The automobile industry in Vietnam was born in the 1930s. At that time, local manufacturers built their own passenger, specialized, and cargo vehicles on French car chassis. Why from there? Because independent Vietnam emerged from former French Indochina. During the Second World War, the car industry declined: local craftsmen converted only old cars to run on wood gas rather than scarce oil.
Another factor that negatively affected the industry was the First Indochina War. Vietnam did not get its own domestically produced passenger car, the small Chiến Thắng, until late 1958. The automobile industry developed slowly because of ongoing hostilities and underdeveloped infrastructure. In recent years, the situation has improved, but the country still has very few domestic automobile brands. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Vinaxuki
Vinaxuki, also known as Xuan Kien Auto JSC, entered the market in 2004 and operated for 11 years before closing down. It produced various types of vehicles, including mini-trucks and passenger cars. Its logo consisted of two parts: a geometric composition and a wordmark. The emblem looked like an oval ring with the letter “V” in the middle, which was crossed by a descending arc. The stripes connected to form a single design. A bold sans-serif font similar to Avalon Demi Condensed by FontSite Inc. and Tool Medium by Suomi Type Foundry was used for the word “VINAXUKI.” All elements, including letters, were blue on a white background.
TMT
TMT Motors Corporation is a part of the Indian company Tata Motors. The abbreviation of the name stands for “Trading and Manufacturing Equipment Materials for Transportation”, which hints at the core business. The corporation’s logo contains a blue inscription: “TMT MOTORS.” The designers used a geometric grotesque, somewhere between Galano Grotesque Bold Demo by Rene Bieder and Soin Sans Neue Black by Stawix. Above is an oval ring in the same blue hue. The sides of this figure are uneven: slightly wider on the right and left, and thinner on the top and bottom. Inside the frame is the brand name’s abbreviation.
VinFast
VinFast represents the modern automotive industry. Established in 2017, the company became Vietnam’s first independent car manufacturer. In 2022, it moved to Singapore but kept its homeland’s memory in its name, as the letter “V” stands for “Vietnam.” The same symbol is depicted in its emblem, which resembles a V-shaped metal badge. The element looks voluminous and multi-layered due to the alternation of dark and light colors. At the bottom, the word “VINFAST” is written in black. The designers developed a custom set of glyphs with irregular strokes and single serifs.
La Dalat (Sud Du Vietnam)
La Dalat is a Vietnamese car brand based on the Citroën Méhari utilitarian SUV and produced at the Saigon Automobile Company factories. Production of these jeep-like vehicles lasted only five years: from 1970 to 1975. They are considered antiques, and collectors recognize their emblem. The iconic graphic is two upward-pointing triangular arrows. They are painted a dark gold and clearly symbolize speed.
Mekong
Mekong Auto Corporation was officially registered in Vietnam in 1991 and started production the following year. It does not develop its own cars; its lineup consists only of imported models. South Korean trucks DFM, SUVs SsangYong, North Korean small cars Pyeonghwa, and Italian trucks IVECO are often hidden under Mekong emblems. The latter are produced under license from Fiat.
The company’s logo conveys the idea of an “infinite universe.” An expanding black stripe with three gray stars gradually increases, creating the illusion of flight and forward movement. Alternatively, it may refer to shooting stars that fulfill wishes. The drawing sits in a white circle and is surrounded by a light ring with dark contours on both sides.