Vauxhall Logo PNG
Vauxhall is the name of an automobile manufacturer from the United Kingdom, which was established by Alexander Wilson in 1857 and during the first years was producing pumps and engines for boats. Throughout its long history, the company was manufacturing luxury and affordable cars, and today it is focused on the production of the middle-price cars and commercial vehicles.
Meaning and history
Vauxhall is one of the oldest European automaking companies, and its visual identity is a tribute to the brand’s history and legacy. The first logo was created in 1857 and the main symbol is still staying on the marque badge.
The mythological creature, Griffin, was adopted by the brand at the very beginning of its existence. It was taken from the ancient coat of arms of Sir Falkes de Breaute, a British soldier, who lived in the 13th century. The house he lived in was named Vauxhall, and later it gave the name to the whole district, where later, in 1857 the automaking company was established.
1857 – 1983
The original Vauxhall logo depicted an image of a Griffin, a creature with the eagle’s head and wings and the lion’s body. It was holding a black flag with the bold letter “V” on it. The “V” was executed in a clean sans-serif, which balanced the ornate wings and curved tail of the Griffin.
1983 – 1989
In 1983 the image was colored while and placed inside a red square with a thick outline. The “V” was removed from the flag, but the wordmark was added under the creature. The lettering in all-caps was executed in a traditional serif font with a lot of space between the letters.
1989 – 2003
The redesign of 1989 brought a new shape to the Vauxhall emblem. The white Griffin with the flag was placed on a red circle and complemented by a massive black wordmark. The letter “V” came back to the flag.
2003 – 2008
In 2003 the wordmark was removed from the logo, and the badge was made three-dimensional. The mythological creature with the flag was now executed in gradient silver, looking luxurious and powerful. The circular badge was left flat and without any framing.
2008 – 2013
The badge was changed in 2008. The Griffin got enlarged so that we don’t see his judge wind anymore, but just a delicate smooth line on the right of the circle, coming out of the thick silver frame. The red background of the emblem was switched to black, and the wordmark appeared on the badge again, arched on the top pet of the silver frame.
2009 – 2011
For two years the brand used the logo from 2008, but with a red background and a thinner outline. There was no wordmark in this version, and it looked lighter and more sophisticated.
2011 – 2020
The Griffin becomes sharper and brighter in 2011, due to the use of a darker shade of gray and the addition of lines to the creature’s image. The wordmark appears again, but this time it is placed under the badge, executed in a bold and smooth sans-serif typeface, in dark gray.
2020 – Today
In 2019 Vauxhall introduced its new emblem — a flat red and white circular badge, where the Griffin is drawn without its wings, and the flag with the letter “V” is slightly enlarged. The wordmark is written under the emblem, using a dark shade of blue and a new strict typeface.
Font and color
The wordmark from the Vauxhall logo today is written in a bold and masculine sans-serif typeface with its edges cut straight. Each of the letters in the inscription is solid and confident, and together they look like a truly powerful logotype. The typeface of the lettering is pretty close to such font as Radiate Sans Bold Expanded and LCT Picón Extended Black.
The red and white color palette, which has been in use by the brand throughout its history, represents power, passion, and courage, while the new dark blue shade adds a sense of trustworthiness and responsibility, showing the brand as the one that cares about quality and comfort.
