The US-based truck manufacturer has been pretty consistent in its visual brand identity. The original Peterbilt logo bears much in common with the current one.
The company was established in 1939. Originally, it was located in Oakland, California. Since 1986, it has been headquartered in Denton, Texas. In addition to Denton, Peterbilt also makes its vehicles in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec.
Peterbilt has been the property of PACCAR since 1958.
The emblem that appeared on the brand’s earliest vehicles has very much in common with the current one. There was the name of the brand in a casual, carefree script inspired by handwriting. This approach implied a personal touch as well as a creative approach.
According to various sources, the so-called Red Oval logo was unveiled either in 1953 or in 1954. It took place the same year as another very important event in the life of the company, the introduction of Model 351, which has been the longest production in the brand’s history.
The most obvious modification of the logo was the introduction of a rather dark red oval. It was placed behind the name of the brand, which was now white. The oval had white and black trim imitating shades.
What was less obvious was that the script went through a slight update, too. While its overall style and some of the letters have remained the same, you can clearly see the elongated end of the first “e,” as well as the space that appeared between the top of the “l” and “t” at the end of the word.
If you compare the two versions of the logotype side by side, you will also notice that the tilt has been modified (the tops of the letters have been tilted slightly to the right).
Moreover, the new design reflected the change in the name of the company. The original name implied that the vehicles are “built by Peter” (T.A. Peterman, the company founder). The new name dropped the “u” thus making the etymology less obvious. This move seemed pretty natural as Peterman died in 1944.
While the previous design had some dimension due to the shades, the Peterbilt logo seen on the current website has a more pronounced 3D touch.
Also, the shade of red has not been the same throughout the history of the emblem. Today, it is pretty bright and clear.