Rickenbacker Logo: Meaning and History

United States, founded 1921 · Updated

The Rickenbacker logo is a red, white and blue top hat inside a white ring, the Hat in the Ring emblem of Eddie Rickenbacker's WWI squadron. The Detroit make ran from 1922 to 1927.

Key facts

Years active
1921–1927
Founded by
Barney Everitt, Eddie Rickenbacker
Headquarters
Detroit, United States
Legal name
Rickenbacker Motor Company
Famous models
Vertical Eight Super Fine, 6-70, 8-80, 8-90

The Rickenbacker logo is a top hat in the colours of the American flag, encircled by a white ring. Rickenbacker was an American car make built in Detroit, Michigan, from 1922 to 1927 by the Rickenbacker Motor Company.

The Rickenbacker emblem shows a top hat with red and white stripes on the band and white stars on a blue crown. A white ring circles the hat like an orbit, and the whole badge sits in a chrome rim. It carries no lettering. The Rickenbacker badge was fitted to both the front and the back of the cars as the Rickenbacker car logo. The page offers the Rickenbacker logo PNG with a transparent background.

What the Rickenbacker logo means

Behind the Rickenbacker logo meaning is the war: the Rickenbacker symbol is the emblem of the 94th Aero Squadron, the World War I unit in which Captain Eddie Rickenbacker flew. It represents a top hat inside a ring, and it is known as the Hat in the Ring. Rickenbacker, who gave his name to the car, used this emblem for the make.

Rickenbacker Logo History

The Rickenbacker logo history centres on one badge, the Hat in the Ring, which the cars carried from the first models shown in January 1922. It is dated here as around 1922 to 1927, the years of production.

Rickenbacker logo c. 1922–1927: Hat in the Ring badge

Rickenbacker History

The company was established in Detroit by Barney Everitt and Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, who served as vice president and director of sales. Walter Flanders and William Metzger, Everitt’s former partners, were also involved. The first cars were displayed at the January 1922 New York Automobile Show. They had a 3,482 cc side-valve six-cylinder engine, and four-wheel brakes were introduced in 1923, which made the make known as a pioneer of four-wheel braking.

An eight-cylinder car, the Vertical Eight Super Fine, joined the range in 1925, and the 6-70, 8-80 and 8-90 followed in 1927. Eddie Rickenbacker resigned in 1926 after internal discord. The company went bankrupt in 1927 after building more than 27,000 cars, and its manufacturing equipment was sold to Audi in Germany.

Rickenbacker Logo PNG and Colors

The download button at the top of this page saves the last Rickenbacker logo as a PNG file, 1000 × 750 pixels.

Colors Red, Blue
Shapes and motifs Stars, Circles
Logo versions One, since 1922
File PNG, 1000 × 750 px

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Rickenbacker?

Rickenbacker was founded in 1921 by Barney Everitt and Eddie Rickenbacker.

What does the Rickenbacker logo mean?

The Rickenbacker logo is the Hat in the Ring emblem of the 94th Aero Squadron, the World War I unit in which Captain Eddie Rickenbacker served, and it shows a top hat inside a ring.

What does the name Rickenbacker mean?

The car was named after Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, co-founder of the company and its vice president and director of sales.

What country is Rickenbacker from?

Rickenbacker was an American car brand, based in Detroit, United States.

Does Rickenbacker still exist?

No. Rickenbacker was active from 1921 to 1927.

Did Rickenbacker change its logo?

No. Rickenbacker used one logo: Hat in the Ring badge (1922–1927).

What color is the Rickenbacker logo?

The last Rickenbacker logo is red and blue and features a star and a circle.

What cars did Rickenbacker make?

The best-known Rickenbacker models were the Vertical Eight Super Fine, 6-70, 8-80 and 8-90.

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