Logos - Automobile Industry - VIII

Renault

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

Who would have imagined that a mere bet from friends would result in the formation of a huge auto giant - Renault. On the Christmas Eve of 1898, when Louis Renault was with his friends and brother Marcel, they made fun of his creation, called as Voiturette, that was parked outside. Louis Renault took up the challenge and drove on the steep hills of Rue Lepic several times bagging the order for twelve cars from his impressive spectators on the spot. This marked the beginning of the company, Renault Frères, in 1899, by Fernand and Marcel Renault with Louis Renault taking up the job of designing and building of the cars.

The royalty received from other companies for the use of the three-speed gear with reverse patented by Louis Renault that was introduced in the 1899 Voiturette Type A cars provided the funds for the expansion of the company.

In the year 1900 the company introduced its first emblem featuring the initials of the three brothers placed in a medallion.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

Diversification to Type B, the first saloon, Type C, the first commercial vehicle and Type K with the improved features including speed of more than 60 kph, brought the company to the notice of the people worldwide.

It was the 1902 patent of Louis Renault of the 'supercharged engine' that made the entry into F1 possible, seventy five years later.

Renault began its first mass production in 1905 with the order from Compagnie Francaise des Fiacres Automobiles for the first Parisian taxi, popularly called as Marne Taxi, during the war.

1906 saw a transition in the logo with it depicting a car in the center of a gear wheel.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

In 1907, Louis Renault recognized the potential of aeronautics and developed light-weight air craft engines with 45 and 100hp.

After the death of Marcel Renault in 1903 and Fernand Renault in 1908, The Société des Automobiles Louis Renault got formed in 1908 when Fernand Renault sold his stakes to Louis Renault.

The company undertook the mass production of trucks, tractors, ambulances, shells and air craft engines in 1914 at the request of the France's Ministry of War. In 1916, the company built its own air craft Avant Renault and FT17 tank in 1917 that played a major role in crossing the German lines. The supreme role played by the company in the Allies victory brought a modification to the logo with it picturing the FT17 tank in 1919.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

In 1923, the company name in a circle denoting a radiator grille became the new logo.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

The diamond-shaped emblem was introduced on the top-end model vehicles in 1925.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

Renault bought the French airplane company, Société des Avions Caudron in 1933. In 1935, when Citroën went bankrupt,the French Government offered Renault the opportunity to take over the company, which was declined by Louis Renault.

When France surrendered to Germany in 1940, Renault went under the control of three German administrators led by Eberhard von Urach who represented Daimler-Benz. On 23 Sep, 1944, Louis Renault was arrested for joining forces with the enemy and Pierre Lefaucheux was made the temporary administrator of the company when the council of ministers seized the plant. A great era under Louis Renault, however, came to an end on his death in Oct, 1944.

16 Jan, 1945 saw the creation of Régie Nationale des Usines Renault under Pierre Lefaucheux.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

Renault's turbine-powered Étoile Filante (shooting star) created a world speed record in the year 1956 by moving at a speed of 308.9 kph that still holds good till today.

The logo saw another change under the hands of the graphic artist Pampuzac in 1959.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

In 1962, the company diversified its business through the launch of a runabout boat RP1, the production of which was stopped the following year on account of the lack of demand for the same.

Vasarely designed another logo for the company in 1972.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

From 1974, the company started a saga of partnerships and acquisitions. In 1974, Renault bought Berliet, Michelin's truck division, to form Renault Vehicules Industriels.

This was followed by the entry of Renault into F1 in 1977 and the year 1985 witnessed its exit from the game. In 1989, the company returned back to the game as an engine manufacturer for UK Williams team. Ayrton Senna was one of the greatest drivers of the team.

In 1989 Renault entered into a partnership with AMC, that continued till 1975, in the production of 'Jeep'. But in 1987 Chrysler purchased AMC from Renault even though the right to import and distribute 'Jeep' to the European countries continued with Renault till 1992.

Alliance was set up with Volvo in 1990 with Renault taking a 20% stake in the company.

A new modified logo was launched in 1992 created by Style Marque agency.

(Source: www.dinesh.com)

In 1994 the French Government made its plan to privatize Renault partially, with the state taking 52.98% stake in the company.

Renault entered into a partnership with Nissan in 1999, followed by the takeover of Samsung Motors in 2000. 2001 saw it increasing its stake in the Romanian 'Dacia'.

In 2002, Renault made a comeback into F1 under its name, a decision that was followed by the notching of six pole positions and seven wins by its driver Fernando Alonso in 2005 and another victory in 2006.

Volkswagen

The 1933 Berlin Auto Show witnessed the plans of Adolf Hitler to introduce a car as a part of his preparation to 'motorize' Germany - a car that is affordable by the ordinary man. Legend says that he approached Ferdinand Porsche who was then working as a freelance automotive consultant and constructor with his specifications for 'Volkswagen". It was to be a low-priced people's car, spacious for five people, cruising at a speed of 62 mph and returning 33mpg. Porsche who was working on a small car design, then combined his prototype with the specifications provided by Hitler for the Volkswagen. It was Erwin Komenda, the chief engineer of Porsche who developed the prototype of the body of the car known as the "Beetle" today.

Before the auto exhibition of 1938, Hitler renamed it as 'KdF Wagen' or the 'Kraft durch Freude' meaning 'strength through joy' to the dismay of non-political Porsche. It is said that the first emblem opted by KdF was the Swastika surrounded by the cogged wheel.

(Source: www.littleoilspot.com)

The portrayal of the letters 'VW' in the cogged wheel was submitted for trademark in the year 1938 by Franz Reimspiess after a logo design competition.

(Source: http://www.dastank.com)

Postwar Volkswagen logo
(Source: www.littleoilspot.com)

As a part of the "Sparen f ür den KdF -wagen" or the "Save for the KdF wagen" campaign, the makers of the car, the German Labor Front, issued stamps wherein the redemption of a count of 200 stamps made one eligible for a car. However, it was never realized as the company turned its attention in pumping out military vehicles on the onset of the Second World War from its campus.

The fall of the Germans in the Second World War saw the transfer of the remains of the company to the British Military Government in June, 1945. Under the guidance of Major Ivan Hirst, they restarted the production of the cars and the period around 1945 also saw a change in the name of the company to 'Volkswagen'.

Later the British Government tried to transfer the control of the company to able hands; an offer which was rejected by the French Government, Ford Motor Company as well as Fiat. On 8 Oct, 1949, the government of the Federal Republic of Germany was made the trustee of the company Volkswagenwerk.

Though the initial days after this event, including its first entry into America in the 1950s was a struggle, the mid-1950s brought with it newer models leading to a spurt in the sales in the domestic and export market.

(Source: broomvroom.blogspot.com)

(Source: www.zlok.net)

The origin of the Volkswagen logo has been a matter of dispute until recently. Nikolai Borg, who had won an award for designing the logo for the Reich's Youth Hostel Association during the period, said that he was approached by Fritz Todt, who was in the ministry, to design the emblem for the company building motorways and the cars. Though the judges in the Vienna Business Court do not deny the part played by Borg on the emblem of the company, records reveal the existence of the same prior to his actions. It also saw an expert from the Copyright and Patent Law's making a statement that a person named Ludwig Hohlwein as the designer for a similar emblem in 1920, even though the records claim Franx Xavier Reimspiess as the originator of the drawing.

Logos - Automobile Industry - VII

MINI



The year 1956 was a time when the British automakers faced a major slump on the car sales on account of the fuel shortage as a resultant of the Suez Crisis, and the rise of the German Bubble cars. To fight off the fall in the business, Leonard Lord, the then Chairman of the British Motor Corporation approached Alec Issigonis to design a four-seater, BMC-powered small car.

This resulted in the first models of Mini which got launched in 1959 under the brands Austin Se7en and Morris Mini-Minor.

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

In 1960, John Cooper approached Issigonis with the idea of introducing a high performance variation of the Mini that got rejected, but later in 1961 was agreed upon by George Harriman. Eventually the first Mini Cooper - the Austin Mini Cooper and Morris Mini Cooper - hit the racetracks in 1961.

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

The Mini Cooper and Cooper "S" were the sportier versions launched by the company which earned its name as rally cars through the success in Monte Carlo Rally from 1964 to 1967.

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: http://farm4.static.flickr.com)

The success in the motor sport circuit including the Coupe des Dames at the 1962 Monte Carlo Rally led to the creation of a brand name for Mini resulting in Austin Seven tag renamed to Austin Mini.



In 1969 the car came to be known as the "Mini" with the Austin Mini and Morris Mini-Minor identities dropped from its names. This year also saw the introduction of the first Mini logo besides a change in the name of the parent company to British Leyland Motor Corporation. The Leyland badges were sometimes exhibited on the A-panels of the Mini.

The first logo of "Mini"

(Source: www.mini.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

The acquisition of the British Rover Group by BMW in 1994 resulted in BMW becoming the owner of Rover, Land Rover, M G Brands as well as to the rights to Austin and Morris. In 1997 under Frank Stephenson, a new prototype combining the classic features of Mini and the modern designs was launched as MINI at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The huge losses on Rover led to the sale of the M G Rover and Rover brands in 2000 by BMW. The image as a fashion icon created by the car induced BMW to retain the rights to the new MINI which got launched in the year 2001.


The last Mini, a red Cooper Sport which was built in Oct, 2000 was handed out to the British Motor Heritage Trust in Dec, the same year.

Though larger and heavier than the classic Mini, the MINI continues to move through the path of success of Mini.

Some of the Mini badges over the years

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: /www.heritagegarage.com)

(Source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com)

(Source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com)

Triumph

(Source: www.wikipedia.org)

A car that rocked the United Kingdom during a point of time, and now hardly seen on the roads, Triumph was set up by Siegfried Bettmann & Moritz Schulte under the name of Bettmann & Co. The company started its operations as a bicycle manufacturer in 1885. In the year 1897, Bettmann & Co. was renamed as the Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd.

Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd

(Source: www.sorenwinslow.com)


(Source: www.scripophily.net)

Triumph shifted its business from bicycle manufacturing to the production of motorcycles by 1902.

Logo of Triumph Motor Cycles

(Source: www.sorenwinslow.com)

Triumph's first entry into the car production was made after the acquisition of the assets of Dawson Car Company under the advice of Claude Holbrook. The Triumph 10/20 was the first car manufactured from 1923 to 1926 by the company which was designed by Arthur Alderson who was aided by Alan Lea and Arthur Sykes, employed by Lea Francis wherein the company paid them royalty for every car manufactured.

The company renamed itself as the Triumph Motor Company in the year 1930.

Logo of Triumph Motor

(Source: www.sorenwinslow.com)

The year 1936 saw an attempt by the company to sell off Triumph bicycle and motorcycle divisions to revive the financially struggling company. The motorcycle business was bought by Jack Sangster leading to the rise of Triumph Engineering Co. Ltd.

Despite winning at the Northern Ireland racing competitions and being a highly ranked British car, the financial turmoil led to the purchase of the company by T.W.Ward. However, the bombing of the Priory Street factory during the World War II in 1940 left the company in ruin.

1944 saw a change in the ownership when the Standard Motor Company took over whatever that was remaining of the company to start a subsidiary in the name 'Triumph Motor Co. (1945) Ltd".

(Source: www.users.bigpond.com)

The sports cars launched around the 1950s portrayed the emblem of Triumph, while the saloons pictured the Standard logo. This was later modified and in 1959 the cars carried the name Standard-Triumph.

(Source: www.commons.wikimedia.org)

The year 1960 saw a change in the ownership when Leyland Motors Ltd bought the company, later renaming it to British Leyland Motor Corporation in 1968.

Triumph Acclaim launched in 1981 in a joint venture with Honda is the last car manufactured under Triumph. In 1984, Triumph name disappeared when Acclaim was replaced by Rover 200, which was a rebadged version of Honda Civic.

When BMW acquired Rover Group in 1994, it became the owner of the Triumph marque. The Standard marque is, however, the property of the British Motor Heritage who has the license to use the Triumph marque where it involves the sale of the spares and support of the existing Triumph cars.

Logos - Automobile industry - VI

Buick



Incorporated in 1903, the first Buick automobile was built by its founder, David Dunbar Buick with the aid of his engineer, Walter L Marr between 1899 and 1900. By the end of this year, the financially struggling company was bought by James H Whiting, the then manager of Flint Wagon Works, who went to dissolve the Buick Motor Company of Detroit to incorporate the new company Buick Motor Works of Flint in Jan, 1904. With the support of his carriage builder William C Durant, who later formed General Motors, the company grew to become the largest car manufacturer of America.

The logo of Buick went over a number of changes during the years.

Earliest logos

(Source: http://3.bp.blogspot.com)

The first catalog of Buick published around 1902-03 depicted an emblem with Uncle Sam walking astride a globe which had the words "Known all over the world" pulling a Buick engine on a wheeled cart.

(Around 1902)

(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

The 1905 catalog displayed a circular design with the name "Buick" adorning its center and the words "The Car of Quality" surrounding it. It was around this time frame the first widely recognized Buick logo- the name Buick on a large brass plate - made its appearance.

Around 1905
(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

Logo: 1905
(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

The year 1911 saw a giant B with the letters 'uick' inside it as the emblem.

Logo: 1911
(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

Logo: 1913
(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

The oldest version of the current logo originated in the year 1937 when the General Motors Styling Researcher Ralph Pew noticed the description of the ancestral coat of arms of the Scottish Buick family, then spelled Buik, in the 1851 edition of Burke's Heraldry. It described the arms as a red shield with a checkered silver and azure diagonal line running from the top left hand corner to the bottom right, an antlered deer head with a jagged neckline on the top right corner of the shield and a gold cross with a hole in the center on the lower left corner. This got accepted as the corporate logo, which over the years went through many transitions.

Logo : 1937

(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au/)

In 1939 the shield was elongated and narrowed, which was later modified in 1942 to include the classic heraldic symbol that remained in use until the military production during World War II.

Logo: 1939

(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

Logo: 1942
(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

The logo was widened in 1947 to suit the hood and grille styling.

Logo: 1947

(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

Logo: 1950
(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

1960 saw the birth of the tri-shield logo with the original crest symbol in it, representing the three Buick models launched in 1959, namely, LeSabre, Invicta and Electra. The three overlapping shields were introduced in the colors red, white (later made silver grey) and blue.

Logo: 1959

(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

Introduction of Buick Skyhawk series in 1975 resulted in a new emblem consisting of a hawk set on the words Buick even while the tri-shield remained as the primary symbol.

Logo: From 1975 to late 1980s
(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

The tri-shield replaced the hawk and the year 1990 saw the logo modification highlighting the outline of the original design, minus the antlered deer, the cross and the checkered diagonal.

Logo: 1990

(Source: http://www.buickclub.org.au)

The alterations in 2002 resulted in a new sheer design of the tri-shields without the colors.

Today Buick is remembered for its contributions to the automobile industry - the creation of Buick Motor Co that led to the formation of General Motors.

Logo transitions from 1937
(Source: http://3.bp.blogspot.com)

Chevrolet


After moving out of General Motors, William C Durant joined forces with Louis Chevrolet, a well known race car driver, to design and build cars in 1909. As Louis Chevrolet had created his name in motor sports, the company was named after him. Established in 1911, the logo was first introduced in 1914.

Story states that William Durant was inspired by the bow tie pattern on the wall paper seen in a Paris hotel from which he had detached a piece to be used later on that was adopted as the company emblem.

In 1916, Chevrolet bought a majority stake in General Motors and got merged with it in 1917. Since then, the company has been a brand of General Motors.


Vauxhall


Based in the United Kingdom, Vauxhall started its operations as a company that built pumps and marine engines. Originally named Alex Wilson & Co, then Vauxhall Iron Works, the company was founded by Alexander Wilson in 1857. The first car, a five horsepower model steered using a tiller, with two forward gears and no reverse gear was completed in 1903.

(Source: http://www.cartuningcentral.com)

The Vauxhall logo is based on the mythical creature called the 'Griffin' which has the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, symbolising power and majesty. The emblem derived from the coat of arms of Faulke de Breaute who built the house, Fulk's Hall, which later came to be known as Foxhall, then Vaux Hall and eventually Vauxhall, was where Alexander Wilson set up the shop in 1857. Later Vauxhall Ironworks moved to Luton which was Faulke de Breaute's second home, where it continues to operate till day. The letter 'V' on the red griffin holding the flag seen on the original emblem was also borrowed from the coat of arms.

The year 1925 saw a transition in the ownership when General Motors bought Vauxhall and later acquired Opel in 1929. The car production took a hit when Vauxhall was forced to build tanks for England during World War II which however resumed after the war. Today General Motor's right hand drive cars are sold under the Vauxhall brand and similar left hand drives as Opel.

The logo, remodelled nine times from its inception, was modernised in 2008. Alain Visser, chief marketing officer at General Motors Europe, said he hoped the new logo would “send a message that something is happening with this brand.”