Citroen Logo PNG
Only forward, up, and at high speed: this is the company logo’s main message. The “Citroen” logo conveys expression, energy, and a drive for leadership. The symbols also speak of a bright, unforgettable car design that attracts attention on the road.
Meaning and History
It is a revolutionary company in mechanical engineering. She made several discoveries that have taken the industry to new heights. In addition to front-wheel drive, bearing structure, and autonomous suspension, she proposed a self-leveling system in 1954, disc brakes ten years later, and, in 1967, turning headlights for driving on winding roads. The manufacturer incorporated these innovations into his vehicles and subsequently won national and international awards. In addition, its products have been named European Car of the Year.
The company achieved its resounding success through the difficult years of war. Andre Citroën built a factory during the First World War, and after the war, he realized he had a modern enterprise without products. Then he decided to reorient it toward manufacturing civilian vehicles, since he had previously produced only military equipment. In particular, the owner decided to focus on the passenger car segment.
To do this, in 1917, he turned to engineer Jules Salomon for help. The French industrialist challenged him to design the latest 10-horsepower model with excellent equipment, superior durability, and a lower price than other cars. The result was Type A in 1919, and with it, Citroën. Its logo graced the first series of cars launched that year.
The identity features a gear with double chevrons. The company’s 22-year-old founder came up with the idea after visiting a factory in the Polish city of Lodz. He bought a patent for this technology because a helical gear generates more axial force and, when combined with another gear, greatly increases traction. Until then, the French company used a bevel gear mechanism on the rear axle. As a result, the new technology became decisive in passenger-car production and was important for manufacturing.
In 2020, FCA and PSA announced their merger to form Stellantis, which Citroën and other brands will join in 2021. Naturally, a change in identity is expected as well.
What is Citroën?
Citroën is a French brand of the Dutch company Stellantis N.V., and it has existed since 1919. It produces a wide range of vehicles available in almost all countries except the USA, North Korea, Mexico, and Canada. In its early years, André-Gustave Citroën owned the brand and used the Eiffel Tower as a billboard.
1919 – 1922
The debut emblem featured a herringbone pattern that repeated the locations of the notches on the helical gears. The author chose two paired fragments for the logo since one would be unclear. He placed the zigzag lines in a vertical oval and connected them on the sides. All stripes were blue and double-edged – from the outside and the inside.
1922 – 1932
At the time, graphic design focused on improving the emblem by adding another geometric shape. There was no text. To represent the car brand’s authenticity, the developers placed an oval with herringbone strokes within an octagon. It was dyed dark blue, close to cobalt, and all other elements were yellow-lemon.
1932 – 1935
In parallel, another company designation was used at this time, conceptually different from the main one. It showed a swan swimming left beneath two birds, shaped like double-peaked mountains. The bird was on improvised water, where waves of “moteurflottant” and “Citroen” were visible. She symbolized the fast-moving engines and nose shape of some signature models. The swan had no roundings, consisting entirely of short lines and corners. Its head and neck resembled the upper fragment of an octahedron. This variant featured more varied colors, including white, black, blue, gold, and light blue.
1935 – 1959
After this transformation, the octagon widened and gained a thin yellow stripe along the edge. The blue shifted to a lighter palette, and the yellow remained. In addition, under the chevrons was the inscription “Citroen.” It was made in uppercase, except for the letter “i,” which remained lowercase. This period is considered legendary since the text first appeared in the logo.
1959 – 1966
The manufacturer improved the chevron design, so the herringbone pattern now has pointed ends. It also had “edges” that made the logo bulge. The three-dimensional effect also appeared because the same stripes used both light and dark sides. All elements were placed in a horizontal white oval.
1966 – 1985
The designers enclosed a white oval with yellow chevrons within a blue-and-white square. The upper part was painted cobalt, and the lower part was painted milk. The existing sign had the “Citroen” inscription executed in capital letters. A yellow edging strip ran along the geometric shape.
1985 – 2009
The radical redesign created a new identity. The developers removed all previous colors and elements, leaving only the herringbone chevrons and the automobile brand name. Instead, a miniature red square and large black lettering in a sans serif typeface made up the logo.
2009 – 2016
The brand removed the background to modernize the logo and made the triangular serifs “metallic.” To do this, she used the corresponding colors from the metallic spectrum, silver and gray, adding black to them. As a result, the logo looked 3D. This effect was achieved through the right combination of shadows and highlights. At the bottom was the company name in an updated red font. Landor Associates created this version.
2016 – 2019
The current logo has no 3D effect, so the sign looks flat. This is necessary for better branding across print and all media. A small shadow from the “cold metal” appears in the upper-left part of both chevrons. The designers replaced the red letters with gray ones.
2019 – 2022
For its centennial anniversary, “Citroen” has given the logo a small cosmetic update. The changes affected only the color scheme: the light shade of gray was replaced with a darker one to make the lettering and icon more expressive. At the same time, the shape of the two “boomerangs” and the letter style remained the same.
2022 – today
In September 2022, the French automaker Citroën introduced a redesigned emblem. This redesign rethinks the original logo created in 1919. The new version, like the old one, contains two curved stripes in a vertical oval. This time, it uses highly visible black for the main elements. Another difference is the wider stripes, which convey reliability and stability.
Since minimalism never went out of fashion, the current symbol, like several previous ones, lacks three-dimensionality. This makes the logo easy to use in digital environments, especially on mobile screens. However, the inscription at the bottom of the logo has changed markedly. The letters have become more futuristic and have lost their thickened lines. The two dots above the “Ë” no longer resemble an infinity symbol; the diacritic now resembles a dotted line.
Font and Colors
Andre Citroën personally proposed the logo’s idea. The key element is two paired stripes, each connected by a herringbone. These are serifs from gears with helical edges, which improved the proprietary engines.
Until 2022, the automotive brand used a custom-designed typeface based on Gotham, created by Tobias Frere-Jones. The designers only corrected the letters to add originality.
The official palette comprises several shades of blue, yellow, white, graphite, silver, and red.
From 2022, the “Citroen” logo will use a new custom font. The typeface is partially similar to Uniwars SemiBold by Typodermic Fonts Inc., but notable differences exist. For example, in the car company’s name, the letter “R” is not solid; it has an open space between the letters. In this version, the wordmark and the emblem are completely black: an oval with two curved stripes. By removing the chrome-gray tint, the designers made the symbol clearer and easier to read.
FAQ
Why does Citroën have two logos?
The brand uses two logos to market different types of cars. The traditional double chevron logo reflects its long history and emphasizes comfort and reliability. The chevrons represent gear teeth, referencing founder Andre Citroën’s early gear manufacturing business. This logo symbolizes Citroën’s classic cars, which provide a unique driving experience.
The DS logo, introduced in 2009 and established as its brand in 2014, signifies luxury and high performance. DS Automobiles was created for people who desire modern, high-class cars. It targets customers who want luxury and are interested in the latest designs and technologies.
Who makes Citroën?
André Citroën founded the brand on June 4, 1919. It started as an independent company but has changed hands several times.
In 1976, the brand joined the Peugeot family after Peugeot bought a majority stake, forming the PSA Group. This change helped stabilize the brand, which was struggling financially at the time. As part of the PSA Group, the company continued to create a unique range of cars known for their French styling and innovative features.
In 2021, Citroën changed hands again when the PSA Group merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to form Stellantis, a new global car manufacturer. This merger brought several major automobile brands together. The brand is now part of Stellantis and continues to offer unique vehicles worldwide.
What does the Citroën symbol mean?
The company’s V-shaped chevron logo is deeply connected to the brand’s history. These chevrons are inspired by gear teeth, specifically the chevron wheel. This design harkens back to the brand’s founder, André-Gustave Citroën, and his original business, which produced gears of this unique shape.
When André-Gustave founded his automobile company in 1919, he chose a chevron gear design for the logo. This symbol pays tribute to the brand’s roots in engineering innovation and highlights its commitment to excellence and reliability in automobile manufacturing.
Did Citroën change its logo?
Citroën has updated its logo several times; the last change occurred in 2016. With this update, the design became simpler and more modern. The brand removed the silver gradient from the previous logo and opted for a flat, two-dimensional look. The text next to the logo turned gray. This change reflects a broader trend among companies to simplify logos to make them clearer and more recognizable, especially on digital platforms.