One of the largest automobile companies in the world, General Motors, was founded on September 16, 1908 by a young and successful entrepreneur, William Durant. During one of his trips around Michigan, Durant saw a car that was distinguished by comfortable seats. Without thinking twice, he borrowed money, and in 1886, together with a young clerk John Dort, opened his own firm with the symbolic name Durant-Dort. On November 1, 1904, a cooperation agreement was signed with the Buick Motor Company, and in 1908, with a capital of only $ 2,000, Durant founded a new company – General Motors.

Meaning and History

GM Logo history

The GM logo is renowned for its simplicity and conciseness. It is known for its high sales and it is one of the most recognizable and memorable logos in history.

1908 – 1938

GM Logo 1908

The first company logo was created in 1908 and was made in black and white colors. The logo was in the shape of a rectangle with borders at the top and bottom. At the top of the logo was the text ‘General Motors Company’, and below it was inscription ‘Certificate of Incorporation’. In a slightly smaller font, it was written ‘Filed in Office of Secretary Of State September 16, 1908’.

1938 – 1964

GM Logo 1938

In 1938, the logo took on a square-like shape, slightly elongated upward and had a black outline. It contained a black rectangle with ‘GM’ written on it. Below it was the black inscription ‘General Motors’.

1964 – 1966

GM Logo 1964

The GM logo at that time was a dark blue square with a white frame inside. There were 2 capital letters “GM” in white in the center of the square. Both letters were underlined with a bold line. The name of the General Motors brand written in dark blue letters was under the square.

1966 – 2021

GM Logo 1966

In 1966, the logo took on the color form we already know. On the blue square were the letters ‘GM’ with an underscore.

2001 – 2010

GM Logo 2001

The logo was depicted in three dimensions. The letters ‘GM’ were highlighted with shadow and light, and a silver border appeared around the logo.

2010 – 2021

GM Logo 2010

In 2010, the border became noticeably smaller, the blue color is lighter and darker, and the letters and underline are thicker now.

2016 – 2021

GM Logo 2016

The company’s logo was the name ”GENERAL MOTORS” written in bold capital letters on a white background.

2021 – Now

GM Logo

The logo is a frame with rounded corners. The gradient of semitones of dark blue and sky blue was created on the frame. There is a white background, which shows the lowercase letters “gm” with the same gradient effect as the frame, inside the frame. Only the letter “m” is underlined in this case.

Emblem and Symbol

GM Emblem

In 1964, the company introduced the original trademark which contained the phrase ‘Mark of Excellence’. Since 1966, this logo has been installed on door frames, seat belt release buttons, ignition lock and keys. The phrase ‘Quality Seal’ stopped appearing on the logo by the 1980s.

GM logo

General Motors Logo

Today’s version of the logo contains the company name in a modest blue and white color scheme with an underline. This emblem is unassuming and uncluttered and provides a dignified image for the company.

What logo is GM
It is no coincidence that the General Motors logo is in blue color. This color is associated with calmness, strength and a sense of security, indicates high quality, reliability and inspires confidence. In addition, as sociological polls show, the favorite color of Americans is blue. The meaning of white is perfection, purity, charm, charisma and conscientiousness.

The Legends

GM EV1

The electric car was not sold, but leased in the southern states at a price of $ 300-600 per month. The production of the GM EV1 ended in 1999 due to losses that amounted to almost a billion dollars. A total of 1117 cars of two generations were produced.

GM Bison

The GM Bison (also known as the Chevrolet Bison) experimental truck was created in 1964. The vehicle had a very unusual design: two axles at the front, two axles at the rear, between them there was a cargo container that could be detached from the tractor.