Daihatsu Logo PNG
Daihatsu is the name of one of the Japanese automaking company, which was established in 1907 as Hatsudoki Seizo Co, and started its path from producing engines and three-wheeled cars. Today the brand is owned by Toyota and has its presents on all continents.
Meaning and history
The Daihatsu visual identity history started in the 1950s, and before that the company, called Hatsudoki Seizo, used a rounded emblem, symbolizing a wheel with the letter “E” in the middle, standing for “engines”, which was the main focus of the manufacturer during the first fourth years of its existence. After the war, the brand replaced the “E” with hieroglyphs, as a tribute to its country and the company’s patriotism.
1951 – 1957
After the name and specialization of the company were changed in 1951, the first Daihatsu logo was introduced. It was a horizontally stretched oval frame with bold lettering inside. The inscription in the title case was written with thick smooth lines, resembling Japanese hieroglyphics, and their recognizable touches. The red and white color palette was sometimes switched to red and blue, which looked calmer and more elegant, while the original combination made a simple and soft badge look powerful and confident.
1957 – 1974
The red and white color palette, used for the first Daihatsu logo stayed untouched after the visual identity redesign in 1957. The while capitalized wordmark in a traditional italicized sans-serif typeface with thick clean likes was placed on a red horizontal banner with striped sides.
1974 – 1998
The iconic Daihatsu symbol we all know today was created in 1974. It was a stylized letter “D” with its right rounded part extended and slightly narrowed, and its vertical left bar was composed of two bold lines. The symbol resembles a flying rocket and represents speed, progress, and power.
Executed in white and placed on a red rectangle, the “D” was complemented by a red wordmark, placed under the emblem. It was written in a solid sans-serif, where all capital letters featured bold lines and clean contours.
1998 – Today
The redesign of 1998 changed only the wordmark, the emblem, and the color palette remained untouched, which is understandable, as it is a perfect representation of the brand’s purpose and values.
Font and color
After the redesign of 1998, the Daihatsu lettering gained a new style. It is still written in a simple sans-serif, but with its letters narrowed and angles softened. The typeface of the inscription is very similar to 19-PRA Demi and Artigua Semi Bold fonts.
The red and white color palette, adopted by the company in the early 1950s, is not only a reflection of power, passion, and determination but also a tribute to Japan, as these are the official colors of the National Flag of the Land of the Rising Sun.
