The Chevrolet Logo is one of the most recognized automotive symbols in the world. The bowtie has been on Chevrolet cars since the 1914 model year, and the first known ad using it ran in late 1913.
It represents more than a car brand. The emblem carries over a century of American manufacturing history and a fair amount of mystery about where it came from.
Chevrolet was founded in Detroit in November 1911 by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant, and it became part of General Motors in 1918. The current gold bowtie dates from 2004, with a chrome-framed refresh in 2013.
General Motors owns the trademark. The bowtie has become shorthand for American vehicles, from the Corvette to the Silverado.
What is the Chevrolet Logo?
The Chevrolet logo is a bowtie-shaped emblem, a stretched cross with slanted ends. Co-founder William C. Durant introduced it in late 1913, and it first appeared on 1914 models. No designer has been publicly credited. The gold version used today was phased in from 2004.
| Symbol | Bowtie (a stretched cross with angled ends) |
| Designer/agency | Not publicly credited; introduced by William C. Durant |
| Current version since | 2004 gold bowtie, refreshed with a chrome surround in 2013 |
| Colors (hex) | Gold, approx. #B6862D; chrome/silver and black in badge versions |
| Typeface | Custom uppercase lettering; marketing uses a proprietary sans-serif family called Louis. No official free equivalent |
| Previous major version | Blue-outlined bowtie used in advertising and dealer signage through the 1980s and 1990s |
How Has the Chevrolet Logo Evolved Over Time?
The bowtie has been redrawn many times since 1913. Colors, outlines and finishes changed, and for long stretches different models wore different versions of the badge at the same time.
The core shape stayed put. That’s impressive for a logo this old.
Script Chevrolet Nameplate (1911–1913)
Before the bowtie, the first Chevrolet cars carried a signature-style “Chevrolet” script with no defining shape around it.
This is the old Chevrolet logo most people never see. It was used only for the first couple of years, while the company was building its first model, the Series C Classic Six.
First Bowtie Logo (1913–1930s)
The earliest known ad with the bowtie ran in The Washington Post on October 2, 1913, with the line “Look for this nameplate.” The badge then appeared on the 1914 H-2 Royal Mail and H-4 Baby Grand.
That first version was a light blue bowtie with “CHEVROLET” in capital letters inside it. Durant used formal Roman-style lettering and squared-off ends on the center bar.
Mid-Century Bowtie Badges (1930s–1970s)
From the 1930s on, the bowtie spread across the lineup. Chevrolet put it on all its new trucks in 1936.
Badges in this period varied by model and year. Some added chrome, wings or crests, and the name often moved outside the bowtie. There was no single “official” version on every car.
Blue Bowtie Era (1980s–2003)
In advertising, Chevrolet leaned on a blue-outlined bowtie. A new bowtie graphic arrived with the 1985 “Heartbeat of America” campaign.
For many people this blue bowtie is the old Chevy logo, since it sat on dealer signs and in TV ads for two decades. Chevrolet Motorsports used a red-outlined variant around 2000–2001.
Gold Bowtie (2004–Present)
Chevrolet began phasing in the gold bowtie in 2004, and it became the brand’s global identity. In 2013 the badge got a larger, beveled chrome surround and more depth, using gradient shading to look three-dimensional.
Since then, black bowtie badges have appeared on some trims and accessories. In late 2023 the US website moved to a flat, monochrome bowtie, which is simpler to reproduce as vector graphics and in lit badges. The gold version is still the one most people picture.
What Do the Design Elements of the Chevrolet Logo Mean?
Chevrolet has never published an official meaning for the bowtie. The interpretations people attach to it, such as stability or forward motion, are readings, not brand statements.
What can be said is that the cross-like structure creates strong symmetry. It reads at a glance on a grille, a sign or an app icon.
What Are the Chevrolet Logo Colors?
Gold is the color most people link to Chevrolet. On cars, the badge is usually gold inside a chrome or silver frame, with black and all-chrome versions on some trims.
Color psychology would say gold signals value and quality, but Chevrolet hasn’t explained the choice beyond making it the global identity in 2004.
Chevrolet logo color codes:
- Chevrolet gold: approx. #B6862D, the deep gold that Chevrolet dealer ad guidelines from 2019 reportedly list for the bowtie
- Chrome/silver: a metallic finish on the badge, so no single RGB value applies
- Black: used for outlines and blacked-out badges, giving contrast
Chevrolet has not published a Pantone or CMYK value for the public, so treat any figure you find online, including the one above, as an approximation.
What Font Does the Chevrolet Logo Use?
The Chevrolet font in the logo is custom lettering, not a font you can download. It is a wide, uppercase sans-serif with generous letter spacing and little contrast between strokes.
For advertising typography, Chevrolet’s dealer materials reportedly specify a proprietary family called Louis, with bold all-caps headlines. It is licensed for GM use only.
If you need a free look-alike, a bold, wide sans such as Saira Expanded gets close to the wordmark, but no free font is an exact match.
Where Did the Bowtie Come From?
The bowtie origin remains a mystery, and there are at least four stories.
The 1961 company book The Chevrolet Story said Durant saw the pattern on wallpaper in a French hotel in 1908. His daughter Margery wrote in 1929 that he doodled it at the dinner table.
His widow Catherine said in a 1973 interview that he spotted it in a Virginia newspaper while they were in Hot Springs in 1912. Historian Ken Kaufmann later found a November 12, 1911 ad in The Atlanta Constitution for Coalettes, a coal brand from the Southern Compressed Coal Company, with a very similar slanted bowtie.
A fourth theory links it to the Swiss cross, since Louis Chevrolet was born in Switzerland. The psychology of shapes can’t settle it, and GM has never confirmed one version.
How Does the Chevrolet Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Most American automakers use either lettering or literal imagery. Ford has its blue oval with script. Dodge uses a wordmark with red stripes today, after decades of ram imagery.
Chevrolet stands apart with pure geometric abstraction. The bowtie doesn’t try to be literal.
Competitive Comparison:
- vs. Ford: Ford uses nostalgic script typography. Chevrolet’s abstract shape is simpler to read at small sizes.
- vs. RAM: RAM features a literal ram’s head. Chevrolet’s abstraction leaves room for interpretation.
- vs. Toyota: Toyota uses three overlapping ovals. Chevrolet’s bowtie is flatter and more angular.
- vs. Honda: Honda uses a simple “H” lettermark. Less distinctive but highly practical.
What Cultural Impact Has the Chevrolet Logo Had?
The bowtie appears in countless films and TV shows. It’s shorthand for “American car” in media worldwide.
NASCAR and Corvette racing kept it in front of motorsport fans for decades.
You see it on everything from t-shirts to tattoos. That kind of reach is rare for automotive branding.
How Does the Chevrolet Logo Fit Into the Overall Brand Identity?
The bowtie anchors Chevrolet communications. Vehicles, advertisements and dealerships all feature it.
Internal brand guidelines govern its use, and GM protects the trademark.
Sub-brands like Corvette and Silverado have their own badges and identities. The bowtie still appears somewhere, which ties a diverse lineup together.
The color palette extends into marketing, with gold, black and gray doing most of the work.
How Should the Chevrolet Logo Be Used?
This is general advice, not Chevrolet’s own rulebook. The bowtie is a registered trademark of General Motors.
- Editorial use: news, reviews and commentary about Chevrolet vehicles can usually show the logo
- Commercial use: products, ads or merchandise with the bowtie need permission from GM
- Don’t imply endorsement: avoid using the logo in a way that suggests Chevrolet sponsors you
- Don’t alter it: stretching or recoloring a trademark makes it look careless and can still infringe
FAQ on the Chevrolet Logo
What Does the Chevrolet Bowtie Logo Mean?
General Motors has never given the bowtie emblem an official meaning.
It is a stylized cross with slanted ends. People read stability, progress or American heritage into it, but those are interpretations.
Who Designed the Chevrolet Logo?
No designer has been publicly credited. Co-founder William C. Durant introduced the bowtie in late 1913.
Where he got the idea is disputed, with wallpaper, newspaper ad and doodle stories all on record.
When Was the Chevrolet Logo First Created?
The first known ad with the bowtie ran on October 2, 1913, about two years after Louis Chevrolet and Durant founded the company. The first cars to wear it were 1914 models.
Before that, Chevrolet used a script nameplate.
What Did the Old Chevrolet Logo Look Like?
The very first Chevrolet logo (1911–1913) was a script “Chevrolet” signature.
The first bowtie (1913) was light blue with “CHEVROLET” inside. From the 1980s to 2003, the familiar version was a blue-outlined bowtie used in ads and on dealer signs.
Why Is the Chevrolet Logo Called a Bowtie?
The shape looks like a bow tie, a wide cross pinched at the center. The nickname stuck and Chevrolet uses it officially.
When Did the Chevrolet Logo Turn Gold?
Chevrolet began phasing in the gold bowtie in 2004. It was refreshed with a larger, beveled chrome surround in 2013.
What Are the Chevrolet Logo Colors?
The current Chevy badge is gold, approx. #B6862D, usually framed in chrome. Black and flat monochrome versions also exist.
The gold places it among other gold logos used by brands that want to signal value. Chevrolet has not published public Pantone or CMYK values.
What Font Does Chevrolet Use?
The wordmark is custom lettering, a wide all-caps sans-serif typeface style with open kerning.
Marketing reportedly uses a proprietary font family called Louis. Neither is available for free download.
Has the Chevrolet Logo Changed Over Time?
Yes. Colors, outlines and finishes changed many times, following broader logo design principles of each era. The basic bowtie shape never did.
Is the Chevrolet Logo Trademarked?
Yes. General Motors owns the bowtie trademark and enforces it.
It is one of the best-protected car logos in the industry.
Can I Use the Chevrolet Logo in My Own Project?
Editorial use, like a review or news story, is generally fine. Commercial use needs permission from GM.
If you are building a style reference, a brand style guide of your own is a better place to start than copying a trademark.
Conclusion
The Chevrolet Logo has survived over a century of automotive history. The bowtie still works.
Few brand symbols achieve this kind of staying power. Durant picked a simple shape in 1913, and Chevrolet has only changed its color and finish since.
Whether on a Corvette grille or a Silverado tailgate, the emblem says the same thing: American cars, built for a wide audience.
The origin story remains a mystery. Honestly, that adds to its appeal.
Clear visual hierarchy and simple geometry made the bowtie timeless. Sometimes the best designs are the ones you don’t overthink.
Sources
- Corvette Action Center, History with a Mystery: The Chevrolet Bowtie – https://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/history/chevrolet_bowtie.html
- Jalopnik, The Real Story Behind Chevrolet’s Bow Tie – https://jalopnik.com/the-real-story-behind-chevrolets-bow-tie-5797651
- Chevy Hardcore, The Chevy Bow-Tie: Evolution of an Emblem – https://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/the-chevy-bow-tie-evolution-of-an-emblem/
- Made Good Designs, What Font Does Chevrolet Use? – https://madegooddesigns.com/?p=8428
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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