Red slips down the colour chart at Maranello

Italian cars have been associated with the colour red. In particular Ferrari has embraced this, even after sponsors were introduced to Formula 1in the 1960’s Ferrari stuck with their traditional red livery. This has the knock on effect of the manufacturers’ road cars being associated with the colour red.

Through the 1990’s 85% of all Ferrari’s sported a red paint scheme. However, over recent years this dynamic has changed somewhat, more colours have been introduced and personalization has increased considerably.

One of the main areas of expansion in recent years has been the surge in popularity of two tone liveries. This usually involves two contrasting colours being used, with the roof being a different colour to the bodywork.

Ferrari applies high tech skills to paint their cars called the “three layer” technique. The paint is applied in three separate coats to give the paintwork an almost iridescent finish when the sunlight catches it from different angles.

Ferrari now offer their ‘clients’ the ability to provide a colour sample for Ferrari to match their water based paints with. Further to this they have added a list of historic paint options made famous by cars competing in such great races as the Tourist Trophy.

Today, although red is still the most popular colour it only accounts for 45% of all cars built, while special order colours now represent 10% of orders in 2010, a tenfold rise in the last decade.