Chrysler Logo

Chrysler Brand History

Chrysler was founded by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925. The company originated from the remains of Maxwell Motor Company. It has maintained a position as one of the Big Three American automakers throughout its history.

Ownership of the brand has changed several times. In 1925 Maxwell became Chrysler Corp. The brand was part of DaimlerChrysler from 1998 to 2007, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles from 2014 to 2021, and has been under Stellantis since 2021.

Chrysler Logo Evolution

1. 1924–1928
2. 1928–1930
3. 1930–1936
4. 1936–1950
5. 1950–1951
6. 1951–1955
7. 1955–1962
8. 1962–1980
9. 1980–1990
10. 1990–1998
11. 1998–2009
12. 2009–2023
13. 2023–Present

1924 – 1928: Golden Wax Seal

The first Chrysler logo took the form of a golden wax seal that symbolized reliability, honesty, and quality. This design was adopted immediately after the brand's founding in 1925 as a mark of trustworthiness.

• Design: Golden wax-seal emblem with diagonal banner
• Colors: Gold, blue
• Changes: None during this period
• Context: Used during the brand’s establishment from the Maxwell Motor Company

1928 – 1930: Winged Wax Seal

In 1928 designer Oliver Clark created a winged wax seal for Chrysler. The wings were inspired by the Roman god Mercury and symbolized speed while also referencing the radiator grille.

• Design: Winged wax seal with two wings on sides of seal
• Colors: Gold, blue
• Changes: Wings added to previous seal design
• Context: Introduced during early brand growth

1930 – 1936: Burgundy and Gold Seal

Wings were removed from the Chrysler emblem in 1930. The new burgundy and gold seal continued to represent luxury and quality.

• Design: Wax seal without wings
• Colors: Burgundy, gold
• Changes: Wings removed from previous design
• Context: Continued emphasis on premium positioning

1936 – 1950: Silver Wings with Seal

The Chrysler logo gained sleeker silver wings with black horizontal stripes in 1936. These wings flanked the central seal on both sides.

• Design: Silver wings with black horizontal stripes placed on both sides of seal
• Colors: Silver, black
• Changes: Addition of silver wings with stripes
• Context: Mid-century evolution of winged heritage

1950 – 1951: Lion Shield

A black shield featuring a gold lion rampant holding a red crest served as the Chrysler emblem for a brief period. This experimental design lasted only one year.

• Design: Black shield with gold lion rampant holding red crest
• Colors: Black, gold, red
• Changes: Complete departure from winged seal
• Context: Short-lived experimental logo

1951 – 1955: Three-Dimensional Bird

A three-dimensional bird emblem symbolized speed and progress for Chrysler. This design was used for four years before another change.

• Design: Three-dimensional bird
• Colors: Not specified
• Changes: Replaced previous shield design
• Context: Short experimental period focused on motion

1955 – 1962: Geometric V-Ticks

Chrysler adopted a minimalist geometric design consisting of two overlapping horizontal V-shaped ticks. The longer black tick sat over a shorter red one and referenced the Hemi V8 engine.

• Design: Two overlapping horizontal V-shaped ticks
• Colors: Black, red
• Changes: Moved away from pictorial emblems to geometric form
• Context: Reference to engine technology

1962 – 1980: Blue Pentastar

The iconic blue Pentastar became the Chrysler logo in 1962. Five solid triangles formed a white five-pointed star and represented the five divisions of the corporation at that time.

• Design: Blue Pentastar with black uppercase geometric sans-serif wordmark
• Colors: Blue, white, black
• Changes: New unifying symbol for corporate structure
• Context: Corporate restructuring that included Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial

1980 – 1990: Text-Only Wordmark

Chrysler shifted to a text-based logo during the 1980s. The modern all-caps wordmark featured confident futuristic lines and distinctive open R letters.

• Design: All-caps wordmark only
• Colors: Not specified
• Changes: Removed all pictorial elements
• Context: Period of financial difficulties and brand repositioning

1990 – 1998: Winged Seal Variations

Chrysler returned to its winged heritage in the 1990s through several seal variations. These included refined winged oval seals with elongated wings, returns to original-style seals with blue ribbons, and thicker circular frames with glossier gold.

• Design: Winged oval seal with elongated wings and blue ribbon variations
• Colors: Silver, blue, gold
• Changes: Multiple refinements to winged seal format
• Context: Return to heritage design elements

1998 – 2009: Pentastar Return with Wordmark

The Chrysler logo alternated between a black and gold roundel with elongated silver wings and a return of the Pentastar. The Pentastar appeared to the left of or above bolder traditional wordmarks during this period.

• Design: Black and gold roundel between elongated silver wings and Pentastar with wordmark
• Colors: Black, gold, silver, blue
• Changes: Alternation between winged roundel and Pentastar
• Context: Continued exploration of heritage symbols

2009 – 2023: Winged Badge with Blue Banner

A major redesign in 2009 created an elegant winged emblem for Chrysler without a central seal. A blue horizontal banner carried the Chrysler wordmark while three-dimensional silver wings featured smoother and fuller lines. Blue and silver represented professionalism, longevity, and stability.

• Design: Winged emblem without central seal featuring blue horizontal banner with wordmark
• Colors: Blue, silver
• Changes: Removed central seal while retaining wings
• Context: Bankruptcy restructuring and new partnership era

2023 – Present: Minimalist Flat Wings

The current Chrysler logo features minimalist flat black wings without a central banner. A modernized uppercase sans-serif wordmark includes futuristic shapes and some open contours.

• Design: Minimalist flat wings paired with modern wordmark
• Colors: Black
• Changes: Simplified to flat design while keeping winged motif
• Context: Stellantis-era refresh reflecting current design trends

Chrysler Logo Meaning and Symbolism

Wings in the Chrysler logo have consistently symbolized speed, progress, and the Roman god Mercury. The original wax seal represented quality, trustworthiness, and brand roots. The Pentastar specifically stood for the unity of five divisions in 1962. Blue and silver colors convey professionalism, stability, and longevity while earlier gold and burgundy tones expressed luxury and premium quality.

The Chrysler emblem has shown repeated returns to winged motifs throughout its history. This reflects a strong connection to the brand’s early heritage and the original radiator grille inspiration from designer Oliver Clark. Each Chrysler logo change has been directly linked to major corporate events from founding through modern ownership transitions.

Chrysler Logo History Summary

The evolution of the Chrysler logo demonstrates a pattern of experimentation followed by returns to core winged elements. From the original 1924 wax seal through multiple winged variations, brief experiments with lions and birds, the corporate Pentastar period, and back to modern winged designs, the brand has maintained visual connections to its roots. These designs continue to serve as important references for Chrysler logo PNG, Chrysler car logo, Chrysler symbol, Chrysler logo meaning, Chrysler emblem, Chrysler logo transparent, Chrysler PNG, Chrysler logo HD, Chrysler logo history, Chrysler car symbol, Chrysler badge, Chrysler logo images, Chrysler logo download, Chrysler logo evolution, and Chrysler logo transparent background assets used by enthusiasts and designers.