[CLIVE FENNER]

I have been wondering for a while about the reason for having two blue M’s on the Moulton head badge. There must be a logical explanation.

[Mark Bradbury]

So have I. Have you had a reply to this question yet?

Cheers, Mark B

[Pandora]

I think the two M letters are mimicking the gabled roof of the Hall at Bradford on Avon,
Does anyone have the reason for the particular font for Moulton bicycles, I believe the font is known as Grotesque 216.

[Mark Bradbury]

Thanks Pandora. Certainly sounds plausible.

[Simon Painter]

Interesting question! The only badge that makes sense to me is the AM version, where the A and the M are overlaid to mimic the three gables of The Hall. Where the double Ms come from, used in so many other versions of the badge, I can’t imagine!

[CLIVE FENNER]

I did get an answer from Tony Hadland. Apparently the MM badge was designed by Moultons Marketing Manager,l can’t recall his name. So MM equals Marketing Manager !

[Richard Smith]

I have also been wondering what the two Ms were on the badge – I always thought the two Ms represent the suspension top and bottom positions and then the diamond at the top is the rider and the parallelogram at the bottom the tyre. I guess my imagination was in over drive – Marketing Manger explanation is a bit disappointing – Perhaps I should have not read this post and then I could continue to believe a more abstract hidden meaning!

[Rod Laver]

I dont buy the Marketing Manager explanation…i would suggest its something like “Moulton Manufacturing”

[Rod Laver]

I dont buy the Marketing Manager explanation…i would suggest its something like “Moulton Manufacturing”

[Laurens von Oelsen]

AM´s explanation (allegedly): Two wheels, two M´s. Probably he was asked that question quite often…

[Laurens von Oelsen]

… and interestingly the Leipzig Fair´s Logo, created in the 1920´s, looks strikingly similar, in this case meaning `Muster Messe´

[Philip McCafferty]

the original graphic designers for the Moulton brochures was studio of Banks and Miles, a high profile agency dealing with BT, Royal mail and London Transport. The latter with Johnston, Pick and Gill and Banks+Miles New Johnson gives a hint of the Moulton typeface – Grotesque 216 as someone has said. It has differences from the then-current favourite of Transport and Helvetica – note slanted cut to the top of the lower case ‘t’- breaking the mould in a small way. I have a letter on file from Banks and Miles re the Moulton identity but you will see that some graphics and badging did not carry the exact typeface. Straight top cut ‘t’ is the one to watch for. If John Miles is alive, he may well know the answer.

[Daved Sanders]

I recall, if memory serves me right, AM said that when designing the headbadge it would have to be in the vertical format style as other cycling headbadges and two M’s for the two wheels. Its a strong clean design in comparison to other cycling badges of the time.

Daved

[Chris Wright]

I always had a sneaking suspicion that Gerry Anderson had the Moulton badge in his head when he was designing Thunderbird 1 – they have a very similar look!

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