Chevrolet Logo PNG
The brand name promises the user long journeys on different roads. The Chevrolet logo symbolizes the car’s versatility: from street roads to tracks to races, it can do it all. The sign also hints at the availability of auto repair parts.
Chevrolet: Brand overview
William C. Durant founded General Motors in 1908, building it around Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and other brands. After an aggressive acquisition spree, he was forced out of GM in 1910. Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss-born racer known for driving a Buick in Durant’s promotional races, became the public face of Durant’s comeback plan.
Chevrolet Motor Car Company was founded on November 3, 1911. Its first model, the Series C Classic Six, appeared at the 1913 New York Auto Show with a six-cylinder engine, left-hand drive, and electric lights. Louis Chevrolet wanted expensive performance cars, while Durant wanted a mass-market rival to the Ford Model T. In 1914, Louis sold his stake and left the company.
Durant shifted Chevrolet toward lower-priced cars such as the Royal Mail roadster and Baby Grand. Sales reached 70,000 cars in 1916 and 125,000 in 1917. Using Chevrolet’s success, Durant bought shares in GM. On May 2, 1918, Chevrolet joined General Motors, returning Durant to GM leadership. Under Alfred Sloan, Chevrolet became GM’s main weapon against Ford. In 1929, it outsold Ford in the US, selling more than 1 million cars.
During World War II, Chevrolet built military trucks and aircraft engines. In 1953 came the Corvette, followed by the small-block V8 in 1955 and the Bel Air’s peak in 1957. In 1966, Chevrolet launched the Camaro as a direct answer to the Ford Mustang. In 2009, the brand went through GM’s bankruptcy and restructuring.
Meaning and History
The history of the creation of the famous logo is shrouded in many legends and stories. The Chevrolet Story says that Durant, while traveling in Paris, saw a drawing of infinity on hotel wallpaper. Inspired by this idea, he created a world-famous logo. Durant’s daughter said in her book that her father drew the logo during their dinner together, “somewhere between a soup and fried chicken.” The founder’s wife states that Durant was inspired by a newspaper ad for the Coalettes during their vacation. Another version says that the emblem is a tribute to Louis Chevrolet, who was born in Switzerland. The symbol of the rider’s homeland, the cross on the flag, visually intertwines with the company logo. The most interesting thing is that it is still unknown what the logo means and which of the origin stories is real.
What is Chevrolet?
Chevrolet is a car manufacturer known for its innovative technologies and high-quality standards. The company was founded in 1911 and was named after its founders, brothers Louis and Arthur Chevrolet. Today, it is a division of General Motors and produces various car models, including sports cars, pickups, SUVs, crossovers, and sedans. Recently, the company has started developing electric vehicles.
1911 – 1913
The Chevrolet brand logo has gone through many changes. The company’s first emblem has nothing to do with the famous cross or, as it is also called, a bow tie. The first logo was created by the brand’s founder, William Durant. He wrote the company’s name himself, underlining it with a line. The emblem is in bold black type. It was used for the first car in the C series, the Classic Six, built with Louis Chevrolet.
1913 – 1914
In the mid-1910s, Chevrolet used a logo with a cross consisting of a rectangle and a parallelogram. It had a white frame that seemed voluminous because of the many distinct lines drawn. Inside, the brand name was written in white letters, set in a bold font with long serifs.
1914 – 1934
1914 – the beginning of the history of the bow tie. The logo is associated with a cross, plus, or even an infinity sign. The main color of the emblem is light blue. The company name is in white and bold. The text is positioned horizontally in the middle of the cross. Above and below, the brand name is underlined with white lines. The bow tie, text, and lines are framed with a gold outline that adds a bulging and three-dimensional effect. Also, inside the cross, you can see the inner border of the solid white line. The logo was created to honor the Chevrolet brand’s release: the H and L series models. The emblem has not changed for 20 years and has added sophistication and uniqueness to the brand.
1934 – 1940
The year 1934 came, and Chevrolet decided to radically change the style. The light blue hue disappears, and black comes in its place. The text widens, but the color remains white. The company also kept the white lines and inner trim, but now without the gold trim. The bulge effect was created using additional outer lines. The font became more modern, and this design was perfect for printing in black-and-white newspapers. The logo is associated with courage and determination.
1940 – 1950
After six years of using the monochrome logo, the creators returned to the color version. The logo color, blue, has become more saturated. The font remains the same as on the previous emblem. The inner white border disappears, but the gold border returns, though only from the outside. The logo loses its volume and is displayed in 2D format. The logo was brighter to attract a younger audience.
1943 – 1945
Along with the striking logo, Chevrolet used another emblem that was radically different from the previous one. The brand removed the famous cross and left only the company name. The font changed completely, just as the color went black, and there were serifs on the edges of each letter that betrayed sophistication. Big V stood out from the rest.
1950 – 1964
Chevrolet decided to change the main colors of the logo, replacing blue with a rich red. But the beloved cross returned, now white. The text is bold again, with serifs and an additional detail: red italics. The emblem’s background is an oval with a gray “highlight” that resembles a shadow, which adds volume to the figure. The redesign of the logo most likely symbolized the company’s rapid growth and high level of productivity.
1964 – 1976
In the 1960s, a new style emerged in the United States: minimalism. Modern trends at that time also influenced the company’s logo. Chevrolet removed the bright colors, leaving only a white cross and black italic text. The font has become bolder and more modern, and the spacing between letters has decreased. A thin black line frames the logo. The emblem has lost its bulk.
1976 – 1988
Chevrolet produced 2.8 million Chevettes between 1976 and 1988, and the model became the best-selling car in 1979-1980. Along with unprecedented success, the company changed its logo again, returning to a blue gradient color. The text has changed completely: from the font to the size of the letters. A white line and a gray shadow appeared, which added volume to the figure.
1988 – 2002
A minimum of details and more color, this is how the logo of a company of that period can be described. Since 1988, the company’s name has been moved beyond the bow tie, and the brand has never returned to the previous versions. The cross is white with a deep blue border, and the text is reddish. The company’s name is larger than the famous bow tie.
1994 – 2001
During this period, the company produced a new generation of Chevrolet Lumina. This also influenced the brand’s logo. The emblem has become brighter and more chrome. The company name was added: “Genuine Chevrolet.” The color of the cross consisted of blue, black, and white strokes. The framing added volume and shine.
2001 – 2002
The logo that was used for only one year was different from all the previous ones. There was no company name on the emblem, only the famous cross. The logo’s framing was filled with red, with overflow, which added volume. The emblem looks modern and fresh.
2002 – 2010
Since 2002, the history of the most recognizable golden butterfly has begun. The emblem symbolized the company’s strength and power and emphasized its honorary status. The logo is bright, golden in color, with a matte finish and no company name. The frame of the emblem is gray chrome, which emphasizes the badge’s volume.
2010 – 2013
In 2011, the company celebrated its 100th anniversary, and the logo perfectly reflects all the brand’s greatness. The concept remains the same as in previous years, but some details have changed. The company name is back, and the bezels are a bit wider. Black text and bold font were used; all letters are spelled out separately. A small checkered pattern can be seen inside the cross against a gold background.
2013 – today
The modern logo is still gold with a silver border, with no additional patterns inside the cross. If you look closely, you will notice that the emblem appears to be tilted. The cross is divided into two parts: a brighter, glossy part and a less saturated matte part. A new gray font is used for the company name. Some letters are a continuation of each other. It is this logo that the company still uses today.
Font and Colors
The bow tie logo is undoubtedly part of the great history of automotive production. The modern emblem is a kind of tribute to William Durant. Playing with textures and colors demonstrates the company’s openness to experimentation and new ideas. The company’s logo emphasizes its greatness, ideology, and confidence.
The logo’s colors are gold and silver. It is complemented by matte and glossy textures, adding style and features. The text has taken on a dark gray, graphite color.
The font used to write the company’s name is quite unusual and sets Chevrolet apart from other brands. The text is in bold; all letters are capitalized. Some of them, in particular E, smoothly transition into V and T. The distance between the letters is small, as in the previous company logo.