GM Design Team Discusses Their Take on Classic Chevy Emblems

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The Chevrolet Bowtie is one of the most widely recognized automotive logos around, but Chevy models wouldn’t be the same without their own distinct emblems that set them apart from the rest. With this idea in mind, The Block recently got in contact with Design Manager Styling at GM David Ross to get his take on some of Chevy’s iconic badges, and the reactions he gave were classic.


While the Impala SS was an impressive machine, the true California dreamer car was the Malibu SS.
The first badge Ross gave his take on was the classic Chevrolet Impala SS badge that graced the body panels of Super Sport Impalas, which were introduced in 1961 and ran through the 1969 model year.

These boisterous cars were the epitome of a performance package wrapped inside a comfortable family car, bringing powerhouse options to the table like the Chevy 348 available with a choice of 305, 340 or 350hp ratings, and the famous 409 which came with up to 425hp. Ross pretty much summed up the iconic car emblem by stating, “Big, bad and bold-this badge said that you had it all- performance, style and power. And of course, you refused to give up comfort.”



Ross also discussed the Malibu SS emblem, making reference to dreams of California sunshine and bikinis. This, undoubtedly is a good way to describe the two-door Sport Coupe and convertible trimmed with bucket seats, a center console, engine gauges, optional Powerglide or four-speed manual transmissions and special wheel covers. Although we’re not quite sure we’d choose the six-cylinder option over the V8s that were available for the car, the Malibu SS certainly screams California beach scene.



Another classic Chevy emblem Ross described expertly was the iconic 409 emblem. Ross described this emblem with, “When you see 409, everybody knows she’s fine!… WOW the BIG BLOCK!” This is fitting to a tee considering the 409ci engine was Chevrolet’s top engine in regular production from 1961 to 1965 and eventually topped the charts with an impressive 425hp in 1963. The engine was replaced mid-1965 with the Chevy 396.





Ross also talked about the emblem for the Chevy Cheyenne, which was a trim package introduced in 1971 for the Chevrolet C/K pickup line.

This trim package added creature comforts to the truck like plusher and nicer interiors with carpet, more insulation, tailgate trim, chrome trim, and upper and lower side molding. When talking about the emblem, Ross referred to how the wild west and the show Bananza conjured up images that Chevy wanted associated with their trucks. Ross also discussed the 60th Anniversary Corvette emblem, which Ross stated symbolized Corvette’s 60 years of racing and winning. Introduced in 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette has been a non-stop model since the beginning, producing six, going on seven, generations with everything an American sports car enthusiast could ask for.

There are plenty of other Chevy emblems that have had a lasting impression that weren’t included in the article on The Block, such as the 427, Z/28 and Chevy Bel Air emblems. What do you think are some of the most iconic Chevy emblems to have ever existed?