105 Remarkable Retro Logos
It’s time for another massive logo collection. This time around we’ve sifted through thousands of great logos to find over one hundred that were designed in a retro or vintage style.
If you’re looking for some good old fashioned logo design inspiration, this post will surely get your creative brain firing on all cylinders. From robots to muscle cars, these logos are flat out cool.
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Circles
By far, the most prominent trend that I noticed in retro logo design was the use of circles and circular bursts. Lots of designers go seem to directly connect old style design with a round container. The technique works quite well, each of these instantly looks like something with a slick, classic feel.
Studio You Portraits by Sean Heisler
Spacebound Creative by growcase
BlackShield by cruckntask
MDK by VRIEL
Shop Elkhart First – Alt 2 by yaegerwerks
Y-Wave by Kruglov
FizzNiche by Myth_Sh
Tokyo Bicycles by growcase
Studio 85 (3) by José
Lavender Fastener Company by devey
Jerusalem Records by growcase
Late Night Munchies by dryan1144
River Jam Soccer Tournament Logo by levelb
Designers Against Child Slavery by Tømme
J.Garner by jgarnerdesign
Paydirt (Concept 2) by koodoz
Zigwicks V4 by lboi
M.V.P Yoga – Reverse by jgarnerdesign
The Big Top Fashion Show by James Ewin Designs
Mr. Pixel by rnailer
UIT by Matto
Dr. Acula by TheLaboratory
McFly Originals v1 (Concept) by koodoz
Schu-Shine Inn by Sean Heisler
Hypnotic Design by jgarnerdesign
Gibson/Lewis Seal by 903creative
Baggie’s Brew Pub Logo V3 by carlminer
AV One by soulcreative
Gears
One popular way to slightly modify the circle look is to use a gear shape. This gives the logo a masculine, industrial feel that has a post WWII sort of aesthetic.
Ruff Gear Outfitters by levelb
Movers & Shuckers by designXtreme
Pop Culture by agrios01
FridgeWorks by fridgeworks
People
It’s always fun to see character illustrations in logos, especially when the style reflects something from a bygone era. I particularly like the Royal Crown Dairy logo, which features a fantastic illustration of an old school milk man.
Ms.Tidy by growcase
Pinup Girl Espresso by UtahRugbyGuy
MR DJ by devey
The Neighborhood Electrician by devey
tapehead by XBlueDivision
Timo’s Heating and Air Conditioning by devey
Pellitteri Data Destruction by AJGagnon
Royal Crown Dairy by devey
Chris Tompkins by ogtbarnes
Heartland Electric by Schuster
Linkitty-Do! by Jayleedesigns
Aunt Flo by BigAl67
Robots
Robots are another element that seems to peg your design to a very specific time period, very similar to that of the gear logos above. I love the tall, lanky look of the Big Robot Studios logo.
Better Robot Records (horiz) by SKR1BE STUD10S
The Groover by wizmaya
big robot studios by james_at_fridg
Vehicles
Nothing says retro logo like a classic car. American muscle cars from the 60s and 70s have an undoubtedly tough, cool aesthetic that’s oozing with vintage appeal. There are a few other variations on the transportation theme here as well, particularly of the two-wheeled variety.
Golyo motorcycle service by Laszlo Sandor
Vintage Steels by Brandsanity
Show and Shine car show logo by levelb
Bicycle Club by zephyr
Cecil & Rosie’s Cafe by levelb
Type
Just about every designer can be found drooling over vintage typography at one time or another. Type has an amazing ability to communicate so much about a design, in this case we see each example suggesting a very specific decade. Can you identify the time period hinted at by each of these designs?
Olars Design 2 by OlarsDesign
Fabulous Vintage by sensationalfix
Bob’s Diner by Marwabk
Silk – Downtown by ddayco
Madefreshly by ruckxs
Eighty Two Design by 82design
ETHEL TruckStop by lostinbrooklyn
VOM – Vodkaimport og mannskor by tobiasbaeck
903 Creative by 903creative
Badges
This section is very similar to the “circles” section above in that each of the logos has a clear containment device. This time however the designers have ventured into more complex shapes. Browse through these and notice the repeated shapes and how they’re slightly modified in each rendition.
Captain Creative by CaptainBJ
Russell Painting and Repair by TEXAZ2011
Skillman Youth Ministry (green version) by chrome47
BIG REACH by Herbyderby
Nieladaco by macov
D.C. Kaufman Electric by devey
Lock-Car by Laszlo Sandor
Ping Pong Scientists by Type08
Pint by devey
RZP by bgreater
50’s Diner Logo by matthiason
Bigger Better Donuts by lewk
Upper Clutha A&P Assoc. by BigAl67
Work Flow by BigAl67
Autodetailer by Oronoz ®
Friendship Club by archdesign
Murray’s Bagels by patrickmacomber
TCM Classic Film Union by patrickmacomber
Greenhouse Studio by p_carter
Long Island Sign Studios by devey
Red Dog by micahharris
The Playing Field by 903creative
Mr Goodbrew by Johnsonlingo
Chaise Logo by randyheil
VW Camper Van Blog by swillicott
J.S. Electric Logo by carlminer
Doc’s Catering by carlminer
North 40 by Schuster
Other
TrackLab by growcase
Valhalla Boots by watermarker
Historic Kenton Firehouse Committee by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
Keystone Restoration by SashaEndoh
Quickly Clean by fellah
west end cafe by sergiu.lazin
Dolly_03 by I-am-Tiago
Colonial Bowling & Entertainment by devey
ATOMICvibe logomark by atomicvibe
J.Garner by jgarnerdesign
GSDM by jgarnerdesign
Waffely Good ! by lilibellule
Uke Hunt by n0s0ap
Boro Photo by notjelly
Seeds and Fruit by n0s0ap
Seeing Double by jgarnerdesign
Which Is Your Favorite?
I hope you enjoyed our massive collection of 105 vintage and retro logos. There’s surely enough inspiration here to give you all kinds of ideas for creating your own unique retro logos.
If you enjoyed the post, leave a comment below and let us know which logos were your favorite. Do you tend to like the typography heavy logos or are you more of an illustration fan? Let us know!