What Is the Motul Logo?
The Motul logo is the word MOTUL in white capital letters on a solid red rectangle. It belongs to Motul, the French maker of engine oils and lubricants based in Aubervilliers, near Paris, whose story starts with the New York lubricant firm Swan & Finch in 1853.
Motul calls its 300V oil, launched in 1971, its flagship product. The red-box mark is available as the Motul logo SVG.
Motul Logo Facts
| Symbol | None; the white MOTUL letters sit inside a red box |
| Logo type | Wordmark: the name MOTUL in a red rectangle |
| Owner | Motul S.A. |
What the Motul Logo Means
The Motul logo is built on one rule: the letters and the box belong together. Motul's 2018 visual guidelines describe the logotype as "inseparable from its solid red background" and forbid stretching the box or using the letters without it. The only exception is a secondary version without the box, for use when the background is already red.
The guidelines name the colour Motul Red, set at Pantone 185 C, and pair it with Carbon Black and a metallic grey. They list six values the mark should convey: ingenious, passionate, brotherly, specialist, authentic and premium.
Motul Logo History
Motul began as one of the brands of Swan & Finch, a New York company that made lubricants from 1853. In 1932 Ernst Zaug arranged, through his company Supra Penn, to distribute Motul products in France.
The brand marked its centenary in 1953 with Motul Century, which Motul describes as the world's first multigrade lubricant. In 1957 Swan & Finch suspended its activities, Supra Penn bought the rights to the Motul brand, and the French company took the name of its main product, becoming Motul S.A. In 1971 it launched 300V, which Motul calls the first 100% synthetic multigrade lubricant.
Motul has not published a dated history of its logo. Its 2018 visual guidelines set out the red-box wordmark as the primary logo. At the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in November 2025, Motul presented a new visual identity built around a graphic pattern that it says stands for the fluid that powers, protects and maintains engines. The new identity also appeared on Motul's stand at the Rétromobile classic car show in Paris in January 2026.
Motul in Motorsport
The red box is best known from racing. Motul lists the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship, MotoGP, the Dakar Rally, Goodwood and the UCI Mountain Bike World Series among the events and series it has supported. In September 2025 it was named official transmission lubricant supplier to the McLaren Formula 1 team from 2026.
For more brands like Motul, browse our car logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colour is the Motul logo?
White letters on Motul Red, which the brand's 2018 guidelines set at Pantone 185 C.
Can the Motul name be shown without the red box?
Only on a red background. Otherwise Motul's guidelines say the letters must always sit inside the red box.
Is Motul a French or American company?
Motul is French. The brand began with Swan & Finch in New York in 1853 and became the French company Motul S.A. in 1957.
What does the 2025 Motul identity add?
A graphic pattern that Motul says represents the fluid that powers engines and machines, introduced at EICMA in November 2025.