moto guzzi Logo - History, Design, and Meaning
Company Overview
The Italian motorcycle manufacturer Moto Guzzi has modified its emblem almost ten times. Despite all the alterations, the Moto Guzzi logo has always been dominated by a flying eagle, which serves as a reminder of a poignant chapter in the brand's history.
Key Information
- Founded: 1921
- Founder(s): Carlo Guzzi and Giorgio Parodi
- Headquarters: Mandello del Lario, Italy
moto guzzi Logo Meaning and History
In the 1910s, three men from the Italian Air Corps decided to create a motorcycle company after World War I. These men were two aircraft pilots and their mechanic. Their vision was that Giorgio Parodi, from a family of wealthy ship-owners, would provide the necessary funding, Carlo Guzzi would design the motorbikes, and Giovanni Ravelli, a pilot and motorcycle racer, would promote the vehicles.
Unfortunately, Giovanni Ravelli died in an aircraft crash a few days after WWI ended. To honor their friend, Guzzi and Parodi incorporated an eagle into the company's logo.
The brand began in 1921 from a shop in the Province of Como. Their earliest motorbike featured a rhombus housing the letters 'GP' (the initials of Guzzi and Parodi).
The iconic eagle logo was unveiled, looking almost exactly like the current one. It featured an eagle flying above the words 'Moto Guzzi' in a simple sans-serif typeface, with a distinctive 'U' with a squarish bottom.
Subsequent updates mainly involved the typeface. For instance, a 1944 postcard featured a lighter type with larger initials. A version from 1945 used a heavier serif type. In 1951, a lighter sans-serif type was adopted, using a palette of lighter and darker shades of warm green.
The Moto Guzzi logo underwent a complete overhaul, with the bird positioned inside a notched wheel. The company's name was placed above and below the eagle, forming two arches.
The 'Del Gambalunga' emblem appeared, preserving the eagle but in a different style, which some speculated was inspired by Fascist symbolism.
A new version emerged, with a cleaner and more graspable design for both the bird and the writing.
The original realistic eagle with detailed feathers reappeared in a new logo. The text, similar to the earliest logo, was placed inside an ellipse and colored red and yellow.
The Metalli Lindberg graphic agency developed a 3D version of the medallion.
Eventually, the company removed the ellipse, resulting in a Moto Guzzi logo that closely resembles the original. It can be presented in white with a black outline or in red.
