Firestone Logo PNG
The Firestone logo has not changed throughout the company’s history. And if any changes were made, they were minor: the brand continued to use a wordmark in an intricate Gothic typeface. A similar symbol appeared over 120 years ago in newspaper advertisements and on tires.
Harvey Samuel Firestone was born in 1868 in Columbiana, Ohio. After working in horse-and-wagon sales, he entered the rubber-wheel business as automobiles began replacing wooden rims. In 1897, he opened a rubber-wheel company in Chicago, sold it two years later for about $42,000, and used the proceeds for his next venture.
On August 3, 1900, Firestone founded Firestone Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, with 12 employees. The company first made solid rubber seats for fire engines, wagons, and light carriages. Its first factory opened in 1902, and in 1903, Firestone began making its own tires, including an early mechanically fastened straight-side pneumatic automobile tire. By 1906, sales had passed $1 million.
In 1906, Firestone reached an agreement with his friend Henry Ford and became the exclusive tire supplier for Ford Motor Company. The first order covered 2,000 sets, which was the largest single order in the auto industry. Akron became a tire center, with Firestone competing against Goodyear. On May 30, 1911, Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 on Firestone tires, and every Indy 500 winner from 1920 to 1966 used the brand.
In 1926, Firestone secured a 99-year lease in Liberia, creating a major natural rubber source. During World War II and the Korean War, the company produced military materials and the MGM-5 Corporal missile. The 1970s brought the Firestone 500 crisis, with more than 7 million tires recalled on October 20, 1978, and a $500,000 fine from the NHTSA in May 1980. In 1988, Bridgestone bought Firestone for $2.6 billion.
Meaning and History
The Firestone emblem has not changed much in more than 120 years, although it has acquired recognizable features. There were several modifications featured in newspaper and magazine advertisements, as well as on signs and branded products. The current version of the logo appeared relatively recently, in 2013. It is known to be wider than all previous versions.
The red inscription contains the word “FIRESTONE” in uppercase. If earlier the letters were located very closely and even touched in some places, now the intervals between them are quite wide. This improves the inscription’s readability and makes the brand name legible. Each glyph looks like a blazing flame, not just because of the color. The designers gave the letters a recognizable shape with smooth curves, sharp ends, asymmetrical cuts, and clear edges. In addition, Firestone has a graphic symbol with an “F” inside a triangular heraldic shield. This symbol has existed since the company’s founding.
What is Firestone?
Firestone is short for Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. This is a well-known tire manufacturer from the USA that entered the market in 1900 and, 88 years later, was bought out by the Japanese corporation Bridgestone. Its main office is in Nashville, even though it was originally in Akron. Firestone’s most famous advertising jingle is “Where the Rubber Meets the Road.”
The fiery letters reflect the essence of the word “Firestone,” which is both the company’s name and its founder’s surname. The flame symbolizes speed because car tires heat up when driving fast. And this design is very memorable and recognizable.
Font and Colors
The logo’s font early on was very similar to Bradley Extended, based on old manuscripts published by “profonts.” Over time, it has changed and acquired new features, though the style has generally been preserved. In the Firestone wordmark, the following letters differ most from Bradley: “s,” “i,” “r,” and “n.” But it is still one of the varieties of Gothic writing. The designers chose this typeface for its “fierceness” and, for the same reason, used bright red for the lettering.