Datsun is a Japanese car brand, established in 1931 and owned by the Nissan Group. The brand is focused on the manufacturing of low-budget vehicles and is highly-recognizable across the globe.

Datsun is a legendary Japanese automaking brand founded in 1914 and was originally called DAT-GO (which is translated from Japanese as “DAT-car”). “DAT” stands for “fast lightning fast” in Japanese, but it’s not the only meaning. The DAT is also an abbreviation, consisting of the first three letters of the last names of the partners: Dan, Aoyama, and Takeuchi. Later it was decided that the same letters would reflect the main characteristics of the brand: durable, attractive, and trustworthy. As we can see, it is a vivid example of the Japanese approach and philosophy — each small detail is meaningful.

In 1983, the Datsun brand was renamed Nissan and gave a start to one of the most successful and popular Japanese car brands. Although in 2012, Nissan decided to give Datsun a second chance, and the company was reborn. The first car of the new Datsun was produced in 2013.

Datsun is the name of the Japanese car marque, owned by the Nissan group. The brand is known for the production of sedans and traditional city cars, along with lightweight trucks. The brand was inactive for several decades and revived only in 2013.

The very first Datsun logo featured a very elegant and powerful composition of a solid red circle (the main symbol of Japan) and a bright blue horizontally stretched rectangle with white lettering, placed over the circle. The white “Datsun” wordmark was set in the uppercase of a bold serif typeface, which was balanced by a thin white framing of the blue rectangle.

This logo features a bold red circle intersected by a blue rectangle, which contains “DATSUN” in prominent white lettering. The use of a circular red element and deep blue rectangular background embodies a dynamic and easily recognizable design. The contrast between the blue and red creates a striking visual balance, underscoring the brand’s association with precision and reliability. This emblem symbolizes Datsun’s global presence during the mid-20th century as a leader in durable vehicles, particularly known for their fuel-efficient and accessible models.

The redesign of 1951 introduced a new concept for the Datsun visual identity. It was a red and white badge in a geometric shape — the horizontally stretched rectangle with rounded corners, divided into two parts — the upper one in red, which was wider, and the bottom and thin one in white. The whole badge was outlined in thin red. The upper part of the emblem contained a bold stylized “Datsun” inscription in white. The custom sans-serif typeface looked sleek and progressive.

In 1963, the Datsun logo was changed again. This time, it was a fine and elegant blue cursive inscription in title case, with the letters placed far from each other and connected by a thin blue horizontal line coming from the middle point of one letter to the middle point of the other.

This version exhibited a sleek, stylized font, spelling “Datsun” in white letters on a narrow blue horizontal band, giving it a streamlined, modern appearance. The elegant curves and connected characters reflected the 1960s’ aesthetic trends and the brand’s forward-thinking, innovative nature. The logo emphasized Datsun’s focus on stylish yet practical automobiles, embodying a sense of sophistication and momentum that resonated with the decade’s consumer base.

The logo used by the Japanese brand in the 1960s featured a bold uppercase logotype in gold-yellow. The typeface used for this version of the Datsun visual identity boasted sleek smooth medium-weight lines, softened corners, and wide full-shaped contours.

The 1970 logo maintained a similar aesthetic, featuring the word “Datsun” in a more structured, angular style that emphasized legibility. The white lettering was outlined in light blue, offering clarity while retaining the modern elegance of the previous logos. This design choice highlighted Datsun’s continual commitment to refinement and innovation, positioning itself as a progressive and stylish automotive brand amidst the rapidly changing automobile industry.

In 1970, the brand adopted a new color palette and a new style of the emblem. It was a light gradient gray horizontal band with red and black contours repeating the shape of the main badge in the middle part, and a white ExtraBold wordmark set horizontally over the badge. The thick and massive serif letters of the inscription were outlined in light gray.

With “DATSUN” written in bold silver lettering against a black rectangular background, the 1972 logo represented the brand’s emphasis on rugged durability and sophistication. The metallic letters conveyed a sense of strength and reliability, while the dark background evoked a classic, timeless appearance. This logo reflected Datsun’s strategic evolution, aligning itself with consumers seeking high-performance vehicles without compromising on reliability and quality.

The redesign of 1972 brought back the minimalist approach to the Datsun logo and introduced a new monochrome logotype in a fancy and progressive serif typeface. The solid black capitals of the inscription were executed in thick clean lines with enlarged sharpened serifs at the ends. The logo looked stable, professional, and strong.

The iconic 1976 Datsun logo was composed of a red circle, symbolizing the sun, with a royal blue rectangular background and a white bold wordmark on it. It was bright, stylish, and meaningful. The all-caps wordmark was perfectly balanced in its simple sans-serif typeface.

The redesign of 2014 was meant to celebrate the brand’s revival and its return to the market. Datsun kept the original shape of the logo but enclosed it into a massive silver frame, making it look less elegant but more masculine and brutal. The red color was replaced by gradient blue, making the emblem three-dimensional and dynamic.

The wordmark was also completely changed. Its typeface now featured thinner lines and a black shadow. The color palette was switched to gradient silver, balancing the framing.

The Datsun logo from 2014 looks like many other car logos; it lost its bright individuality but gained universality and confidence. It represents a strong and stable brand focused on quality, aiming to evoke a sense of trust and reliability.

The bold uppercase lettering from the Datsun official badge is set in a modern sans-serif typeface with full-shaped and slightly extended contours of the characters, clean lines, and straight cuts of the ends. The closest fonts to the one used in the Datsun insignia are probably Quantum Latin Bold or Syncopate Pro Bold, but with slight modifications.

As for the color palette of the Datsun visual identity, it is based on a combination of silver and blue, with deep and glossy gradients. The color scheme makes the badge bright and memorable, evoking a sense of security, excellence, and reliability. Blue is the color of trustworthiness and safety, while silver adds some chic and style to the emblem.