brands and celebrities.
Some companies are constantly in contact with master fragrances when creating fragrances, while other brands farm it too.
Dan Barbossa, Broadcast and Consumer Communications Manager at Ford, said, “We don’t create scents. We license the Mustang logo and more to the companies we use.”
It seems that perfume makers are clearly being trampled on their own. It comes with a Nissan badge and has a scent line that uses the names of specific vehicles.
“These products were developed by third parties and have not been officially licensed or approved by Nissan,” said Stephen O’Neill, senior brand manager. “They may have appeared in hand-picked markets, but they are based on past informal associations and not permitted use of our brand.”
What do they smell like?
Nissan has created perfumes that smell like tires, but other fragrances released by the company have more normal ingredients. It has a scent for men and women, featuring more masculine or feminine notes, some are more unisex. Most of these car fragrances smell similar to those created by designer brands.
Where can I buy these fragrances?
Many car fragrances are limited in production and can only be purchased from resellers on sites like eBay. Many other fragrances can be purchased at department stores such as Macy’s, online retailers such as Amazon, and online fragrance stores such as Jomashop, Lucky Scent, and Fragancex.

