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Chapter 2609 Unique Car Logo

The logo of Tianchao Auto was a sketch drawn by Suning himself.

Although Suning didn't study design, he had seen too many car brand logos in his later years and knew exactly what a good car logo should look like...

It must be simple, unique, and recognizable. More importantly, like the brand name, it must evoke a deep cultural foundation in people's minds at a glance.

Many car brands use animal logos, letter combinations, or abstract geometric shapes as their logos, but Suning doesn't want to follow these old paths.

Therefore, Suning decided to put something that everyone recognizes, but no car brand has ever dared to use.

The Imperial Seal of the State.

When the design team received this direction, their first reaction was to be stunned.

The team leader in charge of the car logo design looked at the sketch drawn by Suning several times. Although the strokes on the sketch were rough, the meaning was very clear: a square jade seal outline with a dragon-tiger knob on top and characters engraved on the seal surface.

The team leader put down the sketch and said to the colleague next to him, "President Su's idea is either insane or absolutely brilliant."

A colleague leaned over for a look and said, "The Imperial Seal of the State? This is a car, not an emperor approving memorials."

The team leader thought for a moment, then slammed the sketch on the table. "If we use something that other companies dare not use, then it's ours. Let's do it."

Next, they searched through various historical materials and picture books and found copies of the Imperial Seal of the State from different dynasties.

From the He Shi Bi jade seal of Qin Shi Huang, which was inscribed with "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous," to the various versions copied by successive dynasties, each version has subtle differences in the style of the knob, the inscription, and the size.

The design team used the most classic jade seal with a dragon and tiger knob as a prototype to begin refining the lines for a modern style.

Chi Hu is one of the legendary dragon sons. It is shaped like a tiger but has scales like a dragon. It crouches on the top of the jade seal, with its head raised and eyes glaring, majestic but not fierce.

The designers spent several days repeatedly modifying the side profile of the Chihu (螭虎) knob, flattening the traditional round sculpture into flat lines, so as to retain the spirit of the Chihu while making it easily recognizable in such a small size as a car logo.

The final design of the car logo is a square, three-dimensional jade seal face, with a deep dark green background, capturing the warm and substantial texture of jade.

The seal is inscribed with eight characters: “Having received the mandate of Heaven, may its longevity be everlasting.”

These eight characters are written in bird-and-insect seal script, with winding and twisting strokes. They have both the ancient charm of seal script and the unique dynamism and elegance of bird-and-insect seal script. The beginning, development, transition and conclusion of each stroke are like a miniature dragon, which looks simple and grand, yet hides a sharp edge.

The car logo has an extremely thin metallic trim that reflects light subtly, making it understated yet exquisite.

The first impression of the entire car logo is not "this is a car logo", but rather "this is an imperial seal stamped on the car body".

This three-dimensional imperial seal icon serves as a mark of China's automobiles, and is uniformly used on the upper right side of the central logo at the rear of all models.

It's as if the Celestial Empire is stamping the rear of every car that rolls off the production line, giving it a sense of ceremony and an air of quiet authority.

Suning wants to tell everyone that the Celestial Empire is "born of Heaven and will live forever".

However, Suning requires that each car model use its own unique mythical beast icon, placed on the front, rear, and center of the steering wheel.

This arrangement is deliberate—the front of the car is the first impression it makes, and the mythical beast logo should make people know what kind of car it is from a distance.

The logo on the front of the vehicle is a silhouette of a blue dragon, with slender and sharp lines, a raised head, swept-back horns, and a tail coiled into a subtle arc, taking the imagery of "a blue dragon soaring through the clouds".

The dragon's body shimmers with varying shades of blue under different angles of light. This is achieved by mixing mica powder into metallic paint. From a distance, it appears as a deep blue, while up close, one can see fine scale patterns.

The sign is not large, but it is extremely detailed, and when it is stationary, it looks like it is about to take off at any moment.

The emblem on the front of the vehicle, Baihu Yi, is completely different from that of Qinglong.

It's not a profile, but a frontal portrait of a white tiger, with wide-open eyes and amber pupils. Its mouth is slightly open, revealing two rows of fangs. The lines are bold and powerful, and every whisker is clearly defined.

The car logo has a matte black background with a white tiger head floating on top, creating a strong contrast between the white and black, making it recognizable from a distance.

It's clearly positioned as a hardcore off-road vehicle, without any ambiguity.

The emblem on the front of the Suzaku I is a soaring Suzaku, entirely vermilion, with its wings spread into a streamlined, flame-like shape. The tip of each feather curves slightly upward, forming an arc that embraces forward.

The vermilion paint is mixed with extremely fine metallic particles, and under the sun, the wings will shimmer with a flowing golden-red halo, making them agile and elegant, perfectly matching the positioning of an urban SUV.

When I stopped at the roadside waiting for the red light, the Vermilion Bird emblem looked like a dancing flame in the sunlight.

The steering wheels of the three cars are also inlaid with their respective mythical beast icons in the center, made into three-dimensional metal reliefs, and you can feel the concavity and convexity of each line when you touch them.

These mythical creatures can be seen everywhere, from the top of the gear shift lever and the center cap of the wheel hub to the key head and the tool kit. The visual system of the entire product line is highly unified, and Chinese cultural symbols are seamlessly integrated with modern industrial design.

……

After a period of busy work, Tianchao Automobile is finally about to start mass production.

Suning specifically asked Xiao Zhao to send invitations to the experts who had criticized China Automotive on television as a fraudulent company.

Xiao Zhao looked at Su Ning with a surprised expression and asked, "President Su, should we send it to Liao Shiyuan as well?"

Suning said, "Send it. Not just to him, but to every expert who has publicly said we are frauds, one copy for each person."

"But……"

"Just do as I say."

"clear."

The people who received the invitations had different expressions.

Some people throw the invitation on the table and say to their colleagues, "Why go? Going there would just be supporting them."

……

On New Year's Day 1997, before dawn broke in Beijing, the area in front of the Shunyi factory was already bustling with activity.

A red banner was hung above the factory gate, which read "Mass Production Line Roll-off Ceremony of China's Top Country Automobile Technology Co., Ltd."

The road in front of the gate was lined with all kinds of vehicles, including TV station interview vehicles, newspaper vans, industry association cars, and some official cars of relevant department leaders.

Security guards, dressed in their newly issued uniforms, stood at the entrance guiding vehicles, with emergency dispatch messages constantly coming from their walkie-talkies.

At this time, the site in the factory area had already been set up long ago.

A temporary stage was set up in the open space in front of the final assembly workshop, with several rows of folding chairs covered with white chair covers.

On either side of the stage stood a huge backdrop. The left side featured the side silhouettes of three cars: Qinglong Yi, Zhuque Yi, and Baihu Yi. The right side displayed the logo of Tianchao Auto and the words "1997: The First Year of Mass Production".

The workshop doors were wide open, and the production lines inside were ready. The indicator lights on the equipment were flashing, and the industrial robots stood quietly at their respective workstations, like soldiers lined up waiting for inspection.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the invited media and guests entered the venue one after another.

However, there were far more media outlets present than expected.

When Xiao Zhao was checking the list at the door, he found that many media outlets that had not received invitations had also arrived, carrying cameras and wearing press cards, and standing at the door demanding to be admitted.

A reporter was stopped at the door by security guards. He got impatient and held up his press card, saying, "We are from Auto Guide. We didn't receive an invitation, but we are a legitimate media outlet. Please let us in."

Xiao Zhao ran over to check his press pass, then looked at the growing number of reporters gathering at the entrance, and took out his phone to call Su Ning: "President Su, there are a lot of media outlets without invitations at the entrance, more than double the number on the invitation list. Should we let them in or not?"

Suning said on the phone, "Let them in. Arrange seats for them."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Zhao waved to the security guard: "Let them through, let them all through."

As a result, the original 100 folding chairs were simply not enough to seat everyone.

The logistics staff temporarily moved dozens more chairs to the back, but there were still people standing.

Moreover, the people who came were a very diverse group.

There are reputable automotive media outlets, reporters from financial newspapers, and news program teams from television stations.

There were also those who had been questioning Chinese automakers even before they were in mass production...

Several newspaper reporters who like to reprint expert opinions, and a few commentators in the industry known for their pessimistic views on domestic cars.

These shameless and disrespectful oddballs sat in the back of the audience, arms crossed, looking like they were waiting to see them make a fool of themselves.

Liao Shiyuan himself did not come, but the industry association he belonged to sent two people who sat in the back row, holding notebooks in their hands, with very serious expressions.

Because they have access to more sophisticated and authoritative information, the automotive industry in China is not as simple as they think.

……

At 9:30, the mass production rollout ceremony officially began.

Suning did not invite a host, nor did it arrange for leaders to give speeches.

Suning, wearing a dark jacket, walked to the open space in front of the podium, holding a wireless microphone in his hand.

The audience fell silent, and all eyes were on him.

Su Ning didn't speak immediately. He stood there, glanced around at the audience, and then raised the microphone:

"Today is January 1, 1997. From the time Tianchao Auto was registered until today, the doubts from the outside world have never stopped. Some people say we are fraudulently obtaining loans, some say we are acquiring land, some say we don't even have a production line, and some say we will never be able to build a single car that can be driven on the road." Someone coughed in the audience, and then fell silent.

Su Ning paused for a moment, then raised his hand and pointed to the open workshop door behind him: "I will not make any excuses today. I just want everyone to see the production line with their own eyes."

After saying that, he turned around and raised his hand towards the workshop.

The AI ​​robot engineer in the workshop saw his gesture and simultaneously pressed the production line start button.

Three production lines started up simultaneously.

The hydraulic presses in the stamping workshop were the first to emit a dull, rhythmic roar. The huge press slides moved up and down with strokes accurate to the millimeter, pressing steel plates into the shape of car bodies between the molds.

The industrial robots in the welding workshop woke up almost simultaneously. The robotic arms drew smooth arcs in the air, and a burst of blue and white sparks burst out the moment the welding torch touched the metal. Dozens of robots worked at the same time, and the entire welding line looked like a dense meteor shower.

The automatic painting system in the painting workshop started operating, and the car body moved slowly on the conveyor belt. The painting robot evenly spread a layer of glossy and warm paint on the surface of the car body.

On the final assembly line, the chassis and body are automatically joined together at the assembly station, and the tightening machine precisely screws each bolt into the predetermined position with a set torque value.

The photographers in the audience couldn't stay seated anymore; they all stood up with their cameras, and the sound of shutters clicking filled the air.

A young reporter stared at the camera for a long time with his mouth agape, until a colleague next to him nudged him and he snapped out of his daze and raised his camera.

At almost the same moment, at the end of the three assembly lines, three brand-new mass-produced vehicles slowly drove off the production line.

The Qinglongyi was the first model, a black three-box sedan whose paint reflected a deep luster under the workshop lights.

It rolled off the car assembly line, glided quietly to the display area in front of the stage, and came to a stop with the Tianchao Auto logo on the front facing all the camera lenses below.

Next up is the Zhuqueyi, a silver-gray urban SUV that is taller than the Qinglong. The roof rack has clean and simple lines, and the wheel design is rugged.

It drove off the SUV assembly line and stopped next to Qinglong, with the two vehicles standing side by side.

Finally, there's White Tiger One.

The white, rugged off-road vehicle has a wide and heavy body, and its sturdy bumper and roof-mounted spotlight brackets make it look like a crouching beast.

When it rolled off the off-road vehicle assembly line, the deep roar of its engine was completely different from the previous two vehicles. It was a low-frequency roar unique to diesel engines, a sound that made your chest vibrate.

It parked next to the Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird, with the three cars lined up in a row.

The entire room fell silent for about three or four seconds.

No one spoke, no camera shutter clicked, and even breathing seemed to be suppressed.

All eyes were fixed on the three brand-new cars that had just rolled off the production line...

Then, the sound of camera shutters exploded like a torrential downpour.

The photojournalists jumped up from their seats almost simultaneously, rushing forward with their cameras and microphones.

The clicking of camera shutters filled the air, and the white light of flashes rose and fell throughout the workshop.

The TV cameramen pushed their way forward with their equipment, their lenses locked on the three cars, filming from the front to the back, from the wheel rims to the logos.

The logos of Tianchao Auto are unique and attractive, and everyone present was drawn to the different styles of logos.

To get the best angle, a newspaper photographer squatted down, not even noticing his knees scraping against the concrete. After taking the picture, he turned to his colleague and shouted, "Did you get the shot? That Vermilion Bird is really beautiful! Even more beautiful than the demo car at the auto show!"

His colleague squatted down next to him, changing film as he said, "I've shot two rolls already. The reflective quality of the Qinglong car paint is amazing. How did they achieve this paint quality?"

Have you noticed that their car logos are all very unique?

"Yes! It feels like it directly imbues each car with a unique cultural connotation."

"It seems the owner of Tianchao Auto is a cultured person."

A reporter from a financial newspaper didn't push forward. He stood still, looking at the three production lines that were still running, and said to the person next to him, "The production lines are really running. Look at the robots on that welding line, the sparks are real, not just for show."

The person next to him replied, "Isn't that obvious? The car has already driven off the line, how could it be fake?"

None of the experts and commentators sitting in the back row who had previously publicly questioned China's automobile industry on television stood up to take pictures.

One person's expression changed from indifference to silence; the corners of his mouth turned down, and he crossed his arms without saying a word.

The other person stared at Baihu Yi for a long time, his lips moved slightly, it was unclear whether he was talking to himself or to the person next to him, but in the end no sound came out.

His colleague sitting next to him asked in a low voice, "Didn't you say they didn't have a production line?"

"..." The person did not answer, but simply lowered their hand from their chest and changed their sitting posture.

……

Suning stood beside the production line, watching the three cars roll off the line one after another, and seeing those who had once vilified his company in newspapers, on television, and on the radio now pushing forward with their cameras.

Suning didn't show any smugness, nor did he go over to show off to anyone.

Zhuangzhuang stood not far behind Suning, holding a folder containing the program for today's ceremony and a list of the key media outlets Suning would be meeting.

Looking at the three cars, Zhuangzhuang's eyes lit up, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

Zhuangzhuang whispered to Xiao Zhao next to her, "Assistant Zhao, the engine sound of that White Tiger One is even more powerful than the curve I saw in the road test report last time."

Xiao Zhao loosened his tie and let out a long sigh. "Zhuangzhuang, do you know how I feel right now?"

Zhuangzhuang asked, "How does it feel?"

Xiao Zhao said, "I've been following General Manager Su for so many years, and before today I was actually quite worried. I wasn't sure if the production line would be able to run smoothly, or if the mass-produced cars would roll off the line on time. Now that I see these three cars driving off the line, I've finally felt relieved."

……

After the three cars came to a stop in the display area, Suning picked up the microphone again.

"..." The audience immediately fell silent.

"These three cars are the first batch of mass-produced vehicles from China Automotive. Azure Dragon One, Vermilion Bird One, and White Tiger One. They are not prototypes hand-built in a laboratory, but are manufactured one by one on this production line behind us, using our own four major processes and in accordance with mass production standards."

Su Ning paused for a moment, then glanced at the few silent figures in the back row below the stage: "Everyone is welcome to come up and take a look. You can pull the car doors, lift the hood, and even lie down to look at the chassis. My only requirement is that if you're going to take pictures, take clear pictures, and if you're going to write, write the truth."

As soon as he finished speaking, the reporters swarmed forward.

Someone opened the door of Qinglong Yi and sat in the driver's seat, someone else lifted the hood of Baihu Yi and slapped the engine compartment, and someone else lay on the ground and patted the chassis structure of Zhuque Yi.

The TV cameraman carried his equipment and circled the three cars to film them, while the host gave a rapid-fire commentary to the camera.

A reporter from an automotive magazine sat in the driver's seat of the Baihu Yi for several minutes, touching the steering wheel, gear shift, and dashboard. After getting out, he grabbed an engineer from Tianchao Auto next to him and asked, "Did you manufacture the diesel engine for this car yourself?"

The engineer said, "Yes, the engine, transmission, and chassis—all three major components—are independently developed."

The reporter then asked, "Can the specifications be released?"

The engineer said, "The detailed parameters are on the back of the display board; the technical specifications for each car are posted there."

The reporter turned and ran towards the display board.

……

Even after the ceremony ended, the reporters lingered, taking pictures of the three cars for quite some time.

Suning was surrounded by reporters from several major media outlets for a brief group interview.

A reporter asked, "Mr. Su, Liao Shiyuan and other experts previously said on television that China's automobile production line does not exist at all. Would you say that you are refuting them with facts today?"

Suning glanced at the reporter and said, "I never retaliate against anyone. I just build the car and let everyone see it."

The reporter then asked, "Do you have anything to say to Liao Shih-yuan?"

Suning said, "I have nothing to say. He's welcome to test drive our car anytime."

"..."

Next, Suning personally accompanied the leaders inside the factory for a tour.

The department leaders were also deeply shocked, as it was completely different from the car factories they usually imagined.

A leader in the automotive industry looked at Su Ning with a complicated expression and asked, "Mr. Su, I have a question."

"Sir, please speak."

"Which company designed and manufactured your Chinese car production lines?"

"I'm sorry, boss, this involves the trade secrets of our Chinese automotive industry. However, all the procedures for our imported equipment are complete, guaranteeing absolute legality and compliance."

"..."

...(End of this chapter)