Those who drive a Mercedes Benz make a conscious decision to pay top dollar for their badge-brand of prestige.

FORBES: Hyundai's Challenge To Mercedes: Should Either Brand Be Nervous?

In any case, what does all this badge-swapping and brand cross-dressing have to do with the cost of herring in Stockholm?

FORBES: Overview

One of the shrewdest alt-fuel marketing moves Toyota made early on was to create a sub-brand for its hybrid engine technology, with the Hybrid Synergy Drive badge that appears on every Toyota hybrid vehicle.

FORBES: CMO Network