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Lexus Logo Design History and Evolution

By Anthony Pena Leave a Comment

Lexus belongs to one of the most internationally renowned automakers in the world – Toyota. A sub-brand of the company, Lexus has always been the luxury to Toyota’s simplicity. However, the Lexus logo is a representative of both simplicity and elegance at the same time.

Since Lexus isn’t that old, only being around for less than three decades, they haven’t gone through many logo changes. We will focus our efforts on talking about today’s Lexus logo and about the minor changes through which it went.

current Lexus logo

Changes and Evolution

The Lexus car brand hit the Western markets in 1989. The Lexus logo has stayed relatively unchanged throughout these years. The only minor difference in the rendering of the logo is the backround oval. In some contexts, the oval is complete. In others, however, the oval is discontinuous, with two small gaps where the “L” meets the outer oval.

However, this small design detail cannot be considered a true logo change. Both Lexus logo designs are still in use. And other than that, nothing else has changed about the Lexus logo.

Lexus dealership

Lexus Logo Design Elements

 

In the following section, we will be looking at the Lexus logo design elements. These will include the Lexus font, and Lexus colors.

Lexus model car

1. Shape

Let’s start off with the shape of the Lexus logo. At first glance, it may seem like a very simple design. However, it took the collaborative efforts of Hunter Communications and Molly Design.

The Lexus logo consists of a stylized L and a oval encapsulating the L. The oval shape is in keeping with the main Toyota logo. It is also similar to another famous car logo, the Subaru logo.

As mentioned, the oval that encircles the L is sometimes rendered with two small gaps, at the intersection of the L and the oval. The L is the italicized version of the custom Lexus font.

alternate Lexus logo

2. Color

The Lexus logo is usually featured in silver on the cars. On other media, according to the Lexus brand book, the Lexus logo should be rendered in plain black or white. The Lexus logo should never appear in any other colors, and should never been altered in any way. Lastly, according to the brand book, both the Lexus logo and Lexus typeface should be the same color.

 

Lexus logo college

3. Font

One of the few automotive brands to put such a huge focus on font, Lexus really pulled it off. The Lexus typeface is one of the most complex out there. Also using silver, like the emblem, the font is one of the few to use negative spacing so well. The best example can be noticed between the E and the X.

If you look closely, you can notice an arrow forming between the E’s three arms, and X’s left side. It is meant to stand for the superior speeds you can reach using Lexus vehicles. It is also a reminder that the company produces luxury sports cars.

The font usually associated with the Lexus brand comes from the Nobel font family. The Lexus brand name itself, as it appears alongside the logo, is a custom typeface.

Lexus F division logo

Inspiration and Trivia

Before the Lexus logo first came to be, the brand first had to come up with a name. So, they hired the internationally famous Lippincott and Margulies consulting agency. Some of the final options for the new car brand were Vectre, Verone, Chaparel, Celsius, and Calibre. However, they eventually settled on Alexis. Alexis was eventually shortened to Lexis, which then became Lexus.

There are several other theories surrounding the origin of the Lexus name, all as unconfirmed as the previous one. One theory suggests that the name is derived from the English word “luxury”. Another theory turns the word Lexus into an acronym for “luxury exports to the United States”. Given the context of how Lexus came to be, that theory used to make sense back in the day.

Lexus LFA

One of the most high-quality luxury car brands in the world, Lexus has had a relatively uneventful history. Still, its logo is one of the most brilliantly designed automotive logos out there. Resulting from the collaboration between two famous design agencies, the Lexus logo gained almost instant popularity. For more famous logo descriptions and analyses, come back to our website every week!

Image source: 1, 2

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