Datsun Logo

Datsun Logo PNG

The Datsun logo is very futuristic. The emblem exudes fluidity, innovative materials, and fantastic possibilities. Owners will be amazed by the technical equipment, speed of movement, and ease of control of the machines.

Meaning and History

The automaker started from scratch in 2012. He had to re-win the trust of customers and draw attention to his products. It is all the more surprising that in 2012 he decided to restore the Datsun brand, for which he launched a whole campaign to “resurrect” it. The owners decided to do without total rebranding. They retained the original name, which was composed of two words: “DAT” (initials of investors) and “sun” (symbol of Japan). By the way, at first, the creatives were going to give the brand a completely different name – Datson. It would indicate that the brand is a subsidiary of DAT. But in Japanese, this spelling caused negative associations, so the penultimate letter was replaced.

After the unexpected return of Datsun, the logo was retained, albeit with a modern look. Over the century, it changed many times, but most often, laconic inscriptions prevailed. They were an integral part of the iconography of cars that made it to export markets. However, the most popular and memorable round sign with a rectangular plaque where the brand name was written.

What is Datsun?

The automotive brand Datsun has experienced two births. It appeared in 1931 when the first subcompact prototype from DAT Automobile Manufacturing was introduced. In 1986, the brand disappeared, giving way to Nissan. The restart took place in 2013: Datsun began to produce inexpensive cars for several countries. In 2020, production in Russia and Indonesia was stopped, but the machines continue to be manufactured in India.

1931 – 1935

The original emblem contained a red circle divided into two equal parts by a blue rectangle with ” DATSUN ” white lettering.” The word was written in bold type with long and sharp serifs. The letters were disproportionately squeezed at the edges.

1935 – 1976

The emblem received a simple font – smooth, even, chopped. The letters got bigger and wider, but the space between them didn’t increase because the designers removed the serifs.

1951 – 1963

Another early symbol looked like a red plaque with rounded corners. Inside was the brand name, highlighted by an elongated white line. The most unusual was the first “D,” which had the shape of a rectangular trapezoid. Moreover, all the letters consisted of strokes of different thicknesses and were slightly flattened—the presented badge adorned cars of the Datsun 320 model.

1963 – 1964

In 1963, a logo appeared with widely spaced letters that were connected by thin horizontal lines. The font became handwritten, with a noticeable slant to the right. The rectangle disappeared, and the red color was replaced by blue. This wordmark could be seen on the Datsun Bluebird 410 radiator grilles.

1964 – 1965

Datsun’s automotive brand used a badge with stylized lettering during this time. If in the previous emblem it was thin and elegant, then in the new one it is thick and geometric. The font was coherent, outlined, and italic. Wide letters made up a single composition. Because the connecting line ran at the bottom, the glyphs were less visible than at the top. The background of the title was a horizontal blue stripe.

1965 -1986

Strict and businesslike – this is how the 1965 Datsun logo can be characterized. It was completely verbal and consisted only of the name. The inscription was made in upper case type with the classical style block letters. They had no notches. “D,” “S,” and “U” had characteristic curves. This design helped improve the text’s readability and provided a quick recognition of the car brand.

1970

In 1970, the automaker brought back the logo in cursive outline lettering. The glyphs in it were connected, as in the 1964-1965 version, but only looked more distinct and understandable. The fact is that the line that passed below could have been more perfectly even: it consisted of segments that formed letters. There was another change: the “n” had a miniature indentation at the top.

1970 – 1972

In 1970, the inscription was placed inside a gray oval with a red and black ring in the middle. The gradient gave the elliptical shape a three-dimensional effect. The letters also seemed three-dimensional because they were outlined with thin dark lines contrasted with the base white. Moreover, large rectangular serifs made the brand name noticeable against the background of other elements. This logo was first used for the Datsun Cherry 100A E10.

1972

After a complex form, the logo again moved to a simple one. The “Datsun” inscription has been modernized by increasing the inter-character space and, accordingly, reducing the glyphs. Their height was limited by a narrow and long rectangle placed horizontally. The only thing the designers have kept is the gray outline on the white letters. On a black background, they looked distinct and expressive.

1972 – 1976

In 1972, another version of the word mark appeared: a simple black inscription on a white background. The most prominent detail was the very long and sharp serifs on the edges of the letters. A similar symbol adorned the Datsun 240K C110 cars, but it was missing some elements.

1976 – 1986

The Datsun corporate logo was developed in 1976. It was based on the original design and contained the same elements as the first emblem: two red semicircles, a blue rectangle, and white lettering. The font changed because the developers preferred the sans-serif version, with bold lines of the same thickness. Due to the small spacing, the letters practically crawled over each other. Due to its characteristic structure, Americans have nicknamed this symbol “hamburger.” In the 1980s, it was used on cars and the Nissan emblem, and then it was abandoned. The Datsun brand remained a marketing tool for selling products until the mid-1980s when the parent company began unifying its names. In 1986 he was forgotten for a long time.

2012 – 2022

In 2010, the owners decided to restore the historic trademark. The preparatory phase took three years, and already in 2012, Datsun machines returned to the markets of some countries. They needed a little image change to show their commitment to progress. Therefore, the logo was changed, although it retained some of the classic elements.

In the center of the blue plaque is the word “DATSUN.” The inscription has a linear white-to-gray gradient; the letters are highlighted in black outlines on the right side. The rounded rectangle is embedded in the same blue ellipse. In addition to color, they are united by a radial gradient, making it appear that an invisible light source is located in the left corner. The outer part of the logo is a silver oval bezel with a cut top and bottom.

Font and Colors

The circle in the middle represents the rising sun – the main symbol of Japan. It demonstrates that the company is committed to development and modernity. The circle also illustrates to some extent the name Datsun. The dividing rectangle represents the power of energy – what helps the brand move forward.

Following an established tradition, the designers used a sans-serif font for the logo. The official colors of the car brand used to be red, blue, and white – the same as on the US flag. After the revival, the emblem became silver-blue, as America ceased to be the main market for Datsun.

Datsun color codes