What font is the ACBC in the original Lotus logo ?

[Matra et Alpine]

Anyone know what the actual font used for Colin's initials in the Lotus logo ?

Looking to create our own for our team as the decision is it's going to be classic Lotus racing colours - green and yellow stripe.

thanks in advance

[henk4]

Try Classic Team Lotus, they might know.

[csl177]

It's one of the Roman fonts, the original ligature was probably drawn by hand.

[Matra et Alpine]

yeah csl, we are using one which looks close enough. Just none have the A in that style.
As you say original was probbably hand drawn and may have been "created" but was thinking that for modern use it will ahve to name the font for trademark reasons ?

Good point Pieter, will try CTL :)

[csl177]

The "A-B" connecting with the single vertical stroke isn't unusual, and some font packages include "A" capitals in that form.
A good graphic designer will be able to create the ligature for you without any problems.

[Matra et Alpine]

^ true, but finding the font is easier :)

[digitalcraft]

The "A-B" connecting with the single vertical stroke isn't unusual, and some font packages include "A" capitals in that form.
A good graphic designer will be able to create the ligature for you without any problems.

Actually that particular ligature, I believe, is rather uncommon. You won't find an A leaned over in to the B like that in many fonts. I'm fairly certain that is a custom job.

[pimento]

The closest you'll get is most fonts is Ǽ.

[whiteballz]

Type "A" in Photoshop then skew it over.. 5 minute jobbie.

[pimento]

Or just get some crayons and draw it on.

[csl177]

Yes, usually only the archaic "Ǽ" is included in a fonts' extras, and many designers only include them with interpretations of classic typefaces. Still, with desktop graphic packages it's an easy thing to set the slanted "A" with any other capital that has a left side vertical stroke: B, D, E, F, M, N, R, etc. No need to force it over in photoshop or some other trick... besides, it won't look right. Stroke width is important for the finished image.

As a retired designer I still prefer drafting ligatures from scratch, and suspect the Lotus logo was drawn by Colin himself exactly that way.

[Matra et Alpine]

^^^ Thanks for all the efforts guys ... turns out we dont need the A anyway. So other fonts are hopefully close enough :)

I think the proof that Colin may have designed it is clear in that the stroke width is thin and thus supporting the "lightness first" approach and secondly they all take up the same character space on top of each other and thus the space is performing more than one job in the design. True to Colin's ethos :) :)

and finally, typical of the failure that is always hiding in a Lotus ... that nobody can be sure by reading what the order of the letters are.

Thanks Colin :)

[henk4]

but do you own the copyright for the logo?

[Matra et Alpine]

no .... but am seeking clearance from Lotus.... out of respect.

But as at the end of the day it wont say LOTUS, nor use the CABC characters, then it's likely to be OK. They dont have the green trademarked or the font or the shape and we are not competign in sales or racing with them :) So difficult to see any attempt being upheld if we chose to :)

Hell at the moment it's not clear WHO owns the actual logo and rights to use in F1 :) :)

[Matra et Alpine]

Thanks guys, nice to have experts to hand.
Could have saved us some "design effort" ....

H & S don't go together graphically easily either
They dont !

So gave up and went with below .....