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THIS LOGO IS MORE FAMOUS THAN BAGUETTE

In the past, on the way to vacation, my sister and I were always incredibly busy with the game ‘guessing logos’. It was a godawfully long drive to Spain, and so you had to find ways to entertain yourself in traffic. And so we became masters at recognizing logos. That checkered logo of Renault (which is called ’Le Losange’) has been etched in my memory for years, for years now. Until I was told that it’s actually quite impressive, because Renault has had quite a few logos. Of course, I dove in with my nose, because I find logos incredibly interesting. And actually just very fun. Just read along.

 1898 – The founding of a company

In 1898, Renault was founded by two brothers. That brings a very nice story with it that I could type a few sentences about, but you can also just here take a look, because May has already recorded the warm history for you. But we are going to talk about the logos here. In 1900, two years after the founding of the company, Renault Frères got its first logo: a medallion decorated with a ribbon featuring two stylized letters ‘R’, in which you can also spot an ‘L’ for Louis and an ‘M’ for Marcel. These two intertwined letters ‘R’ were the initials of the Renault brothers and symbolized the founding of the company. That logo, however, didn’t have a very long life. It all had to be a bit more industrial, and therefore in 1906 the logo was already replaced by a gear featuring the front of the Renault that won the first grand prize from the Automobile Club de France. Not very surprising, because Renault was incredibly popular due to the fame it gained from speed races.

1923 – The ‘alligator’ hoods

The first logo (okay, after some changes here and there) lasted quite a long time. Still, in 1923 it had to undergo a renewal. It became a roundish logo with the name ‘Renault’ in the middle. It had a bit of the shape of Renault's ‘alligator’ hoods. You see, cars are indeed exciting. The hoods of Renault looked like the mouth of a crocodile.

1925 – The introduction of the diamond

The hoods changed, so the logo had to be adjusted again. All the roundness became a bit more angular, because that ultimately fit better. It also became a little sportier.

1945 – The diamond reveals color

In 1945, quite a bit changed for Renault. What remained? The name and the brand promise. The brand was adjusted, as a touch of yellow was added: the house color of the company. They made a detour by experimenting with three dolphins on a crown as a logo, but ultimately returned to the diamond.

1972 – Plagiarism and adjustments

The diamond apparently did so well for the brand awareness and recognition of Renault that the name Renault didn’t even need to be mentioned anymore.

 1973 – A new image

In 1973, painter and visual artist Victor Vasarely, together with his son Yvaral, created a logo with parallel stripes: a combination of technique and aesthetics. It was still a diamond, but in a new way. And that became a little success. The cars that were sold at that time with the old logo were recalled to receive a new emblem. The Renault 5 was the first model with such a new diamond. This was used for 20 years and was immediately dubbed the first sustainable logo of Renault.

1992 – The diamond gains volume

Twenty years after artist Vasarely designed the Renault logo, Renault had a new logo designed again, but this time by Jacques Paumier (JPG Design). The result is simpler, more massive, and with more relief, while still remaining elegant. A new font also comes into play, specially designed for Renault by Wolff Olins. It is also used in the logo, and the name appears again under the diamond.

2000 – Créateur d’automobiles

Since 2000, Renault uses ‘Créateur d’Automobiles’ as its brand signature. In 2004, the diamond emblem was placed in a yellow square to enhance the relief. A new font was also used. And the diamond? It remained.

2007 – Diamond friend

Three years later, in 2007, the tenth change in the brand of the logo followed. The yellow frame was incorporated into the Renault monogram and placed under the diamond.

2015 – Renault, Passion for life

The diamond is still there. And how. It can be grand, it can be prominent, and the cars reflect that. The logos are well present, as they give the cars even more character. We certainly recognize them, but that logo puts the icing on the cake.