Volkswagen is a legendary brand of car manufacturer, which was established in 1937 by the German Labour Front. Today the company is the world’s largest automaker and one of the most successful volume automobile companies.
The name Volkswagen translates from German as “car for the people”. The brand was created out of Adolf Hitler’s idea. He wanted to build a superhighway and make vehicles more affordable for people. The idea was born in 1933, when Hitler visited an auto show in Berlin. A year later he became the leader of Germany and invited Ferdinand Porsche to launch the production of “people’s cars”.
The first car, VW Beetle, was inspired by the sketch from a French magazine, dating 1934.
The first brand’s logo was composed of the two letters “V” and “W”, placed one above another, with a frame, representing a cogwheel. It was a graphical rounded interpretation of swastika symbol.
In two years the logo was redesigned. The Nazi symbolism is gone, but the cogwheel remain, as well as the lettering. The new logo is practical, brutal and masculine, and the proportions are more balanced now.
In 1945 the brand created its longest-running logo, which was the foundation of the today’s logo. It is more graphical and strong, with an emphasis on practicality and quality of the product.
The redesign of 1948switched the color palette of the Volkswagen logo to black and white, and slightly refined the contours of the monogram, reducing the space between the “V” and the “W”, and emboldening the interior outline of the roundel. This version of the badge was used by the German automaker for a decade.
In 1960 the unique square logo was designed. The idea was to maintain a brand’s global image, as it started operating on international markets. The square frame of the new VW logo with its monochrome palette was reflecting the power and stability of the brand.
In seven years the square has gone, bringing back the traditional for the brand circle. The design of the new logo was similar to the one from 1945, but more minimalist and elegant. The color scheme was changed to blue and white, showing the blue letters on a white background.
The logo form was slightly modified by doubling the frame, the letter “V” became a little smaller. The colors were switched to what we see on the current logo — white symbol on a blue background.
The modifications of this time period were more about the color palette. It remains blue and white, but the blue became lighter and brighter. The proportions were also changed a little.
In 1995 a new shade of blue was adopted for the iconic badge. It became smoother and significantly darker than the one, used for the previous version, which made the whole badge look more professional and serious. His shade was used by Volkswagen for almost five years.
The redesign of 1999 has added volume to the Volkswagen badge, adding gradient shades to the blue background of the roundel, and a light shadow to the white lines of the characters. This was a transitional badge between the flat version, and the three-dimensional one introduced a year later.
The new three-dimensional logo was created. The white color got a silver tone, while the blue became calmer and more intense. The proportions are perfectly balanced now. The logo looks powerful.
The 3D effect of the new logo is maximized, though the size of an emblem is now reduced. The lines of the letters look sharper and bolder, which gives a logo a strong and confident look, evoking the sense of progress.
The current logo was designed in order to celebrate the brand’s launch of electrocars. It is futuristic, simple and sophisticated. The Volkswagen logo came back to a two-dimensional design, which makes in more high-end and stylish.
The Volkswagen emblem is instantly recognizable. Its round frame with the brand’s initials is well-known all over the globe.
The brand’s symbol is composed of two letters: “V” for “Volks”, people, and “W” for “Wagen”, vehicle. The “V” is placed above “W”. The letters are enclosed in a circle.
The color scheme of the Volkswagen emblem is a combination of blue and white, where white is used for the letters and blue – as a background. This palette reflects the brand’s professionalism and stability, with the main accent on quality.
The emblem has changed during the brand’s history, but the basis was created in the very beginning.
How did Volkswagen get its logo?
There is no news that Volkswagen was started as a Nazi brand, so the first version of its iconic monogram logo was inscribed into a swastika-like frame. The original VW badge was introduced in 1938 and has undergone several redesigns, before getting to the current minimalistic and extremely stylish version.
What does the Volkswagen logo mean?
The Volkswagen logo means nothing but the name of the brand, which is composed of two German words, “Villa”, which means “People”, and “Wagen”, which means “Automobile”. As the two wordmarks together can be translated as the “People’s Car”, or a “Car for People”. The logo of the brand depicts two capital letters, standing for the two words, making up the name of the car marque.
Why did VW change its logo?
All brands try to follow the latest trends in visual design dentistry design and to show their progressiveness and innovative approach to all aspects of the business, and Volkswagen is not an exception. The latest redesign of the brand’s badge was held in 2019, to create a more modern look for the iconic badge, and represent the growth of the legendary German company.