Renault Logo

Brand Overview and Founding

Renault was founded in 1899 as Société Renault Frères in France by Louis Renault, Marcel Renault and Fernand Renault. The brothers presented their first car in 1897 which entered sales the following year. This established the beginning of a continuous history as a French mass-market automobile manufacturer.

The early brand name derived directly from the three founding brothers. Their initials appeared in the first emblems, creating the foundation for the Renault car logo that would evolve over the decades.

Renault Logo Evolution

1. 1899–1906
2. 1906–1919
3. 1919–1923
4. 1923–1925
5. 1925–1930
6. 1930–1945
7. 1945–1946
8. 1946–1958
9. 1958–1967
10. 1967–1972
11. 1972–1982
12. 1982–1990
13. 1990–2004
14. 2004–2007
15. 2007–2015
16. 2015–2021
17. 2021–Present

The Renault logo history reflects more than a century of design changes. From the first monogram to the enduring diamond motif introduced in 1925, each era responded to industrial developments and historical context. The Renault symbol has maintained a recognizable identity while adapting its visual style.

1899-1906: Initial Monogram Logo

The first Renault logo featured the initials of Louis, Marcel and Fernand Renault. This design used an oval-shaped medallion with decorative ribbons in an elegant style typical of the period.

• Design: Initials of the three Renault brothers in an oval medallion
• Colors: Not specified in early versions
• Changes: First official logo for the newly founded company
• Context: Created for Société Renault Frères at the start of operations

1906-1919: Gear Wheel Emblem

A more industrial approach appeared with a car image placed inside a round gear-wheel frame. This Renault car symbol shifted toward a masculine and mechanical appearance.

• Design: Car illustration within circular gear frame
• Colors: Not specified in early versions
• Changes: Moved away from monogram to representational imagery
• Context: Reflected growing industrial character of automobile production

1919-1923: Tank Inspired Emblem

Following World War I tank production, Renault adopted a brutal round emblem. This Renault badge captured the company's wartime manufacturing experience in its stark form.

• Design: Round emblem with tank-inspired brutal style
• Colors: Not specified
• Changes: Shift to a more austere and powerful appearance
• Context: Direct response to the company’s tank production during 1914-1918

1923-1925: Grille Celebration Logo

The next evolution celebrated the vehicle grille within a round icon. The Renault emblem of this period placed the wordmark prominently in the center with a more modern and confident look.

• Design: Round icon focused on grille pattern with central text
• Colors: Not specified
• Changes: Increased emphasis on the wordmark
• Context: Bridge period before the introduction of the diamond shape

1925-1930: First Diamond Logo

The diamond motif first appeared in 1925 as the defining Renault symbol. This angular rhombus retained some grille pattern while featuring the brand name in the center, establishing the shape that would define the Renault logo for the next century.

• Design: Angular rhombus with brand name centered
• Colors: Yellow color introduced in 1946
• Changes: Adoption of the diamond shape as core identity element
• Context: Marked the beginning of the enduring diamond motif

1930-1945: Thick Lined Diamond

Thick parallel black lines characterized the next diamond version, paired with a bold white serif inscription. Black became the dominant color during this period of the Renault logo evolution.

• Design: Diamond featuring thick parallel lines and central banner
• Colors: Black dominant with white lettering
• Changes: Increased boldness and contrast in line work
• Context: Continued development of the diamond as the Renault car symbol

1945-1946: Post-War Shield Logo

Following nationalization, a temporary shield design appeared with the diamond placed on a classic form featuring rounded lines and ornaments. The inscription used the full legal name of the company.

• Design: Diamond on shield with geometric ornaments
• Colors: Black sans-serif text on shield
• Changes: Incorporated complete legal name after 1946 nationalization
• Context: Reflected the creation of Regie Nationale Renault

1946-1958: Crest Removed Diamond

The crest was removed after the brief shield period. This version of the Renault logo used a yellow diamond combined with white and black elements along with bold modern lettering.

• Design: Simple diamond without surrounding crest
• Colors: Yellow, white and black
• Changes: Removal of shield elements for cleaner appearance
• Context: Post-war modernization of the visual identity

1958-1967: Narrower Elegant Diamond

A narrower and more elegant diamond shape emerged in the late 1950s. This design, sometimes called the pointe de diamant, featured finer lettering for a refined appearance.

• Design: Narrower diamond form with elegant proportions
• Colors: Maintained yellow and black palette
• Changes: Refined proportions and more delicate details
• Context: Move toward more sophisticated visual presentation

1967-1972: Yellow Square Diamond

A bright yellow square contained two white arrow-like figures that formed a yellow rhombus through negative space. The narrowed black Renault inscription appeared below this geometric composition.

• Design: Square frame with negative space rhombus
• Colors: Bright yellow with white and black
• Changes: Innovative use of negative space to create the diamond
• Context: Experimental approach to the Renault emblem

1972-1982: Vasarely 3D Diamond

Artist Victor Vasarely redesigned the Renault logo with a three-dimensional dynamic diamond featuring angular lines. The brand name was removed from the primary emblem during this period.

• Design: 3D diamond with strong angular construction
• Colors: Focused on dimensional shading
• Changes: Complete removal of text from the emblem itself
• Context: Artistic collaboration that added depth and dynamism

1982-1990: Refined 3D Diamond

Refined contours and darker yellow tones updated the three-dimensional diamond. White touches enhanced depth while an elegant serif typeface accompanied the Renault car logo.

• Design: Softer refinement of the 3D diamond form
• Colors: Darker yellow with white accenting
• Changes: Improved dimensional qualities and typography
• Context: Evolution of the Vasarely concept with greater elegance

1990-2004: Stronger 3D Diamond

A stronger three-dimensional diamond appeared with the Renault name in a bold serif sans font positioned below. This design laid the foundation for the current Renault logo.

• Design: Enhanced 3D diamond with supporting wordmark
• Colors: Strong contrast in the dimensional elements
• Changes: Increased visual strength and presence
• Context: Direct predecessor to the modern identity

2004-2007: Modernized Emblem

Modernization brought a new typeface and a yellow square background. The design featured a black nameplate alongside a silver diamond in this update to the Renault symbol.

• Design: Updated emblem with square background treatment
• Colors: Yellow square with silver and black elements
• Changes: Introduction of silver coloring for the diamond
• Context: Further contemporary refinement of the identity

2007-2015: Elegant Wordmark Era

A new wordmark designed by Eric de Berranger emphasized elegant contrast between thick and thin strokes. This version created a powerful yet refined presentation for the Renault badge.

• Design: Sophisticated typographic treatment
• Colors: Maintained core brand colors
• Changes: Focus on elegant letterform construction
• Context: Emphasis on high-quality typographic presence

2015-2021: Minimalistic Modern Era

Bolder forms and a custom minimalistic typeface defined this period. The addition of yellow brought a sense of playfulness to the otherwise streamlined Renault logo.

• Design: Clean minimalistic approach with bolder elements
• Colors: Yellow used to add energy and approachability
• Changes: Simplified overall design language
• Context: Response to contemporary design trends

2021-Present: Monochrome Diamond

The current design uses two thick lines to create a monochrome diamond with a chain-weaving visual effect. This minimalist approach represents the most recent stage of Renault logo evolution while maintaining the historic diamond shape.

• Design: Two-line construction forming interwoven diamond
• Colors: Monochrome treatment as primary version
• Changes: Removal of logotype from primary emblem
• Context: Progressive and simplified representation of the brand

Renault Samsung Motors

Samsung Motors was founded in South Korea in 1994 with technical assistance from Nissan. Vehicle sales began in 1998 shortly before the Asian financial crisis. In September 2000 the company became a subsidiary of Renault through the acquisition of an 80.1 percent majority stake, with Samsung retaining 19.9 percent minority ownership. It was renamed Renault Samsung Motors at that time.

This subsidiary uses a separate circular storm’s eye marque logo distinct from the main Renault diamond. Its corporate logo adapts elements from the Samsung Group identity. The entity has also been referred to as Renault Korea Motors in some contexts.

Key Relationships in Brand History

The founders Louis, Marcel and Fernand Renault directly inspired the original brand name and early monogram logos used from 1899 to 1906. World War I tank production between 1914 and 1918 influenced the brutal round emblem adopted for the period 1919-1923.

Nationalization in 1946 created Regie Nationale Renault, which appeared in the full legal name on the temporary shield logo of 1945-1946. The 1925 decision to adopt the diamond shape established an enduring symbol that has remained central to the Renault emblem through all subsequent redesigns.

The 2000 acquisition of Samsung Motors created the Renault Samsung Motors subsidiary and introduced its distinct logo separate from the main brand identity. These relationships illustrate how historical events and strategic decisions have shaped both the Renault logo meaning and the company’s structure over time.

The diamond motif introduced in 1925 continues as the core visual element in the Renault car logo, representing more than nine decades of consistent brand symbolism across numerous redesigns. This visual continuity stands as a central aspect of Renault logo history.