Sixt SE is a multinational car rental company. It is based in Germany and has over 2,100 locations in more than 100 countries around the globe.
The history of the brand can be traced as far back as 1912, when Martin Sixt established the first car rental company in Bavaria. Its fleet comprised only three cars.
In 1951, Auto Sixt was created. In 1982, it started working under a new name, Sixt Autovermietung GmbH. The Sixt logo of that era featured the lettering “Sixt/Budget.”
The primary logo features nothing but the name of the brand. It is given in an unpretentious yet highly legible sans.
The most eye-catching element is the curve replacing the dot above the “i.” The curve is gold, which creates a vivid contrast with the black letters. This element was included not only for decorative purposes – it adds meaning, too. The curve conjures up the road, which works well for a company connected with cars. The “road” theme is supported by other letters, too. For instance, the “X” and “T” merge into a single glyph resembling a part of the highway. Other letters stand very close to each other, which also makes them look like the road with its turns and curves.
It might seem that nothing has changed when it comes to the Sixt logo. However, when the two versions are placed one next to each other, one might instantly see that the orange color used for the dot or rather a swoosh above the “i” is deeper and much more saturated. The others might see that all the strokes got thinner, so the letters looked more distinct now. The font has also changed, but the main difference was the letter “S”, which was not as curvy anymore. The new font is from a custom Sixt font family.
The short version of the logo features a typeface that is a customized one. On the other hand, it doesn’t have many unique features about it. The proportions of the letters are classic and are based on the rectangle shape. The thickness of the strokes is almost the same everywhere, although you can find slight variations, especially in the “S.”
The type used in the word “Aktiengesellshaft” is also a traditional and highly legible sans with slight variations in the thicknesses of the strokes. Here, the letters are lowercase, except for the initial “A.”
Although not all taxicabs are yellow, this color has been traditionally known as a classic for taxicabs – it has been used in various countries across the globe. In most cases, a rather dark and muted shade of yellow is chosen, while black is used as an additional color.
The Sixt logo was inspired by this traditional color scheme. The designers add a subtle unique touch by making the gold very dark – it is in fact closer to orange. And yet, together with the black, it gives us a subconscious hint at the type of company this logo can belong to.