Over the years, the importance of brand recognition and awareness has become an integral part of marketing, equally important in selling hamburgers, computers, sneakers and anything else consumers are willing to shell out money for. But which car brand is worth more than any other, and will be recognized by worldwide customers to create a nameplate that carries a value of its own? According to the 2014 Brandz Top 100 ranking, Toyota is still number one.

Coming in at 26th place overall and first among auto manufacturers, Toyota's brand value is estimated at $29 billion. The second automaker on the list, ranked 32 overall, is BMW, with an estimated worth of $25 billion. The two leaders are followed by Mercedes-Benz (42), Honda (70), Ford (84) and Nissan (90). The largest increase over the previous year goes to Ford, which added 56 percent to its value over 2013 figures. Conversely, Volkswagen dropped 4 percent and one position, bringing it to 7th place among auto manufacturers, with an estimated value of $8.4 billion.