Durant Motors Logo PNG
Durant Motors: Brand overview
In 1921, Durant Motors Inc. was born in Lansing, Michigan, the brainchild of William C. Durant. The venture was Durant’s ambitious rebirth after his departure from General Motors in 1910. His intent was clear: he sought to create a new automobile giant that could compete with General Motors.
During its formative years in the early 1920s, Durant Motors brought many brands to market. Flint, Star, Rugby, and Mason Truck are some of the famous brands that came under the company’s banner. These brands mainly targeted the middle segment, emphasizing mass production.
By 1924, the company expanded its horizons by acquiring Frontenac Motor Corporation. This move brought Durant Motors into the luxury car segment, expanding its offerings beyond the middle market. Three years later, in 1927, Durant Motors reached its zenith, producing more than 35,000 cars under various brands. This achievement placed the company among the leading automakers in the United States.
However, the late 1920s brought unforeseen difficulties. The Great Depression of 1929 dealt a serious blow to the automobile market. Sales plummeted, forcing Durant Motors to bid farewell to its underperforming brands. The company’s decline continued, and by 1931, the economic difficulties proved insurmountable. Durant Motors was threatened with bankruptcy, which led to the sale of its assets to pay off debts. Durant Motors ceased to exist after an impressive but short-lived run of more than a decade.
William Durant subsequently re-entered the automobile industry by founding Durant Motors of Delaware. By the 1930s, however, he had decided to distance himself from the automotive world, marking his retirement.
Meaning and History
1921 – 1931
The main symbol of Durant Motors is the dragon, an exotic creature with four bird-like legs, large webbed wings, a long tail, and an extended tongue. The designers depicted it in heraldic style and placed it on a black background in the upper part of the shield. The first word of the company name is written in italics in a parallelogram slanted diagonally. The remaining space is divided into four segments: two white and two red.
The heraldic style of the dragon serves as an indication of tradition and prestige, giving the brand an element of grandeur. The black background at the top of the shield signifies strength or sophistication. The combination of white and red segments symbolizes purity and passion, respectively, characteristics that Durant Motors strives to embody. The italic font used to type the company’s name lends elegance, while the parallelogram tilted diagonally evokes a sense of movement or dynamism.
