Item Subject: cc:Mail Text
I found this on the Ferrari Club of America website. I thought it
would be of interest to those who were trying to put together a list
of colours for each country:
(This article which was originally published in January 1960, is being
reprinted with the kind
permission of ROAD & TRACK)
REFERENCES are often made, in R&T, to the "red" cars from Ferrari or
Maserati, the "green" cars from Vanwall, Aston Martin or Jaguar and
the "white" or "silver" cars from Mercedes-Benz. These are not
arbitrary colors picked by each constructor for his cars (except in
the case of strictly national, local or club competition, where
anything goes), but are the result of a decision reached in the early
days of racing. Cars were, and still are, distinguishable by assigned
numbers, but further separation (prompted no doubt by nationalistic
feelings) was felt desirable. This is why racing cars from Italy are
red, the cars from England are green and the cars from Germany are
white (or sometimes silver-the result of leaving the aluminum body
unpainted). A private owner will generally paint his car in the
color(s) of his own country, rather than the manufacturer's.
According to the C.S.I. of the F.I.A., "The use of distinctive colors
of nationality is compulsory when the supplementary regulations of the
competition require it. These colors are determined by the nationality
of the competitor. "So, a Ferrari owned by an Englishman would be
painted green, even though it was an Italian car.
Thus, it has become a tradition for racing cars to be painted in the
colors of the entrant, although they are occasionally seen with minor
variations. Mercedes, for example, honored Englishman Richard Seaman,
who was a Mercedes team driver, with a green border around the grille
opening of his car. The shrewd Germans had also noted that this would
allow quick identification if Seaman and one of the other Mercedes
drivers (who would be in identical cars) chanced to pass rapidly by
the pits at the same time.
Because these colors were assigned during the days when racing cars
possessed chassis that were visible beneath the body, many countries
have a combination of colors: one for the body, one for the, chassis
and sometimes another for some other part, such as the wheels or hood.
This presented a problem when streamlining came into fashion and the
chassis disappeared from sight. As a consequence, the color formerly
allotted to the chassis is now applied in the form of stripes or other
trim over the color assigned to the body by the Code Sportif
International of the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile.
To further simplify (or complicate) matters, green, the color assigned
to the British Empire, is used as a basis for all cars from England
and its possessions. The commonwealth countries use green as a body
color with other colors, at their choice, as stripes. Canada, for
example, uses two white stripes 4 in. wide, one on each side of the
car's centerline and 6 in. apart.
British racing green, to dispel some of the arguments, is not any
particular shade of green, but Napier green is preferred. Stirling
Moss drove a light sea-green BRM in the 1959 French Grand Prix. This
was quite contrary to the accepted general opinion of what constitutes
"British Racing Green" but was, nevertheless, acceptable.
The color applied to a racing car has also had its share of side
effects. For many years U.S. drivers would not drive in, or in
competition with, cars painted any shade of green; they believed the
color to be unlucky. This has diminished in recent years, especially
since the advent of more British international competition .
The chart lists the racing colors of each country as assigned by the
C.S.I. The car number and its background color, a necessary aid to
identity, are made to contrast as much as possible to aid race
officials and lap scorers. Colors assigned to chassis or underframe in
the chart are now applied to stripes or trim.
COUNTRY COLORS OF CAR NUMBERS
Argentina Body: blue Red on white Hood: yellow Chassis: black
Belgium Body: yellow black
Brazil Body: pale yellow black Chassis and wheels:green
Canada Body: green white Stripes: white
Chile Body: red half blue- Hood: blue half red or Underframe: white
all red on white
Cuba Body: yellow white on black Hood: black
Czechoslovakia Body: white blue Hood: blue and white Underframe: red
Egypt Pale violet red on white
Finland Black blue on white
France Blue white
Germany White red
Great Britain Green white
Holland Orange white
Hungary Body, front: white black Body, rear: green Hood: red
Irish Free State Green with horizontal white band of orange around
body
Italy Red white
Luxembourg Pearlgray white on red
Mexico Gold white on black
Monaco White with red hori- black on white zontal band around body
Poland Body and hood: white red Underframe: red
Portugal Body and hood: red white Underframe: white
Scotland Green white
South Africa Body: Gold black on white Hood: green
Spain Hood: yellow black on yellow Body and chassis: red white on red
Sweden Body and hood, lower white part:blue-upper:yellow Three cross
bands of blue on top of hood
Switzerland Hood: white black Body and underframe:red
Thailand Body and hood: white on blue pale blue with yellow horizontal
band around body and hood Wheels: pale yellow
United States Body and hood: white blue on white Underframe: blue
Venezuela Body: white; Stripe:green
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My apologies for the length of this submission, but the text at the
top seemed too valuable to leave out,
Regards,
Jim Wallace
jwallace@canada.hp.com
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