DeLorean Font Origins

[Dangermouse]

Question for Nick S., or anyone else who may know: was the font/typeface used on the rear bumper created specially for the car, or did it exist prior to 1980?

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=16885&d=1362009178

and it if is in the book, I apologize as I haven't got that far yet.

[jawn101]

Question for Nick S., or anyone else who may know: was the font/typeface used on the rear bumper created specially for the car, or did it exist prior to 1980?

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=16885&d=1362009178

and it if is in the book, I apologize as I haven't got that far yet.

I'm also curious about this. That font is iconic now, and for me it really defines the whole era. Plus it's cool as hell.

[nick sutton]

Question for Nick S., or anyone else who may know: was the font/typeface used on the rear bumper created specially for the car, or did it exist prior to 1980?

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=16885&d=1362009178

and it if is in the book, I apologize as I haven't got that far yet.

Pretty sure it was Chuck Bennington's idea (former MD) and then New Products Director.It didn't exist before theh logo was added to the bumper.
Nick

[andyd]

Interesting. I thought I read somewhere that Giugiaro designed the font too...? Or is that tosh?

a

[nick sutton]

Interesting. I thought I read somewhere that Giugiaro designed the font too...? Or is that tosh?

a

Chuck as was New Project Director would have a significant say in the styling. Chuck was in close contact with Giugario maybe a combination of both but Chuck was very imaganitive in these areas.

[matt clark]

Without getting into semantics, but I don't think there was ever a 'font' - a full set of letters - created by the company; just that logo. You can get the 'font' made by fans, but it's pretty clear that it doesn't really work for a lot of letters like T or whatever. The balance/white space of the other letters is all over the shop. I've never seen anything by the company that used those characters other than specifically to spell "DeLorean". I've never thought it worked well as a 'font'.

I've got a DeLorean Motor Company corporate identity book, and to be honest, I'm not entirely sure the DeLorean logo appears in that - just the DMC emblem and use of the Optima typeface for signs, cards, etc.

As far as I've ever been able to work out, that logo was extrapolated from the DMC logo. The DMC emblem existed as far back as Proto 1 (before that, the wood mockup carried the DSV logo), whereas the earliest appearance I saw of the "DeLorean" logo was in an article right around the time they refinished the wooden model's styling with the new shape that was going onto the pilot cars, which is about 3 years later.

I've never been a huge fan of the logo, actually - I love the emblem but was never a fan of the letters. It's a long way into the future but when I get a car I'll look into having the rear fascia done like the pilot cars with the bumper logo moulding removed.

[Farrar]

Several weeks ago, I saw online an article about the man who, among other things, designed the DMC emblem. He called it his one claim to fame. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name, and a search on Google News turns up no results. He didn't say anything about a "font." I think all he did was the "DMC" bit. I'll keep looking, though.

[thirdmanj]

Interesting. I thought I read somewhere that Giugiaro designed the font too...? Or is that tosh?

a

I know I read, in the Stainless Steel Illusion I believe, that Giugiaro designed the "DMC" stylized logo for the car, and DeLorean adopted it for the company. So far as the rest of it goes I have no idea.

[DelDon]

I know I read, in the Stainless Steel Illusion I believe, that Giugiaro designed the "DMC" stylized logo for the car, and DeLorean adopted it for the company. So far as the rest of it goes I have no idea.

A friend of mine was married to the man who designed the DMC logo, his name is Hector Gomez. She's not certain if he handled the 'DeLorean' font on the rear bumper though, but knows he did the DMC logo on the grille.

[Farrar]

Several weeks ago, I saw online an article about the man who, among other things, designed the DMC emblem. He called it his one claim to fame. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name, and a search on Google News turns up no results. He didn't say anything about a "font." I think all he did was the "DMC" bit. I'll keep looking, though.

Found it! His name was Phil Gibbon.

Paragraph 20 in this article (http://brighton.patch.com/groups/arts-and-entertainment/p/brighton-area-artist-spotlight-phil-gibbon).

[ALEXAKOS]

As a graphic designer, I know plenty of type phases for products that are created from scratch. Always trying to keep the basic geometric shapes of letters. If you go extreme, an expansion becomes harder.
It all seems to start at the DMC logo creating a futuristic yet basic automotive line.
Take GMC and add the year two thousand on it.

After having created the DMC, they move on in expanding that type phase into a font.

Many fonts are created that way. Problem is that many letters then either do not match graphically or have geometric issues in bonding in words... In other words they look awkward.

If you take the rear bumper DELOREAN and draw lines you will notice it is the geometric expansion of the DMC. However, the "a" and "e' are not a very good match of existing in the same font. You may not mind it now cause you are used to it. Yet the are a bit off with each other.

Like I said, extreme type phase creations do have issues on expanding to further letters.

[thirdmanj]

A friend of mine was married to the man who designed the DMC logo, his name is Hector Gomez. She's not certain if he handled the 'DeLorean' font on the rear bumper though, but knows he did the DMC logo on the grille.

So you say Hector Gomez, Phil Gibbons says he did it, and the Stainless Steel Illusion says Giugiaro designed it. Hmmm... :headscratch:

[Dangermouse]

Maybe they did a letter each ?

[Farrar]

So you say Hector Gomez, Phil Gibbons says he did it, and the Stainless Steel Illusion says Giugiaro designed it. Hmmm... :headscratch:

http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/Biffwellington_welldone/history-channel-hd-aliens-thumb.jpg

[thirdmanj]

http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m573/Biffwellington_welldone/history-channel-hd-aliens-thumb.jpg

20893

[Rich W]

As a graphic designer, I know plenty of type phases for products that are created from scratch. Always trying to keep the basic geometric shapes of letters. If you go extreme, an expansion becomes harder.

We had to make some adjustments with several of the letters (and spacing) to make them look better, but the DMC font can be made to look better.

Example: The use of the DMC font with the DeLorean Midwest Connection logo re-design, back in the day. Not stock DMC font, but it turned out well.

20894

[ALEXAKOS]

We had to make some adjustments with several of the letters (and spacing) to make them look better, but the DMC font can be made to look better.

Example: The use of the DMC font with the DeLorean Midwest Connection logo re-design, back in the day. Not stock DMC font, but it turned out well.

20894


Yes Rich, quite well balanced. Yet the two "N" in the word "connection" are off that font type. The "E" could take some adjustment but I think you did a good job in making it a easily recognizable "e".

Here is a mask depicts the faults. Or even how a font should keep a common geometry:
I will take the D and the M which are the base letters of that font.
20907
I have also corrected the first "N" to make it more like the initial font's idea. It may not look pretty but it is a brother to its family.
Like I said (wrote), extreme fonts create extreme problems in expanding.
I have also drawn a line on the original "delorean" word to show you the "e" and "a" alignment issue

[DelDon]

That's awesome!! I wonder who Hector Gomez is... According to my friend, he was a nut... Maybe a lying one at that.

[DelDon]

Excellent work - now to figure out who Gomez was... Or not!

[JohnZ]

What about the metal letters that are to be sticked in the bumper? Are they a kind of a new product? I can't see any 80's Delorean photos with the steel letters on the bumper. so I guess that initially they were not intended to be there!

Is it correct?

[Dangermouse]

Yes, they are an aftermarket item. All the cars came "naked" from the factory.

I'm not sure who had the idea to add SS inserts there.

[yellowmxwheels23]

Yes, they are an aftermarket item. All the cars came "naked" from the factory.

I'm not sure who had the idea to add SS inserts there.

Probably Hector Gomez

[refugeefromcalif]

Yes, they are an aftermarket item. All the cars came "naked" from the factory.

I'm not sure who had the idea to add SS inserts there.

Mine are vinyl. :sad30:
I got them from a seller on eBay.

George

[ALEXAKOS]

Mine are vinyl. :sad30:
I got them from a seller on eBay.

George

I got the same ones. I want to stick them into place before the mat clear coat gets sprayed on.

So what is the quality on those? Safe to wash and scrub?

[refugeefromcalif]

So what is the quality on those? Safe to wash and scrub?

The quality has been good so far. Mine have held up with all the washing I've done.
I've had them on since Sept. 2012.

George

[Rad Dad]

The quality has been good so far. Mine have held up with all the washing I've done.
I've had them on since Sept. 2012.

George

I had the SS letters on the bumper of my first DeLorean, but on this one I have carbon fiber letters. They are a bit more subtle and I like that......after all, one doesn't need to put the name on the car for most people to know what it is......right?

Dick Ryan The Rad Dad