Although Belgium is not a leader in the automotive industry, it was at one time its founder. Some Belgian companies entered the specialized market in the mid-1850s, others at the beginning of the past. But both of them have made a huge contribution to the global automotive industry. Some of them still exist, delighting motorists with good European products. Each brand has or has its insignia that aptly characterizes branded vehicles. We have selected 12 legendary brands, arranging them by the time of existence.
Edran
This company has been operating since 1984, offering two types of cars – with 4 and 8 cylinders. The power of the first is 150-180 horsepower (depending on the configuration), and the second is 800 horsepower. Each model is adorned with the well-recognized Edran logo: an oval with cut ends and the manufacturer’s business name. The background is rich yellow. It has a bold grotesque graphite inscription with narrow inter-character spacing. The letters are even, geometric, and capital. A thin black stripe surrounds the ellipse along the edge, making the emblem much clearer and more expressive.
APAL
This company still exists today, but the APAL logo is better known in Germany because it moved there in 1998. The immediate time of its foundation is 1961. Basic range: sports cars, SUVs, and racing cars. For them, the manufacturer came up with an interesting emblem, similar to a classic speedometer with an arrow. It also has a thin circle on the dial and a stela resembling a speed indicator. In addition, there is a wide ring and a frame, complemented by a narrow stroke. In the center, the company’s name is originally presented – an abbreviation for Application Polyester Armé de Liége. It is located on a horizontal strip, which is also the crossbar of the first “A.” The letter is gracefully curved and decorated with an elongated stem. The rest of the glyphs are low and wide. The font is capital, sans-serif.
Brossel
The Brossel logo was traditionally round. It consisted of two elements. The first is a golden star on a bright blue background, located in the very center of the emblem. The second is a black stripe with inscriptions separated by cross-head screws. It said “Brossel Freres” (top) and “Bruxelles” (bottom). The text was typed in business-style slashed glyphs. The outer frame was in the form of a solid gold ring. This visual identity is now rare because the company ceased to exist in 1968 (founded in 1912). The reason for her departure from the automotive market was the collapse of the Leyland Motors group, to which she belonged. The manufacturer was engaged in producing buses of all types and was very popular.
Gillette
The Gillet motorcycle brand logo was round and unique. In the central part, there was a red circle with a gradient and a white title. The symbols were thin and stretched upwards: the smallest were located at the edges, the largest in the middle. A golden-beige stripe surrounded them with two inscriptions: “Automobiles” and “Belgium.” But the text did not have the classic arch shape – it was horizontal. All glyphs were neatly separated by miniature dashes and were decorated in a simple style. To the right and left of the central part were placed two arrows in the form of small black triangles. This company existed from 1919 to 1959. She was a motorcycle builder. Her range also included a three-wheeled vehicle.
Bovy
For automotive manufacturer Bovy, the logo was oval, dark blue, with a thin copper frame, confirming the brand’s affiliation with the automotive industry. In the middle was a white inscription – the name of the company, type in an individual font in upper case with a thin stroke. The letters had a characteristic feature: their lines seemed to be cut off and completely disconnected. Inside, there were also two curved stripes connecting the right and left sides of the oval. They separated the words “Automobiles Industriels” and “Bruxelles,” which were written in small grotesque. Such a badge was flaunted on cars and trucks of small tonnage from 1902 to 1929. The latest models of this brand were introduced in the 50s of the 20th century and have not been produced since then.
Minerva
The Minerva logo first appeared on the market in 1900 with the release of motorcycles and bicycles, which constituted the basic range of this Belgian company. Gradually they were joined by sedans, SUVs, and crossovers. The manufacturer disappeared from the automotive industry in 1956. And until then, his products flaunted a badge with the same name as the Roman goddess of craftsmanship and wisdom. The emblem consisted of a red circle, in the center of which was a gray female head in a helmet decorated with small leaves and a miniature dragon. The frame was a wide white stripe with the brand’s name and a floral ornament made in a thin outline.
Imperia
This Belgian company was disbanded in 1948 after 40 years of existence. It specializes in the production of passenger cars of several brands. It had its proving ground and a car of the same name, which Carat-Duchatelet tried to revive in 2008 by opening pre-orders for it. However, due to bankruptcy, the project was stopped. Only the Imperia logo in gold and black has survived. It was a circle with a diagonal arrow, where there was a curly inscription with rounded letters and a vignette “I.” Above and below were the words “Automobiles” and “Liege.” A golden frame surrounded all these elements. She was wide.
FN
At first, this company made only weapons and then switched to manufacturing bicycles, motorcycles, and cars (sports and premium). Moreover, it became the longest-lived brand of Belgian cars because she was engaged in them from 1899 until the early 1940s. The FN logo reflects that time, with a long-barreled shotgun and a bicycle part with pedals in the central part. They are crossed, which indicates their equally high importance for the manufacturer. On the right and left sides is an abbreviation of the brand’s full name – Fabrique Nationale. “F” and “N” are presented in the Gothic style: refined, elegant, with serifs smoothly turning into the legs of the letters. The background is a dark blue circle, taken in a silver ring.
Nagant
The Nagant logo, like the name of this company, is still known worldwide. After all, in addition to road transport, she was engaged in producing small arms, the name of which has become a household name. The word “revolver” refers to a type of revolver, although it is simply the founders’ name – the brothers Emile and Leon Nagant. They opened their factory in 1859, and in 1931 Imperia bought it and abandoned the production of cars. These were classic passenger cars of the early 20th century, along with roadsters and premium cars. On their hood was an emblem in the form of a 3-sided shield, divided into five parts. Heraldic elements were located in each of them, which is why the logo echoed the coat of arms of the province of Liege. The shield was against the background of 3 curved stripes. They were surrounded by a wide black line with the words “Nagant” (above) and “Liege” (below). The inscriptions were made in capital letters.
Excelsior
This is one of the founders of the Belgian car industry. The company began operations in 1903 and closed in 1929. Her focus was on roadsters and other powerful cars. Branded cars even participated in various high-level races. For them, the Excelsior logo was made – trapezoidal, monochrome, and conceptual. Ideology was added to him by the sun that rose because of the brand name. The beams were long and almost reached the curved upper edge. Some of them were wide; others were narrow. Fragments of the radiant sun were also in the lower corners of the emblem. The background for the inscription was a wide band in the shape of an arch. The letters were bold, with curly serifs.
Metallurgique
The Metallurgique logo was known from 1898 to 1928, when the company was active in high-performance passenger cars. She was also one of the pioneers of the Belgian automotive industry. As a personal sign, she chose a complex geometric figure. At the top of it was a circle with a pentagram – two isosceles triangles superimposed on each other. In the middle, in large letters, “MM” was indicated, and below is the full name of the enterprise. It was set in a sans-serif capital font. The color of the logo is copper with a gradient.
Vivinus
This automobile company ceased to exist in 1912. Appearing in 1890, she first started selling cars of German brands, and then she switched to developing them herself. The Vivinus logo was similar to a seal and consisted of a red circle with information about the manufacturer. In the middle were two “A” s and two “Vs.” They were center oriented and separated by four miniature lines.
