Sports Cars Sporty Colors
Sports cars and their dominant colors as the history of motor cars and sport go back to the early days of automobile and participation in racing. All of the names of this history include the giants of now and then. Ford, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, BMW, Mercedes, Auto-Union, Pontiac, REO, Studebaker, Dodge, Plymouth, and Chevrolet. The list could go on forever as many have left the scene taking with them a multitude of colors and combinations.
Formula One and other international racing organizations developed a format for advanced motorcar competition. Although the individual car companies backed this form of international competition to advance the technical improvements and to showcase their marque to the public. Many advancements worked their way into production automobiles and some sanctioning bodies demanded "homolgation" where the competing vehicles were required to be a derivative of production cars and in limited quantities available to the public. One classic example were NASCAR competitors Chrysler Corporation selling cars with high wings and extended aerodynamic front ends of the Daytona Chargers and the High Performance engines in Pontiacs and Mustangs.
The initial format of racing in F1 (Formula One) promoted the Constructor Championship, then individual drivers, nationality of driver and motorcar. During this period the most common colors were Italian being Red: Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini. Mercedes-Benz and Auto- Union two of the German contingent in the famous Silver, Porsche too, early on. French Racing Blue were the cloaking color for Renault and Bugatti. Color of the United Kingdom, England, dressed the cars of Jaguar, MG, Triumph, Cooper and Lotus in British Racing Green. At the early stages the United States cars competed in White: Corvettes, Cobras and Ford GT and Eagle.
So to be true to the "Marque" in restoration of motorcars these should be the primary colors of choice. As the advent of motor racing became more commercial and less nationalistic colors blended, merged and became billboards for the major sponsors. Lotus changed to Black with Gold trim promoting John Player tobacco products. STP logos graced many red race and sports cars. Ferrari ever true to its heritage remains Ferrari Red, with the prancing horse, regardless of ancillary sponsors.
On famous saying for sports cars or other high performance vehicles is: "RED SELLS"!
Today's technology provides more color combinations than an artists palette. Laser yellow, Pistachio Green, Gold's in every hue mixed with Orange and Champagne White all with exotic metal-flake. Greys and Silvers are very popular and Flat Black or stealth are inviting and used extensively. The extensive use of graphics finds plain colors such as White being the base for very exotic color schemes, with flags and stripes in every imaginable pattern.
No longer is the color scheme of sports cars limited as Ford said; "Any color you want as long as it's Black"
