The MG company was founded in 1924 by Cecil Kimber, who was a manager of the “Morris Garages” firm in Oxford. First, MG organized the production of sports cars. They have earned a reputation for being a humble, agile sports car. However, over time, the production models of the company allowed it to take a leading position in the international sports arena. An interesting fact is that in 2007 the company had a new owner: the automobile corporation in China called SAIC.
Meaning and History
The logo of the company was created by its owner. Cecil chose the letters MG in order to pay tribute to his previous employer and a good friend, the holder of “Morris Garages” – William Morris. The logo is simple but gained worldwide popularity. Bold letters “MG” are placed inside the octagon shape frame. Although the color of the emblem changed from year to year, its concept remains unchanged.
1924 – 1927
The original logo of the brand was created by Cecil Kimber and was adopted in the year 1924. The first logo has a round shape. The core was dark blue. Inside it could be seen a small shield with two bulls: a red one and the black one. Above the shield, there is an inscription “MORRIS” and under it the place of origin of the company “OXFORD”. The core is framed in two thin silvery circles. The rim of the outer circle also bears the inscription: “The M.G.” at the top and “Super Sports” at the bottom. These two parts are separated from each other by thin silver circles on the left and on the right site. This emblem lasted only for three years.
1927 – 1952
The first famous octahedron emblem was adorned only in the year 1927 and since then it adorned the radiator grilles and hub caps of classic British sports cars of this brand. The color of the first GM emblem was gold. In fact, the manufacturers use two shades of gold: the dark one and the light one. The light gold was used as a background, while the letters GM and the frame itself were colored in darker gold. This emblem became the official one for more than 25 years.
1952 – 1962
However, in the year 1952, the colors of the logo were changed. The designers decided to use simple white and black colors. Letters and the frame got the black color, while the background became white. The other aspects of the logo remain unchanged. This logo lasted for 10 years.
1962 – 1990
In the year 1962, the logo undergone several changes. First of all, the octahedron emblem was placed into the form of the shield, which had a black color and a double circuit: inner white stripe and outer black stripe. The octagon itself also changed its colors. Now the frame and letters were colored in dark gray and the background became dark red.
1990 – 2010
The emblem adopted in the year 1990 became the most famous one in the history of the brand. At that time the shield disappeared and the badge returned to its usual shape. Now the letters and the frame became dark red and the golden background of the emblem features a darker tone stripe, and the burgundy lettering and framing — silver outline. Thanks to the well-placed shadows and horizontal stripes create an interesting illusion and the emblem appears more convex.
2010 – 2021
The present version of the company’s logo was developed in 2010. The letters and the frame gained metallic silver color and became volume, while the background remains white.
2021 – now
The logo is a hexagon, the outline of which is drawn in red. The corners of the hexagon are slightly smoothed. Two letters “MG” are inscribed in the hexagon. The letters are also red. The thickness of the lines with which the hexagon is drawn is the same as the thickness of the lines with which the letters are written.
Emblem and Symbol
Despite the simplicity of the logo, it looks luxurious and confident at the same time. The GM logo as we know it today exists for more than 90 years. While the company gained attention mainly due to its unique built of engines and still never ceases to delight and amaze its fans and consumers.
The Legends
In the first years of the brand’s existence, its founder Cecil Kimber build several experimental cars with the only aim: to break world speed records and he succeeded! One of his cars MG EX181 was called Sir Stirling Moss and gained the nickname ‘Roaring Raindrop’. In the year 1957 mainly, this car accelerated to a speed of 245.64 mph in Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah! This ride was in the limelight and indeed appeared in the history books. The speed of the Roaring Raindrop was 20% faster than the previous record holder and that was the biggest victory of the GM brand!
