The Designer of the Chevy Emblem
The Chevy emblem, with its iconic bowtie design, has sparked numerous theories regarding its origin. One popular narrative suggests that William Durant, co-founder of Chevrolet, was inspired during a vacation. While staying at a French hotel, Durant was captivated by a piece of the wallpaper design, which he envisioned as a good nameplate for his automobiles. Another theory suggests that Durant noticed a pattern on wallpaper in a Parisian hotel, which he then sketched out to create the design used on Chevrolet cars to this day. Additionally, there are claims that Durant’s daughter, Margery, mentioned in her book “My Father” that Durant sketched the design between courses during a family dinner.
Therefore, the exact designer of the Chevy emblem remains a point of conjecture, with various theories attributing its creation to William Durant and his inspirations from different sources.
Contents
- Who designed the Chevrolet logo?
- What was Chevrolet’s first logo?
- Was there a man named Chevrolet?
- Is Chevy slang for Chevrolet?
- What is the origin of the Chevrolet bowtie logo?
- Why do some Chevys have black emblems?
- Why is the Chevrolet logo a cross?
- What does black bowtie on Chevy mean?
- Why doesn t corvette have the Chevy logo?
- What is the Chevy symbol supposed to be?
Who designed the Chevrolet logo?
Father William C. Durant
Founding Father
William C. Durant, one of Chevrolet’s original co-founders, is credited with the concept of the bowtie logo in late 1913. That much is clear, but how exactly he came up with the idea is a little murky. Durant said he got inspiration for the bowtie from the wallpaper in a Paris hotel room.
What was Chevrolet’s first logo?
According to the automaker, the Chevy bowtie was introduced in 1913 by co-founder William C. Durant on the 1914 Chevrolet H-2 Royal Mail and the H-4 Baby Grand. The logo was placed at the front and center of both models.
Was there a man named Chevrolet?
Louis-Joseph Chevrolet (December 25, 1878 – June 6, 1941) was an American racing driver, mechanic and entrepreneur who co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911.
Is Chevy slang for Chevrolet?
Chevrolet (/ˌʃɛvrəˈleɪ/ SHEV-rə-LAY), colloquially referred to as Chevy, is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM).
What is the origin of the Chevrolet bowtie logo?
The story goes that Chevy co-founder William “Billy” Durant, as an avid globe-trekker traveling the world in 1908, took notice of a design on the wallpaper of a Parisian hotel that he saw as the perfect emblem to represent the Chevy brand.
Why do some Chevys have black emblems?
Off the bat, the black bow tie has no specific significance behind it. It is purely an aesthetic choice, with most Chevy models able to be optioned with either the “regular” gold bow tie or the newer black one. With most Chevy models offering it as an option, the black bow tie is proving to be quite popular.
Why is the Chevrolet logo a cross?
The enigmatic cross of the logo
Durant, co-founder of General Motors. There are several theories that surround it; the most widespread, and one that Durant himself confirmed once, is that he was inspired by the pattern of the wallpaper of a hotel room where he stayed in Paris during a trip he made in 1908.
What does black bowtie on Chevy mean?
The black Chevy bowtie simply replaces the gold with black, while keeping the shape and design of the former.
Why doesn t corvette have the Chevy logo?
However, due to restrictions on usage of the American flag on commercial products, Chevy scrapped the design in favor of one that featured the Chevy bowtie emblem and the fleur-de-lis mentioned above.
What is the Chevy symbol supposed to be?
The Coalettes Theory
Durant’s widow claimed that he drew heavy inspiration from a newspaper ad for “Coalettes,” a product made by the Southern Compressed Coal company. The Coalettes logo was a slanted bowtie with a bold, graphic look.