Ducati Logo PNG
The Ducati emblem promises protection and safety on the road. The company’s motorcycles are durable and reliable. The emblem combines speed and shiny metal, risk and confidence, passion and love. For lovers of fast riding, the brand’s products are the best choice.
In 1924, Bologna physics student Adriano Cavalieri Ducati built a shortwave transmitter, enabling communication between Italy and the United States. On July 4, 1926, Antonio Cavalieri Ducati and his sons Adriano, Bruno, and Marcello founded Società Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati.
The company began in the basement of Villa Lydia, where it completed its first foreign order: 3,000 capacitors for a major radio store in Argentina. By the mid-1930s, Ducati had a 12-hectare factory in Borgo Panigale, producing radio parts, capacitors, electric razors, cameras, and electronics. During World War II, Ducati made BIMAR naval binoculars for the German navy. On October 12, 1944, U.S. B-24 bombers almost destroyed the Borgo Panigale plant during Operation Pancake.
After the war, Ducati moved toward motorized transport. In 1946, it began producing SIATA’s small bicycle engine, the Cucciolo, designed by Aldo Farinelli. In 1949, Ducati launched its first complete motorcycle, the Ducati 60, with a 48 cc engine and a three-speed gearbox. In 1950, Cucciolo sales passed 200,000 units. In 1956, Fabio Taglioni introduced desmodromic valve control on the 125 Desmo, giving Ducati a technical identity that later separated it from Honda and other Japanese rivals.
The 1971 Ducati 750 GT brought the L-twin engine layout. In 1985, Cagiva bought Ducati, followed by the 851 in 1987 and the 916 in 1994. Texas Pacific Group took control in the late 1990s. In 2007, Casey Stoner won Ducati’s first MotoGP title on the Desmosedici. On July 19, 2012, Audi AG, part of the Volkswagen Group, acquired Ducati from Lamborghini Automobili for 747 million euros. In 2023, Ducati shipped a record 58,224 motorcycles worldwide.
Meaning and History
The legendary Ducati motorcycles have their own distinctive design, with the logo taking center stage. It adorns the tank and bears the manufacturer’s name, reflecting its history across different eras. The brand names have changed frequently, and some were created when the organization did not produce motorcycles. The current emblem is an abstract figure with an inscription. It symbolizes speed and movement on the track.
What is Ducati?
Ducati is a group of companies within the Volkswagen Group. It includes Ducati Motor Holding, a division that produces high-tech motorcycles. It produces various models of two-wheeled transport: touring, sports, and off-road cruisers. These motorcycles are designed for both international competitions and everyday use. They can be seen in prestigious championships such as World Superbike and MotoGP.
1926 – 1935
In 1926, the Societá Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati was founded, and a year later, three brothers headed it. It specialized in producing radio parts and used a logo featuring two intersecting “S” letters. They were inside a white circle with a thin black border, rising above a lightning bolt, the symbol of electricity. The company name was written above the lightning bolt, and in the last word, the letter “V” was used instead of the letter “U,” a characteristic of the fascist era.
1935 – 1949
The manufacturer expanded its product range to include various radio devices and relocated to a new headquarters. This prompted him to change the emblem in the early 1930s. It kept the circle but placed the italicized handwritten letters “SSR” (in the background) and the word “DUCATI” (in the front) within a rectangle. In addition, a completely different logo was used on the products as the design was not regulated.
1949 – 1967
In 1949, the company started mass production of motorcycles (the first Cucciolo was created in 1946). At this point, it needed a new symbol for the fuel tanks. The circle with the inscription “SSR” seemed too small to the executives, and they decided to emphasize the brand name. The word “DUCATI” was written in white serif capitals, each letter triple-lettered in black, white, and gray.
1958 – 1959
In 1956, the company split into two parts: one focused on electronics and the other on motorcycles. After that, a modernized badge appeared on motorcycles: a circle formed by a green laurel wreath (left) and a red-and-white letter “D” (right). The letter “D” became the unit’s official symbol. In the foreground were wings with the text “DUCATI MECCANICA BOLOGNA.” The first two words stood for the company’s name, and the third for its location.
1959 – 1967
In the 1960s, the “winged” theme was continued. The new brand symbol was an eagle holding a flag bearing the inscription “MOTO DUCATI.” This bird embodied freedom and was a favorite mascot of many Italian manufacturers.
1967 – 1977
Influenced by the youth movement, the company adopted an emblem featuring a black wing with the word “Ducati” handwritten on it. This emblem adorned the tanks of the iconic Scrambler motorcycles, and it was screwed on rather than glued on.
1977 – 1985
In the mid-1970s, the manufacturer entrusted the creation of the logo to Giorgetto Giugiaro. In 1977, the designer’s idea was finalized, and the final version appeared: the inscription “DUCATI” with open symmetrical letters.
1985 – 1997
When Cagiva acquired the Ducati brand, it decided to adapt its logo to its own standards. Thus, an elephant was depicted above the word mark. The italicized bold serifs were in keeping with Cagiva’s style.
1997 – 2009
Another redesign followed the conglomerate TPG’s acquisition of Ducati. Massimo Vignelli designed the emblem with a red italic sans-serif font and a stylized “D” shaped like a circle.
2009 – today
In 2008, the brand was absorbed by Audi. A year later, it received a new logo created by the marketing agency Landor of Milano. The designers kept the font and placed the word “DUCATI” on a red triangular shield with rounded corners and a long white transverse stripe.
The former symbol stood for the letter “D,” and its characteristic round shape was compared to a coffee bean called a “chicco di caffé.” The current emblem represents a love of sport and high speed, with the white stripe symbolizing a winding road.
Font and Colors
The font used in the emblem is called Univers Black Italic. Massimo Vignelli suggested it after TPG became the owner of the motorcycle company. The typeface’s designer is Adrian Frutiger. The typographer stuck to classic Swiss standards to make the design as uniform as possible.
On the other hand, the color red embodies the passion associated with high-speed sports. It also symbolizes victory, thus confirming the top quality of Ducati motorcycles. For contrast, the lettering and lines are in white.