autobianchi Logo - History, Design, and Meaning

Autobianchi was founded in 1955 as a joint venture between Bianchi, Pirelli, and Fiat, focusing on producing small, innovative cars.

The company gained recognition for models like the Bianchina, an upmarket version of the Fiat 500, and the Primula, which pioneered the transverse-engined front-wheel-drive layout in its class.

Autobianchi was used by Fiat to test innovative concepts, including fibreglass bodies and front-wheel drive, before implementing them in mainstream Fiat vehicles.

In the late 1960s, Autobianchi was fully integrated into Fiat S.p.A. and positioned under the control of Lancia within the Fiat Group.

The most famous Autobianchi models include the A112, a popular small hatchback introduced in 1969, and the Y10, which was the first car to use Fiat's FIRE (Fully Integrated Robotised Engine).

The A111, introduced in 1969, was Autobianchi's largest model and its only entry into the small family car class. It was based on the Primula's mechanicals but was larger and more spacious.

By the 1970s, Autobianchi effectively became a one-model brand with the A112, which was marketed as a Lancia in most markets outside Italy, France, and Israel from the mid-1970s.

The Autobianchi brand continued to be used in Italy until 1995, when production of the Y10 (successor to the A112) ended.

Throughout its history, Autobianchi's logo evolved from elaborate designs featuring eagles and crowns to more modern, simplified versions incorporating the letters 'A' and 'B' or triangular shapes.

Today, Autobianchi is remembered for its contributions to automotive design and technology, particularly in the development of small cars and front-wheel-drive layouts.

The emblem of the company was redesigned. Here, the logo features only one “B”. It is placed in the center and has a triangular framing. The new design does not resemble a wheel anymore, but rather a round emblem with the brand's initial being the key figure.

The brand's emblem now has a shield shape and all the elements appear to have a three-dimensional appearance. The “B” initial was placed in the center across the horizontal bar of a large “A”, Standing for AutoBianchi. It is simple, yet bold and speaks about the authority of the company.

For the first time, the logo featured only the name of the company. It was printed using a formal, powerful color back. The designer used a sans-serif, geometric font, and all lowercase letters. All the characters were interconnected by a horizontal line at the bottom, creating an image of a solid company.

This logo introduces new brand symbols – silhouettes of a snake and a jumping bull. They were placed in opposite corners across a horizontal banner running through a rounded rectangular base. The banner was done in blue and had the company name running across it and featuring the same writing style as in the previous logo. The yellow in the emblem gave the logo an energetic feel, while the silhouettes reflected the strength, growth, and new beginnings of the brand.

The company has already used a round emblem for over ten years. That logo resembles a simplified version of the 1948 emblem with a round border and a triangle in the center. The triangle is almost completely black having only one diagonal white line running through and creating an illusion of a smaller triangle and a diagonal line. The triangle symbolized the first letter of the company's name – AutoBianchi.

The previous emblem was also used with a full name. The triangle replaced the “A” in the AutoBianchi. The rest of the characters featured thin, elegant lines that matched the thickness of the round border. All the letters were uppercase and closely spaced. The logo looks sophisticated and timeless.

In 1985, the company brought back the logo it introduced in 1968. It replaced the round border with a rounded triangular one, keeping the triangle in the center unchanged.