ducati Logo - History, Design, and Meaning

Named after its founders, the Ducati family, the brand exemplifies pure Italian design and aesthetics. From their iconic motorbikes to the advertising strategies of the early years, everything associated with Ducati has a captivating appeal.

The original Ducati logo was inspired by the company's initial focus on radio production. It featured a circular design with two crossed wires flanking the electrical lighting, and the wordmark 'Radio Brevetti Ducati' (with 'V' replacing 'U') positioned at the bottom of the circle. This logo was rendered in a monochrome color scheme.

In 1935, the brand introduced a new logo design, which included a bolder script featuring the letters 'SSR', representing Società Scientifica Radio, along with a horizontally placed rectangle containing the 'Ducati' wordmark in uppercase letters. The color palette remained consistent with previous designs.

For the next 15 years, Ducati utilized various text-based logos. Some featured a straight-line sans-serif font, while others showcased bold, handwritten-style lowercase lettering.

After splitting into two branches in 1953, a new logo was created featuring a vibrant green and red circle, with an enlarged 'D' on the right and a laurel wreath on the left. Above the circle, two wings accompanied the 'Ducati Meccanica Bologna' wordmark. That same year, another logo was designed—a shield with a Ducati motorcycle atop it, adorned with a checkered pattern and a traditional typeface wordmark, rendered in monochrome.

The 1959 Ducati logo depicted an eagle carrying a 'Ducati Moto' wordmark-flag, symbolizing freedom and speed. This powerful imagery reflected the company's progressive vision.

In 1967, Ducati's visual identity featured a black wing outlined in white, with italic lettering of the wordmark. This logo was elegant, smooth, and refined.

In 1975, designer Giorgetto Giugiaro created a unique lettering style for the new Ducati logo. It was a contemporary and robust design characterized by simplicity and masculinity, enhanced by the use of parallel lines that added depth and boldness.

From 1985 to 1997, the brand embraced a playful visual design era, where the traditional wordmark was complemented by a small elephant image positioned at the top left. In 1993, the elephant was removed, but the shadowed bold lettering remained, with the outline color lightened.

The 1997 logo featured a bold red wordmark in Universe Italic font, accompanied by a black emblem on its left—a circle with a white vertical line resembling a coffee bean, stylized as the letter 'D'. This logo was bright, modern, and minimalist yet striking.

The 2009 redesign introduced a new logo, composed of a shield with a curved line symbolizing the early Ducati wing, alongside a wordmark in a strong and confident typeface. The red and white color scheme of the Ducati logo embodies the passion and energy of this powerful and influential brand.