From british-cars@autox.team.net Fri Apr 17 09:36:42 1992
THE COLOR IN RACING (ROAD AND TRACK- 1960)
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 "sil-
ver" cars from Mercedes-Benz.
These are not arbitrary colors picked by each construc-
tor 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 num-
bers, but further separation (prompted no doubt by na-
tionalistic 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 sil-
ver-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 manufactur-
er'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 oc-
casionally seen with minor variations. Mercedes, for ex-
ample, 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 be-
neath the body, many countries have a combination of
colors: one for the body, one for the, chassis and some-
times 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 Interna-
tional 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 common-
wealth 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 as-
signed by the C.S.I. The car number and its background
color, a necessary aid to identity, are made to contrast as
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
Bulgaria Body: green red
Hood: white
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
Czecho- Body: white blue
slovakia Hood: blue and white
Underframe: red
Egypt Pale violet red on white
Finland Black blue on white
France Blue white
Germany White red
Great Green white
Britain
Holland Orange white
Hungary Body, front: white black
Body, rear: green
Hood: red
Irish Free Green with horizontal white
State band of orange around
body
Italy Red white
Luxem- Pearlgray white on red
burg
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 Body: Gold black on white
Africa 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
Switzer- Hood: white black
land 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 Body and hood: white blue on white
States Underframe: blue
Venezuela Body: white
Stripe:green