Over the course of 120 years, Buick logo history has taken shape as a walk through the story of the automotive industry and a deeper look at a brand committed to excellence. A good story takes time to write, after all. So open the pages of this story and read on to learn the full Buick emblem history.
Buick Logo History: Design Changes and Symbolism
1903 to 1905: Globetrotting Uncle Sam
Founded in 1903 by David Dunbar Buick, Buick logo history began before the brand even made a car. The first Buick vehicle came about in 1904. However, this design would only serve as a company logo, and the first Buick cars were adorned with a simple letter-based logo that spelled out "Buick."
In this one, though, Uncle Sam is hauling industrial equipment around the world. Buick would later build cars for royalty worldwide, making this Buick logo symbolism a beautiful bit of foreshadowing.
1905 to 1913: Cursive Script and The Seal of Quality
1905 saw a new chapter in Buick logo history. Two logos came to life: a flowing cursive "Buick" emblem that adorned the grille of Buick vehicles and a seal that demonstrated what the brand was about. The meaning of the first is straightforward: simple yet refined calligraphy-inspired car emblems were common back then.
The second logo took the cursive script and surrounded it by a seal-like design, with a frame containing the words "The Car of Quality."
Side note: A third logo existed then but was a rarely-used experiment.
1913 to 1935: Changing Times, Colorful Designs
The 1910s were a time of immense change for cars, and this Buick logo change would be as great. Suddenly, cars became affordable machines that the average person could realistically own.
While a luxury brand, a focus on affordability without compromise meant that Buick stood in the perfect position for this change. So, Buick logo history moved onto this design. It combines the previous logo with a blue and white square, which can be seen as a nod to 1910s Cubism art.
Fun fact: the last emperor of China owned a 1924 Buick, making this logo the symbol that immortalized the brand in the Asian market.
1935 to 1937: An Art Deco Footnote
It isn't the longest chapter of Buick logo history, but this logo is a masterpiece of 1930s design.
Symbolism takes the back seat here: Cars were rolling works of art in the mid-1930s, and Buick wanted a logo that reflected the overall beauty of their cars. Art Deco was still hot, and this Buick logo used the art movement's bold linework to make a modern impression.
1937 to 1959: A Familiar Motif A Family Tradition
This is the beginning of the Buick logo as we know it. It's a shield with a crest. We could describe the elements inside, but it's more important to note that this crest was David Dunbar Buick's family coat of arms. He was a Scotsman who immigrated to America at the age of two. So, as a symbol of his past, present, and future, this logo displayed his Scottish ancestry on his American industrial contributions.
Side note: this single-shield design changed from an angular, vertically-oriented shield in the 1930s to a more ornate and traditional, wider shield in the 1940s.
1960 to 1979: The Modern Buick Logo Emerges
The modern Buick logo meaning revolves around that historic Scottish coat of arms. But, in 1960, it gained the form we know.
This is perhaps the most important chapter in Buick logo history. The single shield contained the colors red, white, and blue. The details were simplified, and one shield split into three shields, each bearing a single color.
Why three shields? The 1960 Buick lineup revolved around three cars: The Buick Electra, LeSabre, and Invicta. This three-shield design celebrates the Buick brand's groundbreaking entry into the modern era.
Fun fact: our Buick dealer in Monroe, NC, began selling Buick vehicles in 1969, making this logo the first to grace our doors.
1975 to 1980: Birds in Formation
The tri-shield logo remained in use on most Buick cars during this period of Buick logo history, but an avian emblem joined in. The Buick Skyhawk debuted in 1975. The hawk logo would be used in overall marketing and as accompanying graphics on Skyhawk models, changing to a more photo-realistic depiction of a hawk before the motif was discontinued in 1980.
1980 to 2022: The Shields Are Here to Stay
You will still find them in our new Buick inventory; the tri-shield logo and its symbolism came to represent Buick in 1960, and it remains in its place today.
However, this chapter of Buick logo history brought some variations along the way.
The previous version of this logo was still very ornate in the traditional sense. So, with an era of future-looking optimism arriving in the 1980s, the Buick logo was modernized. The deer and cross were removed, the diagonal line lost its checkered detailing, and the outline was thickened.
The logo changed to a more simplified look in 1990, and in 2002, the tri-shield logo changed again.
It was refined further, sidelining color in favor of a full-metal look. The shape of the shields also changed, widening slightly to fill the surrounding circle.
Then, in 2015, color returned to the pages of Buick logo history. Sleek, elegant, and a tribute to all forms of the tri-shield logo, this version remained with us until 2022.
2023 to the Future: Sleekness Takes Center Stage
Here it is: the new Buick logo. Coming soon to our new Buick specials, this is the sleekest form of the tri-shield logo (so far).
The surrounding circle is gone, letting each shield stand as proud as the original 1930s single-shield design. The shape is the same, but what's inside is radically different. Whereas the diagonal stripe would break up the shield design before, it's now a part of the shield, flowing from solid metal to a multi-stepped cutout. The shields are aligned horizontally rather than diagonally, but each cutout will bear the colors that came before.
And coming full circle, the logo that was introduced with the original 1960 Electra has been revised to (in part) celebrate the upcoming all-electric 2025 Electra.
The latest chapter of Buick logo history symbolizes the past, present, and future. We're excited to see it on superb new Buick models like the 2024 Buick Encore GX and hope to share our first look with you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the Buick Shields mean?
The Buick shields are a reference to the Scottish ancestry of the brand's founder David Dunbar Buick. The first Buick shield logo was a single shield containing his family coat of arms. The shield split in 1960 to celebrate the three new Buick models of the time (Electra, LeSabre, and Invicta), and in 1980, the details were removed for simplicity.
When did Buick change their logo last?
The latest Buick logo change occurred this year (2023). This has been the first major change to the logo in decades, seeing the iconic tri-shield design get sleeker and more futuristic in detail. This latest logo is designed to flow with the beautiful bodies of upcoming Buick vehicles like the 2024 Encore GX SUV and all-electric 2025 Electra.
Where did the word Buick come from?
The word "Buick" comes from the name of the brand's founder: David Dunbar Buick. David Buick was born in Scotland and immigrated to America as a two year old. He was an inventor at heart, and in 1903, he founded the Buick brand. Over the course of 120 years his spirit has led to affordable luxury cars without parallel, and today, that spirit is distilled much the same.