This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Nona Blackman
A symbol of power and freedom, Harley-Davidson is a cultural icon beloved by motorcycle enthusiasts the world over.
Today, we'll explore the history of this cherished brand, dive into its legendary logo, and showcase fonts closest to that used by the brand.
The Story of Harley-Davidson
The story of Harley-Davidson starts in 1901 when 20-year-old William S. Harley had an idea for a motor-bicycle. He and his childhood friend Arthur Davidson worked on a prototype of his design for two years until it was finally finished with the help of Arthur's brother Walter Davidson in 1903.
Though this first motor-bicycle didn't live up to its potential when tested, the three friends promptly got to work on a more effective prototype. In January 1905, the trio built five bikes based on this new prototype in the Davidson family backyard shed and managed to sell three of them. In 1906, the Harley and Davidson brothers built their first factory and produced 50 motorcycles.
After Harley graduated from university with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1907, the partners expanded their factory. At this point, a third Davidson brother William, quit his job and joined the company, which went on to increase its production to 150 motorcycles that year.
By 1914, production had increased to over 16,000 bikes, and Harley-Davidson had outstripped all other brands to dominate motorcycle racing. By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, with over 28,000 machines produced and dealers in 67 countries.
Over the decades, the company has weathered major upheavals and challenges like the Great Depression, WWI and WWII, and stiff competition from the likes of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha. In spite of the challenges, today Harley-Davidson is one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers with loyal followers who have created owner clubs and worldwide events.
Evolution of the Harley-Davidson Bar and Shield Logo
Though Harley-Davidson released its first motorbike in 1903, the company’s official logo followed some years later in 1910. That was when Janet Davidson, aunt to the Davidson brothers, designed the company's first logo. It featured the company name Harley-Davidson written in tall lettering inside a bar which was placed over a shield. The use of the bar and the shield were meant to represent stability and strength.
This logo was then modified in the early 1950s to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary. At this time, a V-shape was added, the fonts were changed, and the entire logo was given a metal finish.
A decade and a half later, in 1965 to be exact, the brand reverted to its original logo but modernised it with a change of the font to Helvetica for the text "Harley-Davidson", a special hand-drawn font for the text "Motor Cycles", a black and white colour palette, and a sharpening of the shape of the bar and shield emblem.
Today, the colour scheme has been updated to orange, black, and white.
Harley-Davidson Logo Design Elements
The Harley-Davidson logo consists of three distinct elements:
- a shield and bar emblem
- two different styles of text in bold sans serif
- a black, orange, and white colour scheme
What Font Is the Harley-Davidson Logo?
The Harley-Davidson logo uses two fonts: Helvetica for the "Harley-Davidson" text and a special hand-drawn font for the "Motor Cycles" text.
What Are the Harley-Davidson Signature Colours?
Today, Harley-Davidson uses a black shield and bar emblem. It uses white lettering for the words "Harley-Davidson" and a color called Harley-Davidson Orange (#F58220) for the words "Motor Cycles". The orange is also used to frame the shield and the bar.
Other Harley-Davidson Logos
Harley-Davidson has used many other emblems and logos as tank badges throughout its history. Here are a few of the best known:
Harley-Davidson Wings Logo
First used in 1910 as a symbol of freedom, speed, and the spirit of adventure, the Harley-Davidson wings logo has undergone several tweaks over the decades but has remained true to the original design. Today, it's used on various H-D accessories and merchandise.
Harley-Davidson Skull Logo
Some H-D enthusiasts date the first use of the Harley-Davidson skull logo back to the early 1930s, but it’s unclear when the logo first appeared. Known today as the 'Willie G Skull Chrome' after Willie G Davidson, grandson of the original cofounder of the company, the skull was never officially used as the company's logo but is definitely part of their brand identity and appears on much of the company's merchandise.
Harley-Davidson Eagle Logo
Since the eagle is a popular American symbol of strength, patriotism, and fearlessness, the Harley-Davidson eagle logo was created in 1974 by Paul Smith as tank decals for the 1976 V-Twin motorcycles honouring USA's 200th Bicentennial Anniversary. The logo was an immediate hit with bikers, many of whom had it tattooed onto their chests and arms.
What Font Is Closest to the Harley-Davidson Logo?
As we've already mentioned, the Harley-Davidson logo uses two fonts. One is custom designed and not available for public use, and the other is closest to Helvetica Neue Condensed Black. If you're looking to create your own logo using the Harley-Davidson fonts, we've got a few suggestions for you.
1. Sandbox Condensed Typeface (TTF)
If you are looking for a clean, modern font that's similar to the Harley-Davidson font, then Sandbox is a great choice for you. This terrific sans serif is perfect for headers. It comes in a number of styles and includes eight logo templates.
2. Morguns Condensed Sans Serif(TTF, OTF, WOFF)
Morguns is a unique sans serif font that offers soft, rounded edges rather than sharp ones. It includes four weights and styles so that you have a bit of flexibility to create a unique look. Morguns is an excellent choice for branding, logos, magazines, films, websites, titles, captions, and more.
3. Nordams Sans Serif (TTF, OTF)
Clean, minimalist, and eye-catching, Nordams is an excellent font to choose when you need a bold font for branding, merchandising, titles, and others. This sans serif offers uppercase characters only, but that's all you'll need.
4. Neohead Condensed Sans Serif Font
This clean and stylish sans serif typeface is a great choice for logos, product packaging labels, branding, websites, and more. Neohead includes upper and lowercase characters, numbers, punctuation, and multilingual support.
5. Okana Sans Serif Font (TTF, OTF)
A bold sans serif offered in 16 styles, Okana is perfect when you're looking for a font that's closest to Harley-Davidson. Okana is a great choice for branding, logos, magazine titles, films, headlines, posters, T-shirts, and more.
6. Hardela Retro Script Font (TTF, OTF)
Looking to create your own version of the Harley-Davidson script font? How about Hardela Retro Script Font? There is nothing like the real thing, but you can create a great retro look with this font. The font includes upper and lowercase characters, numbers, punctuation, and multilingual support.
Fonts Closest to the "Motor Cycles" Font
As we've already determined, the "Motor Cycles" text in the Harley-Davidson logo was custom designed. Although there are no publicly available fonts that are exactly like it, you can create a similar effect with these excellent fonts.
7. Noctagon Bold Octagonal Sans Serif Font (TTF, OTF, WOFF)
Check out Noctagon, a cool display font that you can customise to create unique text. Noctagon includes both regular and italic styles and offers a number of alternates and ligatures.
8. Sagu Exora Display Sans Font (TTF, OTF, WOFF)
Looking for an eye-catching font for your next logo? Sagu Exora Display Sans Font is a great choice for branding, logos, banners, posters, and so much more. Sage offers four different styles to choose from: regular, outline, rough, and oblique.
9. Urbano Bold Header Typeface (TTF, OTF)
Urbano Bold Header Typeface will bring its own unique touch to your next project. Whether you're creating a new brand, or a great poster, Urbano will stand out from the pack. The font includes upper and lowercase characters, numbers, punctuation, alternates, and multilingual support.
10. Ez-Bekario Sans Modern Display (TTF, OTF)
Download Ez-Bekario Sans Modern Display for your next project and create elegant standout text. Ez-Bekario Sans Modern Display includes a number of ligatures and special characters so you can create just the look you're after.
Download Your Favourite Resources Today
Now we've answered your questions about what font Harley-Davidson uses, and you now know a whole lot about the Harley-Davidson fonts and logos. So head over to Envato Elements to check out the many fonts closest to the Harley-Davidson font and download the right one for your next project.
Here are more top resources to try from Envato Tuts+:
This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Nona Blackman
Nona Blackman | Sciencx (2024-05-20T18:26:18+00:00) About the Harley-Davidson Logo: Skulls, Wings, and Fonts. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2024/05/20/about-the-harley-davidson-logo-skulls-wings-and-fonts/
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