Why Is the Ford Logo Blue?

The Model T is the car most people picture when they think of early Ford, and it is easy to assume the blue oval rode on it. It did not. The Model T wore a script nameplate, as the car in the photo shows, and the blue oval came later.

The Model T is also remembered for color, or the lack of it. Henry Ford's autobiography has him saying any customer could have a car painted any color so long as it was black. According to Wikipedia, the line dates to a remark he made to his managers in 1909, and the black-only policy took hold in 1914. Wikipedia also notes that early Model Ts came in other colors, including gray, green, blue and red, so the black Model T and the blue oval are two separate chapters.

You will find blue described as the color of trust, stability and dependability. Those readings come from logo blogs and branding commentary, not from Ford, and they could be applied to almost any blue badge on the road. They are interpretation. Ford Blue as a named color on the brand page is a description of what the badge looks like, not a statement of intent.

Here is a quick way to sort claims. If a source quotes a Ford document or a dated Ford vehicle, it is documented. If it says the blue "represents" something, ask who said so.