Rover Logo

Rover is an English company, which is specialized in the production of cars and “jeeps”. The brand was founded by John Kemp Starley and William Sutton in 1887. At first, the company was specialized in the production of the bicycle, but two years after its foundation (in 1889) began manufacturing its own cars.

Meaning and History

In 1887, John Kemp Starley and William Sutton founded a bicycle factory, which began manufacturing automobiles in 1889. In the 30s, the company’s production facilities were soon restructured for military needs. By the end of the 40s, Rover bet on cars of the upper middle class again. In 1967, it lost its independence, merging with Leyland. A year later, Rover became an integral part of the new British Leyland concern. Once under the control of BMW in the early 90s, Rover completely updated the lineup. BMW did not find the brand profitable and was sold in parts to various companies.

1884 – 1902

The first logo was designed in 1884 and represented a golden shield with a black circuit. Inside a shied is placed wordmark with the name of the company. The letters also have a black color and are cursive.

1902 – 1922

The logo was executed in the form of a crowned shield. The following text was written on the shield:“Imperial Rover. The Rover Co Limited. Coventry”. The shield itself was sand-colored. The first two words were written in red letters. The rest of the words were in dark brown letters.

1922 – 1923

The logo used that year was a green Viking figure.

1923 – 1924

That year, the logo was used in the form of a black background with honeycombs.  The inscription “Rover” made in bold white letters in a designer font was depicted on that background.

1924 – 1929

Great changes happened with the emblem forty years later. In 1929 the logo was completely changed. Now the logo consisted of a name of the handwritten name of the brand, covered in gold. However, this type of logo lasted only for five years.

1925 – 1929

The blue logo was used during that period. It was in the form of a shield with the brand name written on it in white letters. The shied had white framing. The name of the brand was written inside a large figure “9″.

1929 – 1947

In 1929 Rover decided to revise the concept of its logo and decided to use the Viking theme for all future logos. The new badge represented a Vikings ship sailing on the sea. The brand’s name was placed on the red sail. The ship itself was colored in black.

1947 – 1949

The logo consisted of a multicolored coat of arms, at the top of which the Viking’s head was depicted in the center, from which a sword went down.  The brand name in white letters was under the Viking’s head. The shield was executed in red, black, yellow and white. Stylized branches of plants, executed in blue in a gold frame were on the sides of the shield. The drawing of a white ribbon was below.

1949 – 1959

The logo of that time depicted a ship with a red sail, on which the name of the Rover brand was written in silver letters. The blue stylized sea was depicted under the ship. The silver flag was flying over the ship.

1959 – 1963

The logo continued to develop the same theme of a ship with a red sail. Only the Viking’s head was depicted in front of the ship. The figure “16” was depicted under the ship.

1963 – 1965

The next logo’s “update” happed two years later, in 1965. It still represented a Vikings ship, but the shape of the badge became more triangle. The main colors remain mostly the same: black background and a red sail. However, the ship, brand’s name, which was placed on the top of the emblem. and the waives gained gold color.

1965 – 1976

In 1965 the logo became ground. The background remained black, while the ship became white. Although the wordmark and the waves were removed at all.

1976 – 1979

The logo was a black circle with a Viking ship depicted inside. The image was executed in white. The ship, as before, was crowned with a Viking’s head.

1979 – 2003

In 1979 the designers decided to return back the emblem of 1929. Some changes were made to the shape of the icon, it became thicker and the sides are curved. Also was added a thin white frame. All other parts remained the same.

1989 – 2003

The logo the company has been using for ten years has been given an upgrade. First of all, the font was changed to a bracketed serif typeface and the inscription featured larger letters and wider spacing. A bolder look was achieved by making the outer black border thicker. The ship’s front was made flat and appeared as if it was a simplified, hand-drawn version of the previous one. This gave the logo a more timeless appearance and was easier to replicate.

2003 – 2005

The last time modernization of the logo happed in 2003 and touched mainly the colors. Now the barge, brand name, and outline – everything became silver. Interesting, that designers decided to delete detailing of small details, such as waves and stern of the ship.

Emblem and Symbol

It is believed, that the famous Vikings ship is a symbol of freedom and movement. Throughout the history of the brand, this bright and powerful element showed its identity, made the company meaningful and recognizable all over the world. Even now, when the company is no longer exists, people remember the high-quality cars that it produced.

The Legends

In 1928, the legendary Rover 16hp Light Six came to the world, equipped with a new 6-cylinder engine developed by Peter Poppé. This time, the engine was definitely a success, and it was this car that managed to get ahead of the Blue Express – the legendary high-speed train that plies in those days across all of France: from the Cote d’Azur to the English Channel. Rover enjoyed the glory!