Tiki Type Wood is a typeface that seems to revisit an early-1970s design named Rosie. Designed by House Industries, it’s part of their Tiki Type collection, a set of eight type styles inspired by Tiki culture – an aesthetic that has more to do with US American stereotypes of Oceanian art from the second third of the 20th century than with actual Polynesian, Melanesian, or Micronesian cultures. The font set was originally released in 1997 on a CD-ROM that additionally included a set of clip art and “12 wave-crashin’ surf tunes” from Estrus Records.

Sometime around 2010, Tiki Type Wood was chosen for the box design of AMT’s Surfer Van, a model kit of a custom 1977 Ford Econoline van. Its alternating top-wide and bottom-wide letterforms are set on a bouncing baseline and embellished with a gradient fill. “1977 Ford Econoline” is in another style, Tiki Type Island, while the ampersand in “Surf & Woodie” comes from Tiki Type Magic. The patterned glyph between “Surfer” and “Van” as well as the Tiki decal on the van probably are part of the font set as well.

The bilingual sticker has squeezed Tiki Type Wood alongside all-caps Burbank. The 2 is a stretched numeral from Tiki Type Magic.

Le Grand Livre de la Moto, or “The Big Book of Motorcycles”, is a 2025 anthology by publisher Marabout. From the early days of racing to the rich history of MotoGP, via off-road racing, discover the iconic riders and bikes, the anecdotes and moments of bravery that have forged the legend of this sport.

As often, Atelier AAAAA display a polyphony of typefaces. In this case: NaN Metrify, Based, ITC Barcelona, Chromium One, Core Escher and BRZO are sharing the scene. Their combination provides a range of styles and functions, helping to structure content and create a consistent visual identity throughout the book.

Inside of the book, East of Rome’s Based does most of the legwork for the titles and subheaders, while ITC Barcelona, Chromium One, Core Escher and Brzo are punctually used for chapter headings. NaN Metrify A is used for most long running text as well as in tables and infographics, in many widths.

First edition, Newnes, 1988

A book about vehicle technology that nicely uses the Light and Heavy weights of Gill Sans to refer to the light and heavy vehicles of the title.

Later editions switched to different typefaces – Futura Condensed and Futura – but maintained the Light and Heavy conceit in the cover typography.

Second edition, Newnes, 1992

Third edition, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998

Fourth ediiton, Routledge, 2006

Road sign describing what is forbidden when traveling through the Saigon River Tunnel

DIN 1451 Mittelschrift and Engschrift are the officially regulated typefaces used for all forms of public wayfinding and traffic signs in Vietnam. The fonts are modified versions referred to as “giaothong1” (Mittelschrift) and “giaothong2” (Engschrift) which adds support for Vietnamese characters. While exact dates aren't given and documents are scarce, what research I was able to do would peg its standardization to around the 2010s, though it could be way earlier.

One rarely comes across signs that use other, non-regulated typefaces. The most common ones I've seen use some variations of Helvetica, Univers, and Times New Roman. There are many reasons as to why these oddballs exist, but it mainly boils down to either locally made signs or ones that predate the standardization. There is about a 50/50 chance these will get replaced eventually.

DIN fans will love this one.

Weight limits for trailers traveling overseas, with a superscript t for tons

One-way directions towards Ho Chi Minh City, its airport or to other provinces.

A sign warning about fog in the road ahead and asking to slow down, mainly seen in mountainous areas

FAT International returned to endurance racing in 2024, revived by Ferdi Porsche celebrating the 30th anniversary of its 1994 Le Mans victory. In partnership with Proton Competition, the team campaigned the Porsche 963 in an all-white livery with neon green accents referencing 962 prototypes and FATurbo Express liveries.

For the 2025 season, the FAT International identity was updated with a redesigned logo featuring FAT Camera–a modified version of ABC Camera Plain–alongside a custom bitmap version of FAT Gravity Express used for the FATurbo Express wordmark. NM Beyond appeared across livery details and the team's capsule collection, with custom numerals for the car’s race number 99.

Images taken across the FIA World Endurance Championship 2025 in Imola, Le Mans, and at Fuji Speedway, photographed by Lukas Gansterer.

Dutch sticker from around 1980, advertising “Stabil Oil for active motors”, using Letraset’s adaptation of Dynamo (1930). The letter I was sliced, turning its semi-seriffed top into a dot.

Carwow is an online car marketplace that simplifies the entire process of switching vehicles. Originally launched as a car-buying platform, it has rebranded as a “car-changing marketplace” to better reflect how people actually use the service: transitioning from one vehicle to the next during major life milestones.

Through its platform, Carwow connects millions of drivers with a network of trusted dealers and manufacturers. It focuses on removing the typical stress of the automotive industry by offering two primary services in one destination.

Fundiciones de Ódena, S.A., or Funosa for short, is a Spanish foundry that produces cast iron components. Founded in 1916 and based in Òdena, Barcelona, the company manufactures parts for multiple sectors, including automotive, agriculture, construction, machinery, and railway infrastructure.

Their new website combines Scope with Inter. The logo is based on Futura Black.

Bicester Motion is a large mobility innovation campus and business community focused on automotive and aviation technology, bringing together companies working on the past, present and future of transportation. It’s not a traditional single-product company – instead, it’s a centre of excellence and collaborative hub for brands, innovators, engineers, developers, events, and experiences in mobility. Conran Design Group decided on RT Rondelle for the entire company's identity from the website, posters and other ephemera to campus signage and more.

Source: www.instagram.com License: All Rights Reserved.

License: All Rights Reserved.

The “Pussy Wagon” is a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that features in Quentin Tarantino’s 2003 film Kill Bill: Volume 1. The pink lettering on its rear – replicated in the keyring pendant – is in a groovy 1960s style that, among other things, was used for cheesy pulp fiction with sexist tropes.

In an act of reframing through affirmation that’s typical of Tarantino, the bright yellow vehicle with the tacky name (and matching license plate) serves Uma Thurman as Beatrix “the Bride” Kiddo to launch her “roaring rampage of revenge” against the men (and women) who did her wrong.

The font in use probably is Action Is, an all-caps freebie from 1998. It was drawn by Jeff Levine based on an application of either Caruso Roxy or its close follower Holiday. The Identifont blog has the font’s origin story:

While working in the recording industry for Steve Alaimo, former singer and co-host of the 1960s TV show Where the Action Is, Jeff noticed an interesting typeface spelling out the show’s title on a photo album Steve kept from those years. Tracing the letters which existed on that page, and creating his own characters for those that were missing, the font was digitized by Brad Nelson of Brain Eaters Fonts and released as freeware under the name Action Is.

The iconic prop was subsequently produced as fan item, in the form of stickers, patches, keyring pendant, model cars, and more.

It has also been quoted more than once: in Tarantino’s Death Proof from 2007, a 1972 Ford Mustang is labeled “Lil’ Pussy Wagon”. The car again serves women to take revenge on a misogynistic murderer. And in 2009, the original Pussy Wagon made a cameo in the music video for Lady Gaga’s 2009 song “Telephone” featuring Beyoncé.

Source: www.facebook.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Quentin Tarantino used to drive the Pussy Wagon himself. Via the Quentin Tarantino Fan Club: “The thing about the Pussy Wagon is, whenever I drove it on the freeway, everyone recognized it’s me. Everyone recognized the Pussy Wagon. And then it would be a chain, because people would drive alongside me and try to talk to me.”

Source: www.etsy.com PatchEire. License: All Rights Reserved.

Embroidered iron-on/sew-on patch

Source: www.amazon.co.uk License: All Rights Reserved.

Box for a Pussy Wagon truck replica in the scale of 1:32

Source: www.reddit.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead in her role as Lee Montgomery, sitting on the “Lil’ Pussy Wagon” in the second segment of Death Proof (2007)

Source: www.youtube.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Stills from the music video to “Telephone”: Lady Gaga leaves prison …

Source: www.youtube.com License: All Rights Reserved.

… and dances with Beyoncé in front of the Pussy Wagon.

Source: www.youtube.com License: All Rights Reserved.

L.A.-based studio Forth+Back have created the new brand identity for Sotheby’s Motorsport (SOMO), pairing Leto (Ornamental & Title Type) with ABC ROM (Dinamo). From the case study:

SOMO is reshaping automotive auctions by pairing its industry expertise with a digital platform built for modern collectors, making the experience more transparent and accessible than ever.

Forth+Back was brought on to refresh SOMO’s identity with a system that feels sleek, modern, and aligned with the platform’s forward-thinking approach.

Our studio introduced a new streamlined wordmark that is low, elongated, and designed to feel sharp and fast even when static. The expanded palette adds a bold hit of orange to a foundation of racing green and gold, supported by a range of tones that allow the brand to shift its voice depending on the moment.

For the style guide, we selected a format inspired by retro driving manuals, offering clear and concise instruction with a functional, on-the-go sensibility.

SOMO’s updated foundation extends into a flexible layout system that uses the physicality of the mark and strong blocks of color to frame logos, imagery, and key information across the brand.

As a category leader in automotive surface repair, Evercoat’s sprawling portfolio had created a chaotic brand. Hyperquake consolidated the architecture into a tighter, more intuitive structure and streamlined the visual identity through a refreshed packaging system. The transformation was accelerated by a strategic marketing plan powered by social and influencer-led content, performance-driven initiatives, and updated traditional collateral. Together, we brought clarity to complexity—ushering in a more cohesive era for the Evercoat brand.

Set in all uppercase, the modified logotype uses Neue Montreal Medium, a versatile grotesque font that felt right at home in the auto body repair industry for its hard working and understated qualities. The custom O is based on the catalyzation process—the precise filler-to-hardener ratio that activates the product. We refined the mark to highlight this signature detail and reinforce its leadership in the category.

To complement the logo, the packaging system combines multiple weights of Neue Montreal and Transducer—each bringing a strong and no-nonsense vibe to the collateral. Transducer provides strong category cues that was inspired by vintage car ads and livery and speaks to Evercoat’s heritage. Neue Montreal becomes the straightforward, utility font that allows for important detail information to be clearly communicated.

Prop license plate S99821

Prop license plates designed for the 2017 science fiction film Blade Runner 2049, directed by Canadian film director Denis Villeneuve, starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford.

The Japanese (Katakana) text “ロサンゼルス” (“Los Angeles”) uses Checkpoint Font, a retro heavy-duty industrial Japanese typeface inspired from 1930s Japanese poster typefaces made by Yoku Tobanai Tori. The alphanumeric codes placed above on each plate are set in an unidentified sans with similarities to Alternate Gothic and Wearetrippin.

“More TR7”

1977 ads for the Triumph TR7, a sports car that was manufactured by British Leyland in Speke, Liverpool. The headlines are set in tight-not-touching caps from Harry.

“TR7. The shape of things to come at a price you can afford today”

Base Neue is the brand typeface of Westbrook Racing. The second font used in the logo is Yapari, also by Power Type.

From the website of their sponsor TheArsenale:

Westbrook Racing, led by visionary Will Smith, is at the forefront of the E1 series, the world’s first electric powerboat championship. This dynamic team comprises elite racers, engineers, and strategists who consistently push the boundaries of what is possible on water. Their innovative approach to design and performance has earned them a reputation as trailblazers in the marine racing industry. Westbrook Racing’s mission aligns perfectly with TheArsenale’s vision of promoting sustainable and futuristic transportation solutions, making this partnership a natural fit for both brands.

On the website, Base Neue is supported by Rajdhani.

Two contrasting styles of Base Neue, combined

Ataro.ge is a iOS app for expat car owners in Georgia where they can check and pay their fines, purchase an insurance policy, or even arrange for a sober driver. Loos by CSTM Fonts is in charge of the app’s typography. The project was designed by Together with You studio, Ivan Korkovidov, and Margarita Petukhova.

Iterra Designs is a product design company focused on creating precision outdoor accessories for overlanding and off-grid travel. The brand describes its approach as driven by iterative improvement and engineering. Their catalog includes carbon-fiber mounts, sink and fridge-system components, heater kits, Starlink mounts, and other equipment built for durability and dependable performance in outdoor and vehicle-based setups. Under the motto “The Outdoors, Engineered,” Iterra Designs develops products intended for people traveling the road less traveled.

Their visual identity makes use of Scope in different styles. On their website, Scope is used for headlines and buttons, while Hiragino Kaku Gothic and Geist Sans are used for body copy.

Slow & Low is Chicago’s largest lowrider festival. This curated community-cultural public sphere exhibition explores and presents Lowrider culture as an original form of American folk and contemporary art. The customized car becomes a way of expressing beauty and self-expression by owners, master craftspeople, and innovative mechanics, through modifications including wire wheel rims with whitewall tires, custom pinstriping and upholstery, airbrush muralism, and other contributing visual aesthetics and material objects.

Lowriding began in the 1940s when Mexican American veterans in southern California used their World War II mechanical training to modify cars, especially Chevys, so they rode “low and slow” rather than “hot and fast.” During the Chicano Movement of the 1970s, lowriders took on political roles through car clubs that offered community services and embraced pro-pueblo imagery like flowers, warriors, and geometric designs drawn from Indigenous Mexican stories. These “mobile canvases” used style as resistance, echoed in the Pachuca/o fashion that emerged as a symbol of rebellion.

That same spirit of crafted expression extends into the Slow and Low festival’s visual identity.

Respira made such an impact on past Slow & Low projects that it became part of the visual language people now associate with the festival. For the 2025 edition, the design team pushed the system forward and leaned even more into Sharp Type, customizing Respira to bring in a warmer, marker-drawn feel for the headlines.

It was paired with Cordier Script and Rosalie to amplify the hand-lettered, lowrider-forward voice the curators were aiming for. Together, the combination honored Chicano typographic lineage without imitating it, giving the full civic-scale identity a grounded, expressive backbone.

Design direction and design by Nick Adam at Span, with design and animation by Kevin Moreland and illustration by Alec Hudson. Curatorial work by Lauren M. Pacheco, Peter Kepha, and Edward Magico Calderon. 2025 Day of Photographers: Ferny Ruiz, Alfonso Monroy, Carmen Ordoñez, and Melissa Reyes. Design media photography by Edward Magico Calderon, Max Herman, Nick Lipton, Katrina Nelken, and Mike Pocious

The standard typeface for road traffic signs in Indonesia is Clearview (Terminal Design), just like in the the United States, Brazil, Canada, Israel, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. It’s also used for the toll gate directional signs on the Cikopo–Palimanan Toll Road which opened in June 2015 as part of the Trans-Java Toll Road network and in accordance with the Ministerial Regulation No. 13/2014 about Traffic Signs.

The directional signs for the Cikopo-Palimanan Exit 98 (Kalijati Toll Gate) forms an exception: it uses the non-standard (supplementary) Arial. This typeface is used on road traffic signage in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Lao PDR, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Slovenia, Taiwan, Türkiye, and Ukraine.

Cikopo-Palimanan Exit 98 signage (500 m to exit toll gate ahead)

Formula E is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars, the electric pendant to Formula 1. This championships focuses on sustainability and innovation in electric vehicles by reducing the footprint of the races through diverse means and compensating the remaining emissions (though I still wonder how the cars, racers and staff are traveling around the world).

For their rebranding with the launch of their ninth season in 2023, Formula E commissioned a script font, FE Torque, made by lettering artist Rachel Joy Price based on the new logo she designes. It’s used for main titles and to accentuate some words. A custom cut of NaN Jaune was also developed. Named FE Sans, it’s used for all other typographic materials.

The custom cut puts aside the signature touching/closed apertures of Jaune and brings calmer and more traditional structures to some characters such as a monocular a and g, an e with an horizontal bar, etc. The resulting font family is used for all the branding and communication of the FE brand, from the subtitle of their logo, their website, the on-site communication and signage during the races, social media, infographics, etc.

FE Sans also comes with dedicated titling alternates which bring notches – drawn almost like ink traps – to the stems of the capital letters.

See the full case study on the website of lead designer Tom Myers.