Nissan Logo

Nissan Logo PNG

An example of an accurate reflection of the evolution of the brand and the history of its development is the logo of Nissan, a Japanese auto brand founded in 1933. A simple laconic emblem is a tribute to a well-deserved history that reflects the field of activity and national identity.

Meaning and History

The evolution of the brand from Datsun to Nissan can be traced to the change of logos. There are no less than 29, but most often, we are talking about the main options that left a noticeable mark in history.

What is Nissan?

The word Nissan is known primarily as the name of the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. But this line of business of the Nissan Group was a side business for a long time, and insurance and real estate were considered the main occupation. Everything changed in the 1990s when the concern nearly went bankrupt and was forced to make its automotive division an independent company.

1933 – 1940

The debut emblem shows a blue rounded rectangle. In the center is the name of the company, executed in white bold sans serif letters. The uppercase font makes the caption more expressive. In the background is a large red circle. It symbolizes the rising sun as a sign of respect for the Japanese nation.

At first, it was a reference to the word “Datsun,” which consists of two parts: “DAT” (short for investors Den, Aoyama, and Takuchi) and “sun.” Then, in its place, the name “Nissan” harmoniously fell in tune with the hieroglyphs “ni” (“sun”) and “ssan” (“birth”).

1940 – 1950

In the 1940s, the brand has a new logo. It has the shape of a trapezoid with rounded corners and a small protrusion in the upper part. The word Nissan is written in the middle of the geometric figure. The letters seem jagged because “A” is higher than “N,” “I” and “S.” All strokes are rounded at the ends; only two “S” top edges are cut at an angle.

A familiar symbol is depicted above the name of the automobile brand: a circle covered by a horizontal rectangle. This is a reference to the previous logo, which has been used since the early 1930s. Also, designers retained red color and wide white contours with gray shading.

1950 – 1959

In the 1950s, a rectangular red emblem with a white Nissan inscription was approved. The usual light frame remained in place. The font has become angular, which is why the letters “S” are similar to the number “5”.

1959 – 1960

Over time, the red rectangle decreased. Also, rounding at the corners and light contours disappeared.

1960 – 1967

In 1960, designers went on an experiment: removed the background geometric shape and made the word red. To enhance the effect, they chose the original handwritten font.

1967 – 1970

For three years, a logo with the italic inscription was used. Its characteristic differences: brown palette, uneven line thickness, protruding serif at the capital “N.”

1970 – 1978

The rectangular frame is back but in a different color. Designers preferred black as the main one and added a silver outline to it. The inscription “Nissan” is light. The font is completely unlike the one that was before: now, the letters are even unified, with large serifs.

1978 – 1988

The black word “NISSAN” is located inside a silver plate. The rectangle has a dark stripe around its edge and appears convex due to the gradient. The letters are also colored unevenly. The brand name began to use a bold geometric font similar to Murano Sans Regular from FontSite Inc.

1988 – 1989

The designers made the rectangle dark gray and rounded its corners. At the same time, the frame became wide and uneven in color, which enhanced the 3D effect. The letters were repainted in light gray, almost white, and acquired black shadows of different thicknesses. Behind the plate appeared a large silver circle with a dark stroke around the edge.

1989 – 1990

After the simplification of the Nissan logo, only the inscription remained. Now it is black and is on a blank white background.

1990 – 1992

In 1990, a version appeared with a black inscription against a silvery rectangle connected at the top and bottom with two half rings. The black outlines and gradient make the image three-dimensional.

1992 – 1998

This is one of the most minimalistic Nissan logos. It has black contours of a rectangle that merges with the ring and the same black letters. All other space is white.

1998 – 2001

The designers reduced the amount of black, narrowing the contours and removing some of the shadows. As a result, the image became visually cleaner.

2001 – 2012

the logo became three-dimensional. It consists of three elements: a wide ring (in the background), a convex rectangle (in the middle), and the word “Nissan.” The position of the horizontal strip is determined by two golden sections of the diameter of the circle. The geometric elements are gray with a silver gradient. The inscription is completely black.

2012 – 2020

The new version of the logo differs from the previous color scheme. It has more light grays, white highlights, and gradients.

2020 – today

In March 2020, an automobile brand applied for registration of a new trademark in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, and the UK. He decided to replace the chrome symbol with its minimalist version. Following the latest fashion, the manufacturer abandoned the multi-color 3D logo. The round shape has been preserved, but the lines have become much thinner.

Now the word “Nissan” is on a blank white background. Two thin black arcs adjoin it: one from above, the second from below. Small horizontal stripes stretch outward from their ends – the only thing left of the rectangle.

Font and Colors

Nissan’s current logo consists of a wide silver crossbar ring that bears the automotive brand’s name. It differs from previous versions in a minimalistic style because earlier, the Japanese automaker tried to attract attention with bright trademarks of unusual shapes. But in 2001, the designers completely changed the logo so that the identity indicated the company’s scope. This happened after Renault took over the company.

Nissan’s logos have always featured the brand name. For this, the developers used different fonts, including rounded (from 1933 to 1950), angular (from 1959 to 1960), handwritten (from 1960 to 1971), italic (from 1967 to 1970), and antiquity (from 1970 to 1983). In its current version, the inscription “NISSAN” is grotesque and has no serifs.

Until 2001, the company had colorful logos with a palette dominated by shades of red and blue. The current color scheme is black, white, and silver. There is a gradient that creates a 3D effect.

Nissan color codes

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