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Citroen updating chevron logo as part of 90th anniversary celebration

 
1 9,212 views Jan 4, 2009

gtbycitroen concept car paris 2008 006

The updated logo was first displayed on last year’s GTbyCitroen concept car

The updated logo was first displayed on last year’s GTbyCitroen concept car

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Citroen's famous chevron badge is being updated with a more modern look, and the first production model to wear the new logo will be the recently revealed C3 Picasso compact MPV (it has already been displayed on last year's GTbyCitroen concept car). The new badge is being created as a part of Citroen's 90th anniversary, and will mark the enduring nature of the chevron symbol that has appeared on Citroen models since 1919.

Throughout the badge's history it has undergone many changes, and Citroen is extremely conscious of the purpose of its famous logo. Speaking with AutoExpress, Vincent Besson, Citroen's head of products and markets, stated that "unlike other vehicle manufacturers, whose policy is to use their symbol in an identical way from one model to the next, we prefer to modify the chevrons so that they enhance the balance and harmony of the overall front-end styling. There are winged chevrons on the C4, C5 and C6, but that doesn't mean you'll see them on all future Citroen models. It might not be as easy and as appropriate to add chevrons like these to a later model."

The amount of thought that goes in to just how Citroen places their badge, the sizing of the badge itself and the stylistic elements would baffle many readers as it is often assumed that car manufacturers apply their corporate logos in a uniform way. However, the current man behind the badge, Charles Aouad, claims that "the chevrons are complex," and that "they are designed on a case-by-case basis" even though the "aim is for them to be read identically from one vehicle to another".

The history behind the Citroen badge itself stems from one of the automotive world's greatest innovations, and one that is still used in almost every car on the road today - the helical gear. Prior to the advent of the helical gear, gearboxes were much more difficult to use and were generally unreliable. On top of this they were noisy and made the driving experience uncomfortable for both drivers and pedestrians. The helical gear changed all this, and gave us the smooth power transfer between gears that is featured in modern cars.

The logo itself resembles the herringbone pattern along the gear, and it is from this that Citroen took its famous chevron badge and applied it to its cars.
Citroen GT Concept car at Paris Motor Show

HI-RES GALLERY: gtbycitroen concept car paris 2008 006




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Comment (1)

  1. ma_samuelesm avatar samuelesm Posted: 1/4/2009 6:54pm PST

    It's GT because Gran Turismo helped in designing that car.
     
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