BorgWarner Logo PNG
Automotive systems include powertrain, turbocharging, and transmission components that affect engine performance and vehicle handling. These assemblies are designed for load capacity and durability. The BorgWarner logo represents a company that manufactures automotive components for engines and transmissions and supplies them to automakers.
BorgWarner was formed in 1928 through the merger of four automotive component manufacturers. These included Borg & Beck and Warner Gear. The merger created the foundation for the future corporation, which played a significant role in the development of the global automotive industry.
In the 1930s, the company introduced synchronizers and overdrive transmissions and gained orders from major automakers. In the 1950s, it strengthened its position by producing torque converters and automatic transmissions for Ford and Studebaker. During this period, it began international expansion in England, Brazil, and Canada.
By the 1970s, BorgWarner had become a leading transmission supplier. Joint ventures with Japanese companies, including Aisin-Warner, opened access to the Asian market. In the 1980s, the group was restructured into BorgWarner Automotive Inc. The company focused on developing innovative transmissions and transfer cases.
Since the 1990s, BorgWarner has implemented all-wheel-drive and continuously variable transmission technologies. At the end of the decade, it entered the turbocharger market and became a global leader following acquisitions in Germany and the United States.
After moving its headquarters to Detroit in 2005, the company began expanding at scale. The company opened new facilities in Asia, Europe, and South America. In the 2010s, the company shifted toward developing solutions for electrified transportation. It introduced electric drives and compressors. In 2020, the company completed its merger with Delphi Technologies, strengthening its position in power electronics.
In 2021, the company acquired the German battery manufacturer Akasol, thereby expanding its participation in the electric mobility sector. In 2023, the PHINIA division spin-off was completed. This was part of the Charging Forward program, which aimed to accelerate the transition to clean technologies.
BorgWarner has reinforced its status as a global supplier of components for hybrid and electric vehicles. The company continues to focus on innovation and adaptation to a changing market.
Meaning and History
What is BorgWarner?
An American manufacturer of automotive components, it ranks among the world’s largest companies in the industry. It develops solutions for internal combustion engines, hybrid, and electric vehicles. Under the brands Wahler, KKK, Schwitzer, Delphi, and Beru, it produces turbochargers, transmissions, injection systems, batteries, and electronic modules. It produces at more than 90 plants in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Its partners include Ford, General Motors, VW, Daimler, Volvo, and Hyundai.
1958 – 1960
Borg-Warner’s history began in 1928 when 4 American automotive component manufacturers merged. Borg & Beck produced clutches, Warner Gear made transmissions, Marvel-Schebler Carburetor manufactured carburetors, and Mechanics Universal Joint specialized in drivetrain components. The new corporation brought together companies with established experience and customer bases.
The Borg-Warner name combined Borg & Beck with Warner Gear. Borg came from the surname of founder Charles W. Borg. Warner referred to the family that founded Warner Gear. The hyphen joined the 2 surnames and preserved the identities of companies involved in the merger. Marvel-Schebler Carburetor and Mechanics Universal Joint were not included in the shared brand name.
By the late 1950s, Borg-Warner included numerous divisions covering different areas of manufacturing. Corporate advertising needed one name for the entire group. In 1958, the Borg-Warner wordmark became the logo’s primary identifier.
The name appeared on a single horizontal line. The initial “B” and “W” were uppercase, while the remaining letters were lowercase. The spelling presented Borg and Warner as 2 surnames within one corporate name. A hyphen stood between them and indicated the equal status of both parts.
The wordmark used a slab-serif typeface resembling Clarendon Bold. Its letters had heavy strokes and prominent serifs. Thick verticals paired with the rounded forms of the “B,” “o,” “g,” “a,” and “e” softened the overall appearance. Tight spacing kept the lengthy name within a single line while preserving the distinction between Borg and Warner.
The logo used a dark graphite color with a gray-brown undertone. The shade suited newspapers, magazines, and corporate materials where the name appeared beside product photographs and division names. Typography, the name’s family-based structure, and the hyphen carried the primary role.
A 1959 advertisement presented Borg-Warner businesses involved in automotive components, industrial equipment, aviation, household appliances, and defense products. Division names changed depending on the products being promoted. At the same time, the shared Borg-Warner signature connected them with the parent corporation. The logo remained in use in this form until 1960.
1960 – 1964
Borg-Warner introduced a new identity system for its numerous divisions in 1960. It included a BW monogram, the full BORG-WARNER name, and a statement about the role of research and engineering. The identity appeared in the 1961 advertising campaign Seven Hats of Borg-Warner, covering the company’s 7 business areas.
A small blue square with yellow “B” and “W” letters appeared on the left. The uppercase initials used an even sans-serif style. Black outlines separated the letters from the rich background and helped preserve their legibility at small sizes. The square allowed the BW abbreviation to appear independently on products from different divisions.
The “B” and “W” represented the 2 parts of Borg-Warner. The monogram shortened the lengthy name to 2 initials while retaining the connection with the Borg and Warner surnames. Placing it beside the full wordmark linked the shortened form with the corporate brand. The blue background and yellow letters distinguished the monogram from the surrounding text.
BORG-WARNER appeared on the right in uppercase burgundy-red letters. Some materials used a shade closer to raspberry. A black shadow created depth against the light background. The short hyphen continued the name structure established after the companies merged in 1928.
The name used a sans-serif typeface. Broad geometric letters resembled modified versions of Eurostile and Microgramma. The angular contours of the “B,” “O,” “G,” “R,” “W,” and “E” gave the wordmark an industrial appearance. The large name occupied most of the horizontal composition, while the colored square appeared on the left.
The statement “Better products through creative research and engineering” ran beneath the company name. Small black letters followed the lower edge of the wordmark. The phrase described improving products through inventive research and engineering. It explained the principle connecting businesses with different areas of specialization.
The monogram, name, and lower line appeared throughout the Seven Hats of Borg-Warner campaign for all 7 business areas. The divisions retained their own names, while the shared block identified their affiliation with Borg-Warner. The blue square, yellow initials, burgundy-red wordmark, and black statement divided the information into separate levels.
1964 – 1986
Borg-Warner introduced a logo with interwoven bands in May 1964. The company filed an application to register the combined trademark on June 15. The new identity replaced the system featuring the blue BW square, large name, and lengthy advertising statement. Two colored ribbons and the surnames BORG and WARNER remained in the logo.
Rafael Boguslav created the project while working at Lippincott & Margulies. The designer’s biographical archive lists Borg Warner among the corporate identities he developed. A later professional reference confirms Boguslav’s work at the agency and his participation in the company’s project. The design belongs to the field of 1960s American corporate identity.
Broad red and black bands formed the foundation of the composition. They moved toward each other, curved at the center, and crossed diagonally. The red ribbon ran from the upper left to the lower right. The black ribbon rose in the opposite direction. Their intersection formed a shape resembling the letter “X.”
The bands continued as long horizontal sections on both sides. Their intersection resembled ribbons joined at the center. Smooth edges softened the diagonal cross, while the broad fill added visual weight. Red and black separated the 2 intersecting forms.
BORG appeared to the left of the center, while WARNER occupied the right. The surnames sat between the long ribbon sections and became part of the unified horizontal composition. The intersection separated the 2 parts of the name and replaced the former hyphen within the logo. The legal name Borg-Warner retained the hyphen.
The name appeared in uppercase sans-serif letters. Tall, narrow characters had heavy vertical strokes and compact counters. The wordmark resembled Impact and heavier versions of Helvetica. The narrow proportions allowed the long name to fit within the extended form without making the logo excessively wide.
Red and black formed the primary color version. The black band supported the heavy wordmark, while red served as the main center color. The logo represented a corporation with numerous divisions producing automotive components, industrial equipment, and products for other industries. The interwoven ribbons and family name united the group’s businesses under the Borg-Warner brand.
1986 – 2023
Borg-Warner introduced a logo in 1986 that remained in use until 2023. During the period, the former Borg-Warner Corporation was divided, and its automotive operation became a separate public company. Despite changes in the legal structure, the dark blue “X” emblem and BorgWarner name continued to represent the group through different stages of its history.
Information about the project’s creators appears in the Yale University Library. The Kenneth D. Love Papers include a BorgWarner manual identifying the agency Anspach Grossman Portugal. Kenneth Love served as the project’s creative director. The archived materials connect the corporate system with the agency and list members of the design team.
The company filed an application to register the combined BORGWARNER mark on February 12, 1986. The documents described the image as a stylized letter “X.” The new version replaced the red-and-black interwoven emblem introduced in 1964 and adopted a uniform dark blue color.
A compact angular emblem made from 2 intersecting diagonal sections appeared on the left. The left section descended and consisted of 3 parallel curved bands. The right section rose and formed one broad solid ribbon with pointed ends. Their intersection created an overall “X” shape.
Two triangular areas appeared at the center. The left section had a solid dark blue fill, while the right consisted of 3 parallel lines. White gaps separated the bands and showed different directions within the compact figure. The combination of solid and linear sections distinguished the diagonals while joining them into one form.
The BorgWarner name appeared on the right as one word. Uppercase “B” and “W” letters marked the boundary between the historical Borg and Warner sections, while the remaining characters were lowercase. The 2 surnames became one commercial name, with capitalization preserving their origin.
The wordmark used Futura Extra Bold. Broad letters had heavy strokes and tight spacing. Geometric contours met smooth lines in the rounded characters. The name and emblem used the same dark blue, uniting them within a horizontal block.
The new brand appeared before a major corporate restructuring. A 1987 buyout divided the former Borg-Warner Corporation. Borg-Warner Automotive separated from Borg-Warner Security Corporation in 1993 and went public as an independent company. The BorgWarner spelling and “X” emblem survived the restructuring. They remained in use in full and compact versions until the 2023 redesign.
2023 – today
BorgWarner introduced its first major redesign in 3 decades on June 6, 2023. Siegel+Gale developed the project. The update accompanied the company’s shift from traditional powertrain systems toward vehicle electrification and eMobility. It became part of the Charging Forward program announced in 2021.
By the end of 2022, BorgWarner was preparing to separate Fuel Systems and Aftermarket into a company called PHINIA. Siegel+Gale joined the next stage of the project during the corporate restructuring. Following the separation, BorgWarner’s main business areas became e-Propulsion & Drivetrain and Air Management. President and CEO Frédéric Lissalde connected the new identity with progress in transforming the company’s product portfolio.
The square emblem containing a stylized “X,” used since 1986, gave way to a typographic composition. The logo was reduced to the BORGWARNER name arranged in one line. The 2 historical surnames appeared together without a space or hyphen. The separate figure on the left was removed, shifting the visual role to the letterforms and their spacing.
The name used thin uppercase sans-serif letters. The characters had equal height, consistent stroke thickness, and controlled spacing. Their geometric contours and elongated proportions resembled Eurostile, Bank Gothic, and modified versions of Agency FB. Published materials did not identify the exact typeface.
The “WA” combination appears in the middle of the name. Its diagonal strokes make both letters appear slanted even though their axes remain upright. The other characters sit evenly along the baseline. The treatment shifts the former “X” into the full name and creates a visual accent between BORG and WARNER.
Siegel+Gale built the wordmark around a continuous line resembling an electrical current. Jason Miller, the agency’s executive creative director, associated its contours with speed and electric mobility. The diagonals of the “W” and “A” reinforced the theme of electrified transportation.
The logo uses a dark blue-black color with a graphite-indigo undertone. It retains a connection with the blue range of the previous BorgWarner identity while accompanying the transition from heavy lettering to thin characters. The single-color treatment works across corporate materials, digital services, trade show environments, and product markings.
BorgWarner used the updated identity at the IAA Mobility exhibition in Munich. Under the new logo, the company presented electric vehicle products and charging infrastructure to an international audience of industry professionals. The presentation followed the separation of PHINIA and reflected the development of electric propulsion, drivetrain, and air management operations.
