SAIC Motor Logo PNG
The SAIC Motor logo is modern and light. It speaks of development and the pursuit of dreams. The emblem encrypts the environmentally friendly technology of the future that the company is focused on.
SAIC Motor traces its history to 1955, when the Shanghai authorities, following Beijing’s industrial policy, established the Shanghai Diesel Parts Manufacturing Company. The early business was not built by private founders but by state planning during China’s first five-year plan. In 1958, it merged with Shanghai Power Equipment Manufacturing Company and became Shanghai Power Machinery Manufacturing Company.
On September 28, 1958, the company completed the prototype of its first sedan, named Phoenix. In 1964, the car was renamed Shanghai SH760 and entered production, serving mid-level officials while senior party leaders used FAW Hong Qi limousines. In 1969, the company became Shanghai Tractor & Automotive Industry Company, placing automobiles directly in its name.
The major shift came in 1984, when China’s reform period opened the door to foreign partnerships. On October 12, 1984, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. was established in partnership with Volkswagen. The Santana became a key car for China’s automotive modernization, and by the mid-1990s, output had risen to 300,000 vehicles a year. In 1995, the company became Shanghai Automotive Industry (Group) Corporation.
In 1997, SAIC formed a 50-50 joint venture with General Motors, and the first Buick Regal rolled off the line in 1999. In 2004, SAIC entered the Fortune Global 500 and acquired a 48.9% stake in SsangYong Motor, though the Korean company later went bankrupt. After the failed MG Rover deal in 2005, SAIC acquired technical rights to create Roewe in 2006. In 2007, it absorbed Nanjing Automobile Corporation, gained MG, and adopted the name SAIC Motor Company Ltd.
Meaning and History
The company logo changes with the name, reflecting the corporation’s growth and increased sales. The gradual appearance of English words emphasizes the focus on the international market. The giant’s main symbol is the steering wheel, which appears on most signs. It indicates the management of the future and the movement toward goals.
What is SAIC Motor?
This is China’s largest automaker, exerting significant influence on the global automotive market through its wide range of brands and partnerships with leading global companies. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has grown from a small regional player into a powerful manufacturer, producing vehicles under the MG, Roewe, and Maxus brands and collaborating closely with General Motors and Volkswagen. The company’s strength lies in combining international automotive expertise with Chinese manufacturing efficiency, offering a broad selection of vehicles at various price points, from luxury SUVs to compact cars.
1955 – 1979
The emblem reflects the first postwar steps in the development of the automobile industry. The Shanghai City Power Machinery Manufacturing Company was just formed after the merger of its two predecessors. The logo’s shape resembles a car mirror, which immediately indicates the direction the corporation is heading.
Inside, on a dark black background, white lines form a labyrinth. They are reminiscent of:
- Roads.
- Marking strips.
- Microchips.
The lane system represents engineering and technology, transportation, and travel.
1979 – 1995
In 1969, the corporation changed its name to Shanghai City Tractor & Automotive Industry Company. The new logo has a completely different concept.
The logo consists of a triangular base with convex sides and looks like a petal. Inside, on a light blue background, is a blue circle with a white circle inscribed in it and a design piercing them, resembling:
- Rocket. The ship soars upward into space against the backdrop of the moon. The image depicts the heyday, foreshadowing deals with European and American companies for global expansion (in 1982, the first agreement with Volkswagen was signed).
- The car’s windshield wipers. The wipers work and leave a clean, white glass: the composition is a prototype for the road to a bright future and new perspectives.
The blue background demonstrates lightness, spring, progress, and prosperity. It predicts the corporation’s immortality.
1995 – 2011
The company changed its name to Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation. Therefore, the logo uses the acronym SAIC for the first time. The emblem acquires a well-established appearance, which is retained throughout the following years with minor changes.
The new sign represents a circle. The figure is a prototype of harmony, self-sufficiency, and a closed cycle. After 1995, the corporation established a system for producing spare parts that no longer needed to be bought abroad, bringing the full production cycle in-house.
Inside the circle, in large letters on a special backing, is written the corporation’s new name. The capital letters and solidity indicate a rapid increase in productivity. The number of cars coming off the assembly line reaches 300-500 thousand per year, which makes the company the leading Chinese manufacturer.
The emblem resembles the car’s steering wheel, indicating the main products. Small gaps in the circle above and below the inscription create a stylized S from the emblem, emphasizing the first letter of the acronym. Shanghai is the location of the corporation’s headquarters and the name of the leading car brand.
2011 – 2021
The corporation changed its name to the modern SAIC Motor Corporation Limited. It adopted a single logo that uses a transcription of the name in English and Chinese below the image.
The emblem of the previous period is slightly transformed. The stylized S that forms the car’s steering wheel turns white, and a blue volumetric background appears inside. The transformation makes the image look like a klaxon button.
The words SAIC Motor and the characters below the image are in a thin blue font. The saturated color demonstrates the energy and vitality that the company is gaining (the corporation has developed so much that it sells 5.6 million cars annually).
2021 – today
The logo image became more refined and modern. Chinese characters were removed from the badge, as the company is focused on the world market. It is the leading export company in the country.
The circle, which symbolizes the steering wheel or wheel, comprises two unbroken lines. The breaks show the willingness to go beyond the usual limits, the desire to spread, and the use of new technologies.
The name is inscribed inside the circle in thin, elegant letters and underlined with a light line. The composition replaces the stripe on the car’s steering wheel.
The emblem has completely lost the massiveness of past signs, demonstrating that it takes only useful ideas into the future, updated to create machines of another level. Light colors reveal the corporation’s course towards electric cars that do not pollute the environment. Already, more than 300,000 such cars are coming out each year.
Font and Colors
The main color of the logo is blue. In China, it is a symbol of spring, the sky, bloom, and life. It predicts economic prosperity, new perspectives, and unprecedented increases in sales and production.
The font of the inscription is unique, similar to Handel Gothic Regular. The letter A has an open glyph that speaks to the company’s openness to change, while the S and C have slanted ends, serving as a movement prototype. The lettering conveys that the corporation is not frozen and continues to undergo constant transformation.