Melkus is the name of a discontinued sport-cars manufacturing brand from Germany, which was established in 1950 and ceased all operations in 1986. Then the company tried to come back to the market in the late 2000s, but it only lasted for three years.
The Melkus visual identity is unique and instantly recognizable. First of all, it is executed in a pretty rare for the automaking industry color palette — light blue, gradient white and black, the second feature is the image, which depicts a sportscar, but looks like an abstract and elegant drawing, which can become a truly iconic insignia.
Besides its extremely modern and stylish look, the Melkus logo also contains a delicate yet visible tribute to its roots — the initials of the company’s founder, Heinz Melkus, are placed right under the car image.
The logo composition was composed of a light blue circle in a bold silver outline. The white with gray gradient shield was placed inside the circle and contains a black contoured car drawing, the “HM” initials, and “Melkus” wordmark, placed along its upper part.
The wordmark is executed in a very modern custom sans-serif typeface with some of the horizontal letter bars arched, and straight verticals with sharp angles and distinct edges. The inscription adds volume and motion to the whole logo, making it instantly recognizable and cool.