Peugeot Logo PNG
The symbols in the Peugeot logo convey strength and a regal posture. The company’s cars attract confident, wealthy customers. The body’s brilliance and the engine’s near-silent operation let the car glide along the road like a stalking predator.
Peugeot is a French automotive giant, part of the Stellantis group, and manufactures a range of transport equipment. It is the country’s oldest enterprise and is still active. Armand Peugeot founded the company in 1810. The head office, with its legal and administrative bodies, is in Paris, in a building on the Avenue de la Grande Armée. Production sites are concentrated in Sochaux (France).
The founder of the famous brand was a private manufactory established at the beginning of the 19th century by the Peugeot family in the commune of Valentigny, Montbéliard district (Franche-Comté region). It made saws and quickly developed into a steel mill. Then half the company moved into bicycles and motorcycles, and the other half into cars.
In 1896, the company split into two parts, one of which was the Société des Automobiles Peugeot. In 1920, it merged again with the bicycle and motorcycle company Cycles Peugeot. The trademark was officially registered in November 1858 at the initiative of Emile Peugeot (the founder’s son). Moreover, the logo rarely changed, except for design edits.
Meaning and History
Historical roots, high prestige, and boundless power,-that’s what Peugeot wants to show. Its car line features a logo that fully meets these criteria because it represents the king of the animal kingdom: the lion. Moreover, it is not easy, but it is heraldic. He is depicted from different angles: on four and two legs, sitting on a rock, and walking. There is also a variant with a mane head without a body. The designers’ styles also differed, ranging from realism to the Empire style.
What is Peugeot?
This company evolved from a small coffee mill manufacturer into one of France’s most recognizable automotive brands. It gained numerous fans worldwide thanks to its lion emblem, which symbolizes engineering prowess and a unique design philosophy. Founded in Sochaux, France, the company creates vehicles that harmoniously combine comfort and performance, embodying practical engineering solutions and a distinctive French style.
1810 – 1858
The lion was originally on the emblem:
- It marks where the steel plant was established because it appears on the coat of arms of the commune of Valentigney.
- It symbolizes the power and strength of the saws that the company produced.
- The boom-walking predator testifies to the speed, stability, and flexibility of Peugeot saw blades.
The artist drew protruding muscles on the animal, especially for this. The logo is black and white.
1858 – 1889
The designer made the lion image more embossed and formidable by adding shadows. The color palette is still monochrome. One important clarification: during this period, the Peugeot family officially registered the lion as its trademark, which personified the speed and power of bicycles and motorcycles. This happened in 1858.
1889 – 1910
During this period, the company released its first car and redesigned the emblem. The authors corrected the lion: they removed the aggressive expression and muscles, added realistic features, lengthened the tail, and painted the arrowhead black.
1910 – 1925
A roaring lion was presented as a 3D figurine. The predator appears voluminous because of the effective distribution of shadows and highlights across its body. The animal looks to the right and growls menacingly, releasing its claws on its left front paw, and presses the arrow against the stone with its right.
1925 – 1936
During this period, the company used the previous version, but not the 3D version. The emblem is now flat for easy printing. A black rectangle with the brand name covers the boulder and one hind leg. The word “Peugeot” is printed in strict, chopped uppercase. The letters are wide and powerful, echoing a lion. Depression’s “U” and “G” look like the open mouth of a predator.
1927 – 1936
During this period, the logo used a similar outline to the previous one. But it has less detail; the lion is depicted in general terms, without small artistic nuances. The king of beasts is massive, formidable, and impressive. He stands on a rock with his left paw raised. An arrow lies beneath his right paw. The designers turned the red disk into a shield with a gold border, and placed the automobile company’s name in a black trapezoid with a figure cut around the edges.
1936 – 1948
This period is the legendary beginning of the colored Peugeot emblems. The lion, reminiscent of earlier versions, is again depicted facing left and standing on a narrow arrow. The animal’s tail comes from the 1889 logo; the rest blends the first brand names. The only difference is the classic shield with a frame and dark stripes at the bottom. The background is painted yellow, and the strokes, the lion, and the surrounding details are painted dark blue.
1948 – 1950
The artist “put” the animal on its hind legs. The front lion is pulled forward and has released its claws. The mouth is open, and a long tongue sticks out. The background is a heraldic symbol (presumably a vertical banner) with a black background and gray combs.
1950 – 1955
After the redesign, the Peugeot logo became more colorful and dynamic. This was achieved through the figure’s thin contours. At the same time, the black lines contrast effectively and highlight the lion’s yellow color. The artist redrew the picture but kept the animal’s position: a formidable predator walks left on two legs, with its front paws stretched forward and its tongue hanging out. Moreover, the king of animals is depicted as a heraldic sign, with the armorial shield set within a double-wide frame as the background.
1955 – 1960
At the same time, another version was used, a triangular shield with painted corners. In this version, the lion is not massive but graceful, with thin paws and extended claws. The tail, as before, is figuratively raised and curved, resembling a flower with a bud and leaves, a heraldic lily. Above the animal is written the word “Peugeot” with a shortened ladder of the letter “E.”
1960 – 1968
The designers focused on the lion’s head to highlight its power, strength, and endurance. To this end, they drew the animal in profile. This angle allows you to portray its emotions more accurately. A wide-open mouth, grasping fangs, a frown, a large ear, and a chic mane on a large neck convey equanimity, confidence, brutality, and charisma. Moreover, the hanging strands are angled to harmonize with a shield encircled by a gray stripe. At the top is the brand name in a classic design.
1968 – 1970
In 1968, the company dramatically changed its logo style: it now features hard strokes, precise lines, and sharp angles. The triangular background was replaced by a square one, and the lion looks like an Egyptian deity with rectangular ears and trapezoidal strands of mane. The predator growls and displays formidable fangs.
1970 – 1975
Good-natured, safe, and attractive- that’s what we can say about the Peugeot logo of this period. The yellow lion is no longer as formidable as before: it has more curves, smoother lines, and fewer sharp corners and small details. As a result, the image looks cute and soft. The same fate befell the automobile manufacturer’s name: it was set in a rounded, lowercase font, as if written by hand. Only the shield’s corners remained sharp.
1975 – 1980
The logo concept changed again: the lion and the lettering were reversed. Above appeared a tiny lion standing on its hind legs, and below, the huge word “Peugeot.” The monochrome palette has been preserved.
1980 – 1998
The lion, repeating the outlines from the previous emblem, received a white outline and a blue background. Below the square is the car brand name. It is set in a block type and reduced in size so that the eye first clings to the royal animal and then to the text.
1998 – 2002
The designers took up the idea reflected in the previous logo. But this time, they made the lion bigger, balancing it with the bottom caption so the predator and the text look harmonious. They also replaced the background with a blue square.
2002 – 2010
The developers have combined the heraldic lion and the brand name into a single square. The animal’s right side is slightly shaded.
2010 – 2021
Now, the emblem is used as a stylized metal animal figurine. Although the lion’s pose has not changed, it has acquired anthropomorphic features. The emblem’s colors are light: white, gray, and blue.
2021 – today
In 2018, designers began adapting the 1960 Peugeot e-Legend symbol. It is supposed to replace the current logo. The emblem’s image is largely unchanged from the earlier version, except for the font used for the word “Peugeot” above the lion’s head.
From the beginning, the automotive company’s identity was associated with the image of a powerful, confident lion. The lion never disappeared from the logo; it only changed to suit the concept. It shows respect for the region where the legendary brand originated and demonstrates the superiority of the products produced under this brand.
Font and Colors
In 1998, the logo featured the Castle T Bold typeface designed by Steve Jackaman and published by the URW Type Foundry. Graphic artist Christophe Badani designed another font.
The logo’s color has always been restrained, black and white. If colorfulness did appear, it was only in limited quantities, such as yellow and blue or white and blue. It also uses different shades of gray, from graphite to silver-metallic.