History of Chevy Bowtie Logo

The signature Chevy bowtie emblem of the Chevloret company was unveiled in 1913 and there are many theories concerning the origin of the logo or symbol.

From co-founder William C. Durant’s hotel wallpaper theory to his daughter’s doodles designs theory, here are the popular folktales about the Chevy bowtie logo.

The Paris Theory

It is widely believed that the Chevy bowtie emblem was inspired by the wallpaper of a hotel that hosted Durant during his trip to Paris, France.

Authors of this theory state that the co-founder was so fascinated by the design of the hotel wallpaper to the point that he tore a piece and took it with him back to the U.S., where it served as inspiration for the Chevrolet emblem.

The Daughter’s Theory

Durant’s daughter, Margery, had her version of the Chevrolet symbol history. She wrote in her memoirs that the logo originated from her family’s kitchen.

According to Margery, Durant often sketched designs at the dinner table and one day he stumbled on a design that became the signature Chevy bowtie emblem.

“I think it was between the soup and the fried chicken one night that he sketched out the design that is used on the Chevrolet car to this day,” she says in a book entitled, My Father.

The Widow’s Theory

Durant’s widow, Catherine, claimed that her husband improved existing designs to create the Chevrolet symbol. According to this theory, Durant was inspired by a newspaper advert for Coalettes, a product of the Southern Compressed Coal Company.

The Coalettes logo is said to have been a slanted bowtie with a great look. Indeed, a historiographer of The Chevrolet Review extracted the advert and found that it looked similar to the Chevrolet emblem.

Editor’s Note: According to Chevrolet Company, Durant first introduced the Chevy bowtie emblem on the 1914 Chevrolet H-2 Royal Mail, way back in 1913.

Below are illustrations of the evolution of the Chevy bowtie logo.

1913

1916

1936

1947

1955

1969

1974

1982

1995

2004

2011

2016

2018

FAQs

What color is the Chevy emblem?

The Chevrolet logo is designed in gold and yellow colors, decorated with a silver border. These colors call for enthusiasm and power. The company’s name ‘Chevrolet’ is inscribed below the logo in black letters.

Why is Chevy bowtie black?

While the Chevy logo has been gold in color, GM recently introduced a black bow tie in the black and midnight editions to further strengthen the brand. The black logo replaces the gold color with black while retaining the shape and design of the standard emblem.

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