The date of the establishment of the plant is considered to be 1863 when Abraham Yakovlevich Koop opened workshops for the production of straw choppers and iron parts for windmills. However, the company which we know today appeared only in 1961. when the plant was renamed into Zaporizhzhia Automobile Plant.
Meaning and history
ZAZ is an abbreviation of the full name of the company “Zaporizhzhia Automobile Building Plant”. It firstly appeared in 1960 and still then has undergone several changes. However, its essence remained the same.
1960 – 1964
The original logo of the brand was presented in 1960. It represented a five-pointed star with the silver abbreviation ZAZ inside. The star was red and had a silvery frame with a dark shadow on it. However, this abbreviation did not last for long and was changed after four years.
1964 – 1981
In 1964 the emblem was completely changed. Now it represented the Zaporizhzhia hydroelectric power station. The logo had a more rectangular shape, pointed at the top in the form of a roof. Around the badge, there was a rather thick, voluminous, silvery frame. The background was changed to maroon, and the outline of the hydroelectric power station itself was inscribed with white lines. Under the roof could be seen three capital letters of the brand’s name also painted in white.
1981 – 1986
In 1981 the company decided to make a rebranding and completely changed its logo. Now it represented a big letter “Z” with a small process below. The background was completely white, while the letter and the frame were colored in black. This logo was changed five years later.
1986 – 1997
The next version of the logo appeared in 1986. The letter Z became part of an unusual frame, consisting of a blue-white-blue strip. Interesting, that the left of the letter, the designers decided to make a bare-colored background to match the frame. The rest of the background remains true white.
1997 – 2012
The logo. As we know it today. Appeared only in 1997. It consisted of the emblem and the abbreviation ZAZ. Both elements have light-blue colors. The badge represents a horizontal oval with two oblique stripes in the upper left corner.
2012 – today
In 2012 designers decided to update the logo. First of all, they made changed the font type and the color of the letters. The color became darker, while letters became smaller and capital. The badge, on the contrary, has significantly increased in size. The blue color has been replaced by a luxurious metallic. A light flare has also been added.
Emblem and Symbol
Throughout its long history, the ZAZ logo has undergone many changes, but every time it only gets better. Both the star and the Zaporizhzhia hydroelectric power station show the brand’s respect for its homeland, and the latest logo update showed the company is ready for change.
