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The Mysterious History Behind The Chevrolet Logo
By ELI SHAYOTOVICH
Chevrolet’s emblem was first introduced by the automaker’s co-founder, William Crapo Durant, in late 1913, when the company unveiled the 1914 models of the Chevrolet H-2 Royal Mail and the H-4 Baby Grand. How the company adopted this particular symbol still remains a mystery, and prevailing theories speculate on its shape — is it a bowtie or a cross? — and origin.
Possibly the most reliable case that it’s a bowtie comes from a 1961 book called “The Chevrolet Story,” which was published by the company and released during its 50th anniversary. It states that during a trip to Paris, Durant saw some wallpaper at the hotel he was staying at and became so transfixed by its design that he tore off a piece and brought it Stateside with him.
The oldest and perhaps most dubious theory might be from Durant's own daughter, Margery. In her 1929 memoir called "My Father," she recalled that her dad loved to sketch designs at the family dinner table and claims that the enigmatic emblem was drawn at dinner one evening between the appetizer and dinner courses.
Still other theories have been put forth — for instance, Durant might have seen a newspaper ad that featured a slanted bowtie shape, or the logo isn’t a bowtie but a cross like the Swiss flag since Durant’s co-founder, Louis Chevrolet, was from Switzerland. Only one thing car enthusiasts can know for sure: At the ripe old age of nearly 110 ... this “bowtie” still looks dapper.