The Austin automobile company began production in the United Kingdom in 1905 and shut down permanently in 1952. The business gained notoriety not only for luxury automobiles, but also for commercial vehicles and aeroplanes produced during World War I.
Importance and context
Austin lasted 47 years until merging with Morris Motors to create BMC in 1952. The resulting corporation lasted until 1967. After a name change, BMC became British Leyland, which was eventually purchased in 1988 by the globally renowned River Group. As you can see, Austin had a quite dramatic past for a vehicle manufacturer; yet, it is noteworthy that the company maintained its own identity during the years when it was owned by BMC and continued to produce cars under its own name.
Since it was first designed around the turn of the twentieth century, the Austin emblem has remained unchanged. A graphic element sat above the italicised wording in thicker than usual lines to create a beautiful and distinctive emblem.
A girlish figure with extended triangular wings and a ring above it adorned the symbol. Remembering that the firm produced aeroplanes during World War I explains why it looked so much like an aviation emblem.
Sometimes the emblem was used alone, sometimes with the accompanying wordmark, which was in a strong Italic font with large square serifs and so appeared a little awkward and heavy. The emblem, often made of shiny metal and appearing rather nice, was affixed to the car’s hood, while the logotype was reserved for official papers and documents.
The logotype and the insignia both have a dynamic, racing vibe. The emblem’s wings and soaring energy, and the inscription’s skewed characters, as a tilt suggests mobility.
Style and hue
The British automaker’s big but beautiful logotype was set in all capital letters, in a strong serif font with extra-thick lines and large square serifs at the extremities of each. Austin’s branded typeface is very identical to except for minor aspects different from typefaces like Karnak Pro Black Italic, Rockwell Nova Extra Bold Italic, and Stanford Serial Heavy Italic.
Austin’s visual identity sticks to tried-and-true colour schemes for the car sector, with a silver metallic emblem and a black-and-white printed logo. Silver is the finest option for automobile manufacturers since it is both versatile and beautiful, complementing vehicles of any hue while exuding a feeling of assuredness and poise.
The logo and other visual elements of the Austin brand were designed using a monochromatic colour scheme to convey the company’s seriousness and skill and reassure buyers of the superior quality of their vehicles.
