Chevrolet Logo and the Chevy Bowtie

What is the Chevy logo, and what does the Chevrolet logo mean?

The Chevy logo is the bowtie, a stretched cross that Chevrolet has used since late 1913. The Chevrolet logo, the Chevrolet symbol and the Chevrolet emblem all refer to this one shape, and it got its nickname because it looks like a bow tie. Chevrolet has never published an official meaning for it, and its origin is still disputed.

People use five words for the same mark, and they are not quite interchangeable:

Term	What it usually means
Bowtie (also “bow tie”)	The shape itself and the nickname for the logo. Chevrolet uses the word too, as in “gold bowtie”
Logo	The brand mark as a whole, with or without the CHEVROLET wordmark
Symbol	The cross on its own, without the name
Emblem	The physical badge that carries the logo on the car, usually on the grille or tailgate
Badge	Any piece of trim lettering or logo on the car, including model and trim badges

Officially, the Chevrolet logo means nothing beyond the brand itself. Readings such as strength, balance or reliability come from logo blogs, not from Chevrolet. What the Chevrolet symbol does carry is continuity: every version since 1913 has kept the same cross outline, and the 2026 redesign is reported to make it only slightly more horizontal.

Where did the Chevy bowtie come from? Four origin stories

Nobody knows for certain where the Chevrolet logo came from. Co-founder William C. Durant introduced the bowtie in late 1913, and four competing accounts explain where he found the idea. Each one has a named source, none has been proven, and the question may never be settled. Here are the four stories, in the order of the dates they describe:

Story	Who told it	Date and place in the story	What supports it
Hotel wallpaper	The Chevrolet Story, a company publication from 1961	1908, a hotel in France	Written 14 years after Durant’s death; never confirmed
Coalettes coal ad	Historian Ken Kaufmann, editor of The Chevrolet Review	November 12, 1911, The Constitution (Atlanta)	The ad exists and its slanted cross looks very similar; nothing shows Durant saw it
Newspaper in a hotel room	Durant’s widow, Catherine Durant	1912, Hot Springs, Virginia	Her later recollection; accounts differ on what design she meant
Dinner-table sketch	Durant’s daughter, Margery Durant, in her 1929 book My Father	Undated, the family dinner table	A family memoir, not a company record

In the wallpaper story, Durant tore a piece of the pattern off a hotel wall on his travels and kept it to show friends as a possible nameplate. The 1961 publication says only “a French hotel” and names no city.

The Coalettes ad, for the Southern Compressed Coal Co., ran nine days after Chevrolet’s November 3 founding date. Catherine Durant’s story is different: she recalled her husband spotting a design in a newspaper in their hotel room and saying it would make a good emblem. Some pages call the dinner-table account “the newspaper theory”, but those are two separate stories. Margery wrote that her father sketched the shape “between the soup and the fried chicken one night.”

A fifth idea, that the design is a stylized Swiss cross honoring Louis Chevrolet’s homeland, is folklore with no named source. Our verdict: only the Coalettes ad is a document from the time, and it proves a similar shape existed, not that Durant copied it.

Chevrolet logo history: every version since 1911

1. 1911–1913
2. 1913–1914
3. 1914–1934
4. 1934–1940
5. 1940–1950
6. 1943–1945
7. 1950–1964
8. 1964–1976
9. 1976–1988
10. 1988–2002
11. 1994–2001
12. 2001–2002
13. 2004–2009
14. 2009–2012
15. 2013–2023
16. 2023–2026

The original Chevrolet logo was a 1911 script wordmark. The bowtie first appeared in advertising in late 1913 and on the cars in 1914. Since then the Chevy logo has changed color, frame and finish many times, and the newest steps are a flat web version in late 2023 and a black, more horizontal design reported in April 2026.

Our timeline of the Chevrolet logo evolution counts 18 versions: two text-only wordmarks, 15 bowtie logos and the black finish offered as a trim option. The table sums up the Chevrolet logo history; each version has its own section below.

Period	Version	What it looks like
1911–1913	Script wordmark	”Chevrolet” in black script, no bowtie
1913–1914	First bowtie	Stretched cross, serif capitals, printed in black and gray
1914–1934	Blue and gold	Light-blue center, gold frame, white letters
1934–1940	Black monochrome	Black with a white inner line, larger bold capitals
1940–1950	Blue with gold frame	Flat blue center inside a thick gold frame
1943–1945	Wartime wordmark	Lettering only, with an oversized V
1950–1964	Red oval	White cross inside a red oval
1964–1976	Thin outline	White cross with a thin black outline
1976–1988	Solid blue	Blue with a white inner frame
1988–2002	Outline and red wordmark	Empty blue outline above a red CHEVROLET
1994–2001	3D blue	Glossy blue emblem above “Genuine Chevrolet”
2001–2002	Red outline	Dark-red 3D outline, no fill
2004–2009	Unified gold	Gold with a silver frame, on every model
2009–2012	Textured gold	Grid-textured gold, thicker silver frame
2013–2023	Refined gold	Two-tone gold, slimmer frame, gray wordmark
2016–present	Black trim option	The same shape in black, on selected trims
2023–2026	Flat monochrome	2D design with no bevel, on Chevrolet websites
2026–present	Sixth generation	Black, slightly more horizontal, illuminated outline

1911–1913: the original Chevrolet logo, a script wordmark

The first logo Chevrolet used had no bowtie at all. It was the name alone, written in a bold black script with a looping C and a flourish underneath. It is often described as Louis Chevrolet’s signature, but no source confirms that, and the designer is unknown. Logopedia dates the wordmark to the company’s founding in November 1911.

1913–1914: the first Chevy bowtie

The first bowtie was a horizontally stretched cross with diagonally cut ends and CHEVROLET in uppercase serif letters across the bar. Its earliest known use is a Washington Post ad of October 2, 1913, which told readers to “Look for this nameplate.” Surviving prints are black and gray, so nobody knows its original colors. Durant introduced it, but no designer is recorded.

1914–1934: the old Chevrolet logo in blue and gold

In 1914 the emblem moved from the ads to the cars, starting with the H-series Royal Mail and Baby Grand and the L-series Light Six. The old Chevrolet logo of this era has a light-blue center, a gold beveled frame and white serif letters on the bar, with a short rule above and below the name. It stayed in use for 20 years.

1934–1940: black and white, with bigger letters

In 1934 the blue and gold disappeared. The cross turned black with a thin white inner line, and CHEVROLET was set in larger, bold uppercase letters in white. A thin outer frame replaced the beveled gold edge.

1940–1950: blue returns inside a thick gold frame

Blue came back in 1940 as a flat center inside a thick gold frame. The white inner line was gone, while the bold white capitals from 1934 stayed. Some sites call this shade sky blue, but the artwork shows a deeper, royal blue.

1943–1945: the wartime wordmark with a big V

During the war years Chevrolet also used a lettering-only logo: a narrow black serif “Chevrolet” with an oversized V cutting through the name. Wikipedia and Logopedia date it 1943 to 1945, and one aggregator stretches it to 1940–1945.

1950–1964: white on a red oval

The biggest color change came in 1950. The cross turned white and sat inside a rounded red oval with a gray highlight, and CHEVROLET ran across the bar in red italic serif capitals. This red-and-white logo lasted 14 years.

1964–1976: a thin black outline

In 1964 Chevrolet stripped the logo back to a thin black outline around a white cross, with no color at all. The name switched to bold, slanted uppercase sans-serif letters. It was the plainest version so far, and it lasted 12 years.

1976–1988: solid blue

Blue took over again in 1976: a solid blue cross with a thin white inner frame and “Chevrolet” in white mixed-case letters across the middle. Some sites add a black drop shadow to this version, but the reference artwork does not show one.

1988–2002: an empty outline and a red wordmark

In the 1988 Chevy logo the name moved out of the symbol. The cross became a blue outline with an empty center, set above a bold red uppercase CHEVROLET. Versions without a name inside had been appearing since the mid-1980s, and the empty outline on its own is still used as a print logo.

1994–2001: 3D blue with “Genuine Chevrolet”

The emblem went three-dimensional in 1994: glossy gradient blue with a silver frame and a road-like highlight, set above “Genuine Chevrolet” in black serif type. The lockup matched the Genuine Chevrolet slogan, which ran from 1994 to 1999.

2001–2002: a dark-red 3D outline

For about a year the logo became a glossy dark-red outline with a beveled edge, an empty center and no wordmark. Logopedia and 1000logos both list it for 2001–2002. At the time Chevrolet still gave different vehicles different bowtie colors, a system that ended in 2004.

2004–2009: one gold bowtie for every Chevy

From 2004 Chevrolet phased in one gold emblem for all its cars and trucks worldwide, starting with the 2004 Malibu and the “An American Revolution” campaign. Until then passenger cars wore a blue bowtie, trucks a gold one and performance packages an outline, often red. Some sites date the change to 2002, but the documented start is 2004.

2009–2012: a textured gold badge with a thicker frame

Around 2009 and 2010 the gold gained a fine grid texture and a thicker beveled silver frame. According to Logopedia, Chevrolet showed it on three concept cars, the Beat, Groove and Trax, at the 2007 New York auto show, and production models got it with the 2009 model year. 1000logos dates the same redesign to 2010.

2013–2023: the refined gold bowtie

In 2013, the emblem’s own centennial year, Chevrolet refined the gold bowtie. The gold was split into shiny and matte halves inside a slimmer chrome-silver frame, and a gray CHEVROLET wordmark sat below it. Logopedia says the redraw was done in late 2012 and rolled out with the “Find New Roads” slogan in January 2013. The company itself had turned 100 in 2011, but no separate logo for that anniversary is documented.

2016–present: the black bowtie option

The black bowtie is a finish, not a new logo: the same shape, rendered all black and sometimes illuminated, offered alongside gold. The 2016 Camaro was the first Chevy to offer it, and the Bolt EV followed. It did not replace gold across the range.

2023–2026: the new Chevrolet logo goes flat

In late 2023 Chevrolet replaced the 3D gold design on its websites in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil with a flat, two-dimensional monochrome bowtie with no bevel or gradient. The new Chevrolet logo came with a modified wordmark and the slogan “Together Let’s Drive”, which launched on October 27, 2023. Chevrolet’s websites had carried the 2013 gold logo until then.

2026–present: the sixth-generation bowtie

In April 2026 a sixth-generation Chevrolet logo was reported on the 2027 Chevrolet Sonic RS in Brazil. It is mostly black, slightly more horizontal than before and has an illuminated outline, and it appears on the grille, tailgate, wheel caps and steering wheel. Reports describe it as a global update for 2027 model-year vehicles. The Sonic RS is not sold in the U.S., and as of April 2026 Chevrolet had not confirmed U.S. timing for the new Chevrolet logo.

Chevrolet logo colors and font

The Chevrolet logo colors have changed far more than its shape: blue and gold in 1914, black in 1934, blue with gold in 1940, red and white in 1950, blue again in 1976 and gold on every model from 2004, with black as a trim option since 2016. The wordmark is custom lettering, and the brand typefaces are named after the two founders.

Colors

Before 2004 the color of the Chevy logo on a vehicle depended on what kind of vehicle it was. Since then the rule has been simpler.

Period	Color	Where
Before 2004	Blue	Passenger cars
Before 2004	Gold	Trucks
Before 2004	Outline, often red	Performance packages
2004 on	Gold with a silver frame	All cars and trucks, worldwide
2016 on	Black	A trim option, first on the Camaro
Late 2023 on	Flat monochrome	Chevrolet websites

Chevrolet has not assigned meanings to these colors. Claims that blue stands for trust or gold for quality are commentary from logo sites, not company statements. Because of the gold, Chevrolet also appears among our yellow car logos.

Chevrolet logo font

The Chevrolet logo font is not a retail typeface. The gray CHEVROLET under the 2013 emblem is custom lettering tied to Louis, a typeface family named after Louis Chevrolet, and a companion family called Durant is named after William C. Durant. Earlier wordmarks changed with each logo: script in 1911, serif capitals from 1913 to 1934, bold sans capitals from 1934, red italics in 1950 and slanted sans-serif capitals in 1964.

Chevrolet logo PNG: download and use

The Download button at the top of this page gives you a Chevrolet logo PNG of the 2013 gold bowtie, with its chrome-silver frame and gray CHEVROLET wordmark, at 1,728 × 905 pixels on a transparent background. Gold is still the finish on many current Chevrolets, so this is a version you will still see on the road.

A few practical points:

• One file, one format. We offer the Chevy logo as a PNG only, not as a vector file such as SVG or EPS.
• Black and white. If you need the Chevrolet logo in black and white for reference, the 1934 and 1964 versions in the timeline above are the historical one-color designs.
• Use. The emblem belongs to General Motors, Chevrolet’s parent since 1918. The free file suits reference, school and editorial use; check with GM before any commercial use.

The Chevrolet logo on the car: emblems, badges and model logos

The Chevrolet car logo you see on the road is the emblem itself. It usually sits on the grille and the tailgate, with smaller versions on the wheel caps and the steering wheel. Model names and trim badges are separate pieces, and the trim level can change the emblem’s finish.

The 2021 Colorado is a good example: the WT and LT trims had a gold bowtie, while the Z71 had a black one. Chevrolet’s Ultium-based electric models, such as the Equinox EV, Blazer EV and Silverado EV, carry a small blue “E” made of three horizontal lines in the nameplate. There is no blue EV bowtie; the blue is in the lettering, not the Chevy logo.

A replacement Chevrolet badge or emblem, including black ones, is available from Chevrolet dealers and Chevrolet’s official accessories store. The Chevrolet Corvette logo is a separate emblem built around crossed flags, covered on our Corvette page.

Where does Chevrolet come from? The name, the founders and the country

Chevrolet’s country of origin is the United States. The company was founded in November 1911 (Chevrolet marks November 3, 1911), is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, and built its first factory in Flint, Michigan. It is a division of General Motors, not a Korean, Swiss or French company.

It was founded by Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss-born racing driver, and William C. Durant, with Louis’s brother Arthur Chevrolet also involved from the start. Wikipedia lists Arthur as a co-founder, while most other sources name only Louis and Durant.

The brand is named after Louis Chevrolet, who was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, in French-speaking Switzerland, in 1878. “Chevrolet” is simply his family name, and “Chevy” is the affectionate short form. Louis sold his share to Durant in 1914, a year after the bowtie appeared, so the emblem was never really his. Chevrolet became part of General Motors after Durant’s reverse merger on May 2, 1918.