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History of Chevy Bowtie Logo

Theories of the origin of chevy bowtie emblem.

Updated on

February 23, 2024

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 Chevy bowtie logo.

The Paris Theory

It is widely believed that 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 of tearing a piece and taking 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 own version of the Chevrolet symbol history. She wrote in her memoirs that the logo originated from her family’s kitchen.

According 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 Chevy bowtie logo.

1913

The Chevy logo as it appeared on the 1914 Chevrolet Royal Mail and the Baby Grand.

1916

The Chevrolet logo as it appeared in 1916.

1936

The Chevrolet bow tie as it appeared on all 1936 Chevrolet trucks.

1947

1955

The Chevrolet bow tie as it appeared on the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, 210, 150, and Nomad.

1969

The Chevrolet logo as it appeared on the 1969 Chevrolet Camero.

1974

The Chevrolet logo as it appeared on the 1974 Chevrolet Impala.

1982

1995

The Chevrolet logo as it appeared on 1995-2000 truck models.

2004

Beginning with the 2004 Malibu, the Chevrolet bow tie logo was used on all Chevrolet vehicles.

2011

The current Chevrolet gold logo was given some additional texture.

2016

Black Chevy logo: GM placed a black bow tie on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. The logo is now making its way across the Chevrolet lineup, especially in the black or midnight editions.

2018

The newest Flowtie, which is in fact hollow, was fitted on the Z/28 Camaro after engineers found that the standard logo pushed air away from the radiator causing overheating issues.

FAQs

What color is the Chevy emblem?

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 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.