Renault logo design evolution

Producing cars since late 1897, the Renault corporation was founded in 1899 as Société Renault Frères by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand.

The first Renault car, the Renault Voiturette 1CV was sold to a friend of Louis’ father after giving him a test ride on 24 December 1898. The client was so impressed with the way the tiny car ran and how it climbed the streets that he bought it.

Over the next 100+ years the Renault logo design underwent nearly a dozen changes as well as the creation of the Renault MN typeface, and its successor Renault Identitéi to become the logo it is today.

1900: The first logo featured the initials of the 3 founding brothers engraved on a medallion.

1906: After getting their first major contract the logo was changed to feature a car enclosed in a cog.

1919: During World War 1 Renault manufactured tanks, and as before updated its logo to reflect its product.

1923: With the war having been over for 5 years, Renault dropped the tank image in favor of a grill and its first use of the company name.

1925: The founding of the diamond brand.

1946: Now becoming the national brand “Regie Nationale des Usines Renault”, the diamond is refined while the new brand name and colour is added.

1959: Additional refinement to the diamond while the extended brand name is removed.

1972: The logo is modernized to become a 3-dimensional diamond, paving the way for it’s current design.

1992: The foundation of the current logo design is created, as well as an increased focus on the wordmark element of the design.

2004: A more detailed logo is rendered with a new typeface along and returned to a yellow background.

What do you think?

I’m still liking the 1992 mark myself.

Thanks to Wikipedia for the Renault company history.