Caltex is a petroleum brand created in 1936 as a joint venture between Standard Oil Co. of California (later Chevron) and The Texas Co. (Texaco). The brand’s visual identity has centered on a star motif borrowed from Texaco, evolving through several distinct phases to the current “Delta Star” logo introduced in 1996.[1]
Design and History
The original Caltex logo, introduced at the company’s founding in 1936, consisted of a red star intersected by the word “CALTEX” in black letters. This design was a deliberate departure from the Texaco logo of that time, which already featured a star as a symbol of quality and service.[1]In 1971, the logo underwent a subtle change when the word “CALTEX” was printed over a white stripe intersecting the red star.[2] The lettering was also emboldened and modernized, with a thin black circular frame added to the design.[3]A 1983 brand identity campaign introduced new signage, modernized designs and bolder color schemes for stations and trucks. Station canopies displayed a white star on a red background with white stripes, described as “energy lines,” running diagonally across one corner. The Caltex name was imprinted in black on a red background in a customized typeface.[4]The current “Delta Star” logo was introduced in 1996 as part of a corporate and retail identity program. The design features a five-point star with a dynamic delta at its center and a new red, white and blue color combination. The blazing red delta was designed into the Caltex Star to make it unique and convey a sense of movement, continual change and dynamism. The new logo was designed for maximum visual impact, especially at retail sites.[2]The 1996 redesign also separated the Caltex lettering from the star, placing them beside each other. A dark blue delta arrow was placed below the “A” in Caltex, and a red delta triangle intersected the white five-pointed star. The wordmark was executed in a bold, uppercase custom typeface with a diagonal cut on the lower bar of the letter “E.” The star’s color was changed to white, enclosed in a two-colored circle of red and dark blue.[3]Meaning and Symbolism
The Caltex Star is described by the company as a symbol of quality, value and service.[3] The five-pointed red star was originally borrowed from Texaco, where it had already become a hallmark of quality, service and reliability.[1]The red, white and blue color combination of the 1996 Delta Star logo pays tribute to the brand’s American roots.[3] The delta symbol, drawn from mathematics as a sign of change, was introduced to symbolize the brand’s dynamic and ever-changing nature, inspiring a sense of movement and continual evolution.[3]Typography and Design
The Caltex wordmark uses a bold, uppercase custom typeface with a distinctive diagonal cut on the lower bar of the letter “E.”[3] The 1983 identity campaign also used a customized typeface for the Caltex name printed in black on a red background.[4]Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
