Budget Rent a Car Logo PNG
The Budget Rent a Car logo is high-design, with large-scale marketing. Such an advantageous association offers many benefits for the car rental brand. The first is that the logo advertises the company’s services, and the second is that it makes it instantly memorable. The color palette conveys reliability and convenience, and the font signals the service’s wide availability.
Budget Rent-A-Car began on June 15, 1958, when Morris “Morrie” Mirkin opened a small rental office on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. He started with $10,000 borrowed from his mother-in-law and about 15 used cars. Rentals cost $4 a day plus four cents per mile, roughly half the price charged by airport-based rivals Hertz and Avis. The name Budget came from a dictionary and matched the low-price model Mirkin wanted to sell.
In 1959, Jules Lederer joined the business. A distant relative of Mirkin and husband of columnist Ann Landers, he helped turn the idea into a scalable company. In 1960, Budget Rent-A-Car Corporation was registered in Chicago, which became the new headquarters. Lederer traveled across the country recruiting franchisees, making franchising a key part of Budget’s growth.
The chain expanded fast, aimed mainly at tourists and family travelers. By January 1968, Budget had more than 500 locations and over 15,000 cars across the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and parts of Europe, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, and Belgium. Annual revenue reached about $100 million. That year, Transamerica Corporation acquired “Budget” and invested capital to further its expansion.
In 1986, Gibbons, Green, van Amerongen, and the company’s management bought Budget from Transamerica in a leveraged buyout. “Budget” went public in 1987. In 1997, Team Rental acquired it and renamed the holding Budget Group, but heavy expansion led to bankruptcy in 2002. Cendant bought the assets for $107.5 million, bringing Budget and longtime rival Avis under one owner. In 2006, Cendant split its businesses, and Avis Budget Group became a public company on the New York Stock Exchange.
Meaning and History
During the organization’s existence, eight logo designs were created. The first four versions were almost identical, and it wasn’t until 1970 that a major redesign of the main elements was adopted. Today, the logo features only the word “Budget,” so first-time renters may not understand that this company is the best option.
What is Budget Rent a Car?
It is a company that allows anyone to rent a car in all major U.S. cities. The company has branches in every state and serves tens of thousands of customers every day.
1960 – 1964
The original logo was presented to the public in black and white. It was an oval containing a large amount of information associated with Budget Rent a Car. For example, the top block contained information about the price per mile driven or an hour rented. Just below that was the slogan of the organization, namely: “SERVING YOU COAST TO COAST.” The letters were small but readable. Next, in three lines, was the company name “BUDGET RENT-A-CAR SYSTEM.” And the word “Budget” was much larger. It was a classic sans-serif bold typeface in all caps. To the left of the main elements was an image of a cent. Interestingly, either white or a grid was used as the background, which visually resembled cloth.
1964 – 1966
The first update occurred four years later. The logo became more modern and attractive, and some elements that made the Budget Rent-A-Car emblem hard to read were removed. It was now an oval with a black outline inside, depicted on an orange-and-white grid. The left side of the inner oval contained one element: the inscription “5/5”. This likely refers to the pricing policy. Again, the company name was written on the right in three lines. The font remained identical.
1966 – 1968
At this stage, the logo was further simplified. It was about the fact that there was only one text block, namely the company’s name. Again, the font did not change, but the letters became larger due to the extra space.
1968 – 1970
Again, the logo was divided into two sections. The right part remained unchanged, displaying the company name. On the left side was a black image of a steering wheel. It was large enough and stood out in the background. Interestingly, the lower-right corner of the steering wheel was divided by a diagonal line that separated the two sections.
1970 – 1975
For the first time, the company abandoned the oval shape. Also, the only element was the verbal lettering, which was also shortened to “Budget Rent a Car.” Thanks to removing the word “System,” it was on two lines. The font style was also changed to a modern serif typeface. No longer were all letters capitalized, but only the first letters in each word. The lines in the characters became more confident. At the top and bottom of the lettering were two thick horizontal orange lines.
1975 – 1993
This version of the logo lasted almost 18 years. The two orange lines were now at the bottom and visually resembled a road. A new one replaced the wordmark itself. The word “Budget” was written in bold type on the first line. The style of the letters was quite unusual. For example, the vertical line in the “d” was shortened at the bottom. Next, in two lines was “car and truck rental.” They used blue for the name. The font, in turn, was a modern sans serif.
1993 – 2012
The new redesign resulted in a concise logo. Only one word was written at the top: “Budget.” It was superimposed on the road image, which users should associate with vehicle rentals. As a result, the logo looks harmonious and attractive.
2012 – today
The company’s most recent logo redesign repeated the previous version. However, the word “Budget” was no longer superimposed on the road image; it was moved to the right. Moreover, the image became smaller and about the same size as the font. The color in the name has become darker and more elegant. The new version has become as similar as possible to the parent company Avis’s logo.
Font and Colors
The font in the company name looks fresh and harmonious. At each stage, the style of the letters differed. If we talk about the current logo, it stands out for its shortened horizontal line on the left of the letter “t” and a minimalist “u.” It’s a modern, bold typeface with serifs and a nice writing style.
The original orange-white-black color scheme has been replaced by orange-white-blue. Now it looks fresher and friendlier, making potential customers interested in the offer.