Barkas is the name of a former German automaking company, which was established in 1958 as a minibus manufacturer. Later the brand also started producing engines. The company ceased all operations in 1990.
The visual identity of buses manufacturer long company looked like it was designed for the aircraft produces or at least something connected with aviation. It was elegant and memorable, looking good both on the bus grills and on official documents.
The Barkas badge was composed of a delicate circle with enlarged elongated geometrically stylized wings, which featured clean straight contours and were spread really far to the sides.
The blue badge featured a double white and blue outline and had a custom my drawn letter “B” in the lowercase placed in the middle. The “B” was colored blue and had two lines extending from its body and repeating the shape of the badge’s wings.
The blue and white color palette of the Barkas visual identity is a reflection of the reliability and loyalty of the company, along with such characteristics as professionalism and responsibility.
As for the shape and horizontal orientation of the badge, it was a perfect choice for the brand of minibusses, as when placed on the grill of the bus, it added elegance to the massive vehicle, and showed the company’s value of design and quality.
What is Barkas?
Barkas is the name of a discontinued German automaking brand, which was established at the end of the 1950s, and ceased all operations at the beginning of the 1990s. The company was known for the production of engines and minibusses, which were sold mainly in Germany.
The clean yet heavy uppercase lettering from the Barkas primary badge was set in a modern geometric sans-serif typeface with regular characters, executed in thick lines with straight cuts of the bars. The closest fonts to the one, used in this insignia, are, probably, Sequel Sans Display Heavy and Europa Grotesk Nr 2 SH ExtraBold.
As for the color palette of the Barkas’ visual identity, it was based on a combination of black and bright blue, with white accents and a plain white background. The colors of the logo looked very powerful and contrasting, evoking a sense of expertise and confidence, and showing only the strongest sides of the company.