bsa Logo - History, Design, and Meaning
Company Overview
BSA was one of the leading British motorcycle manufacturers in the 20th century. Initially starting as a military equipment producer, they began manufacturing military-focused motorcycles by 1919. Over time, BSA evolved into producing high-performance motorcycles, primarily cruiser types.
Key Information
- Founded: 1861
- Founder(s): Birmingham Small Arms Company
- Headquarters: Birmingham, England, UK
bsa Logo Meaning and History
BSA, which stands for 'Birmingham Small Arms', existed well before they began motorcycle production in 1919. The company ceased production in 1972, but the brand was revived in 1978, although it did not achieve the same success as before.
Throughout their motorcycle production history, BSA prominently used their acronym in their logo. Initially, the logo featured red uppercase letters spaced out with dots. While there were minor variations, such as letter spacing, the core design remained consistent.
With the launch of the BSA A7 post-war, a new emblem was introduced. This emblem removed the dots, brought the letters closer together, tilted them slightly to the right, and added a wing to the 'B', styled with evenly spaced feathers. The company mainly used a red variant, but white and black versions were also common.
Until around 1936, BSA motorcycles featured simple rectangular badges. Later, they adopted golden stars of various shapes to display their logos on the bikes, with common designs including a star with thick tips and a sheriff star with circles at the tips.
