Red is the color of passion and strength, confidence in today, and the readiness to move into tomorrow. This shade also represents love and attention to others and for large brands — to their clientele. Red symbolizes power and is loved by large companies, which tend to emphasize their reputation and are not ashamed of the quality of their products. In today’s article, we have collected the major car brands, which use red in their logo, hence, which have confidence in their DNA. Some use it more, while others just add a small stroke of color, and now we are going to explore the twenty most famous car logos executed in red color.
Tesla
Tesla is the brand, which main feature is the future. They were the first to introduce electric cars to the global market on a huge scale, and they keep surprising with innovative technologies. Considering the concept of the brand, the red color in its logo is more than understandable. Here red is the Tesla statement that it will never stop evolving and never stop in general.
Saturn
Saturn is another automaker, which chose red to be on its logo, and here it is really prevailing. The white minimalistic graphical emblem on the Saturn badge looks bright and intense due to the color palette. The two white lines on the red background perfectly represent the car manufacturing brand and its position in the global market.
KIA
KIA is one of the most reputable Asian automakers, hence there is no surprise, that for already more than twenty years, its official logo is set in red. First, it was a calm dark shade, which evolved into a bright and intense one in 2012 and stayed after the progressive redesign of the KIA visual identity in 2020. The logo, set in red, is usually depicted on a plain white background.
Isuzu
Red has been the main color of the Isuzu logo since the very beginning of the company. In years, the shade of red was changed — intensified and brightened, adding more confidence and stability to the minimalistic badge, composed of just an uppercase inscription. Here the red color is the main eye-catching detail, which perfectly represents the brand.
Ducati
Ducati is an Italian manufacturer of sports bikes, which has had quite a lot of experiments with its visual identity throughout history. Red became the main color of the brand’s logo in 1995, and stayed after the redesign of 2009, making up a perfect juicy background for the stylish Ducati crest, outlined in matte silver. The shade of red, used by the brand stands for strength and progressive approach.
Daihatsu
In terms of loyalty to colors, Daihatsu is one of the leaders. The automaker started using red in its logos at the beginning of the 1950s, and since then not a single badge of the company was drawn in another color. However, the shades were different — from calm dark tones to bright and lively ones. The last logo of the brand is one of the brightest. It looks vivid and full of energy.
Cagiva
For Cagiva, brand red is something relatively new. The company’s iconic elephant has been drawn in grey or black-and-white for decades, and since 2000 the badge was redesigned in a new, red and white color palette, with an elephant’s head enclosed into an oval frame and placed object the uppercase lettering, in the same color.
BYD
The Chinese automaker, which is lately focused on the electric cars market, has started drawing its logo in the red since 2005, which was just two years after the establishment of the brand. Hence, BYD understood it quite quickly, that red would make a perfect statement and show the brand from its strongest sides. The current BYD logo is set in a dark and dramatic shade of red, which adds professionalism and power to the minimalistic composition.
Ariel
Ariel is a very old British brand, which started to have small red details in its logo in 1901. At first, it was the red capital “A”, then the dark background behind the golden grille, and in the 1950s there was just the red lettering on a yellow background. However, with the redesign of 2001, the whole badge has been redrawn in a bright shade of red, with bold geometric elements.
Hero
The Indian daughter brand of Honda, Hero, has a very laconic yet strong and stable logo, set in red and black on a plain white background. Red is the main color of the composition, with black only used for one of the two vertical bars in the emblem. In this color scheme, the minimalistic logo looks very stylish and progressive and represents the company at its best.
Jawa
Red in the logo of the old-school motorbike manufacturer is more about the traditional approach and stability. Jawa does not position itself as a progressive or innovative brand, and red is also quite a “multitasking” color. Here it signifies heritage, elegance, and confidence. In combination with white, red looks fresh and light, making up a vivid and eye-catching image.
MG (United Kingdom)
The bright shade of red on the minimalistic logo is the British automaker is a symbol of revival and progress. The red monogram in a geometric frame looks very contemporary and strong. The slightly softened angles of the hexagon add elegance, while the red color makes the badge strong and positive, showing both sides of the brand. White background ads air into the MG logo.
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi logo is one of the classic images in the automakers’ visual identity. The iconic Diamond badge, set in intense red, is a representation of the brand’s reputation, the quality of its products, and Mitsubishi’s confidence in today and tomorrow. The geometric emblem looks just great in this color, while the lettering adds stability and a “concrete” touch to the logo.
Pontiac
On the logo of the American car manufacturer, Pontiac, red is present in its gradients. The glossy red background of a sharp triangular Pontiac crest looks very royal and lush, creating a luxurious image. In combination with silver red looks quite calm and stable, with a mature confidence and a representation of quality and fundamental approach. The later versions of the badge were set in flat red, which looked more progressive.
Suzuki
The stylized red “S” from the Suzuki logo is, probably, one of the most recognizable emblems in the automaking industry. Red looks intense and bright in combination with the blue of the Suzuki wordmark, while the elegant contours of the “S” are perfectly balanced by the geometry of the characters. The red emblem here is all about Asia heritage and philosophy.
Tatra
Tatra, one of the world’s oldest car manufacturers, has been using red as the main color of its logo since the 1920s. At first, it was dark, with a Royal and sophisticated feel, but throughout the years the shade of red on the Tatra badge became brighter and more modern. Today the logo of the Czech automaker is set in gradient red, with a glossy circular medallion containing white lettering, creating a strong contrast.
Vauxhall
Since the beginning of the 1980s, the logo of the Vauxhall brand has been using red as one of the two colors in its palette. The shade, used here, is intense and delightful, but at the same time, it represents stability and strength, almost masculine. The mythological creature, depicted on the logo of the brand, looks good in red, creating a perfect image for the automaker.
UD Trucks
The logo of the UD Trucks brand is set in a glossy red and silver color palette, which is often accompanied by laconic black lettering. Here red is used for the background of the oval medallion, enclosed into a gradient three-dimensional frame, supported by a voluminous silver “UD” lettering, executed in a bold sans-serif typeface.
Microcar
Quite a modest and simple logo of the French Microcar automaker is set in a red and white color palette, which makes up the main part of the whole composition. The white lettering is placed on a solid red background (which sometimes gains a glossy surface) and is enclosed into a thin silverfish framing, and that is it, no additions, no designer typefaces.
Venturi
Venturi has one of the most progressive and stylish logos in today’s selection: the elegant red “V”, executed in thin yet confident lines with sharp cuts and rounded ends of the bars, is accompanied by a black uppercase lettering in a modern sans-serif typeface. This composition is somewhat completely different from the previous classy Venturi logo, which only has red as an additional color.
