From Formula 1 racing tracks to the streets of New York, a Ferrari is a globally recognized marvel, a fusion of design, engineering, and pure unadulterated passion for driving. A Ferrari is designed to give a visceral, nearly animalistic driving experience and what better color is there for such a car than red?
Ferraris don’t only come in red. Even though the majority of Ferraris sold in America are red, they in fact are available in twenty-eight different colors including contemporary solids, deep and dazzling metallics, and historical classics such as British Racing Green (Verde British) and California Blue (Azzurro California).
Engineers and mechanics at Ferrari’s headquarters in Modena in northern Italy are interested only in the science and artistry of driving. But for the people who drive a Ferrari, the color of the bodywork is an important decision that can affect many things from how you feel about your car to what it’s worth in the future.
Why are Ferraris so often red?
Ferraris are so often painted red, it is a popular myth that Ferrari in fact only makes red cars. While this is not true, red is the dominant color for Ferraris and the reason for this goes back to the marque’s debut in the 1940s.
The first Ferrari to ever roll out of the Maranello factory was the stunningly sleek 1947 125 S and it was bright red. Built for the race track, this Ferrari had to be red because at the time the International Automobile Federation required all Italian Grand Prix race cars to be red.
It was Ferrari’s success on the Grand Prix circuit that kickstarted the production and the popularity of their road-legal sports cars. Perhaps because every sports car owner, especially a Ferrari owner, has a racing driver lurking inside them, nobody wanted their Ferrari in any other color.
Apart from the dark days of car design in the 1980s, Ferrari has always favored a simple, curved body shape with fewer cutouts and scoops than the likes of Lamborghini and Alfa Romeo. While a Ferrari looks good in any color, the color that seems to suit a Ferrari’s flowing lines the best is most certainly Italian blood red.
What’s so special about the color red?
Every color has its own special emotional repertoire that is evoked every time we see the color, and especially when we see the color on something beautiful. Wedding dresses are white to symbolize purity, businesses use blue to convey trust, and green makes us think about new beginnings.
In ancient times, red was most often used in religious and magical ceremonies, or to create feelings of awe as peasants watched the armies of Rome march past. Perhaps this is why our hearts beat a little bit faster when a red Ferrari drives past.
Red is an excellent color for Ferraris because it is the color of passion, seduction, violence, danger, and blood. These are the perfect emotions for a car designed to stun us with its beauty before driving us to the very edge of what we can bear on the open road.
Should you buy a red Ferrari?
First of all, you should know that if you’re buying a new Ferrari, the choice of color may not be entirely yours. Ferrari is notoriously picky about who they let drive away with a Ferrari, insisting that you have owned Ferraris before and even that you have visited their factory in Modena.
But if you are lucky enough to buy a new Ferrari, or choosing from used cars like a mere mortal, you are still more than likely to end up with a red Ferrari with a tan leather interior. This is mostly because, until very recently, anyway, 85% of all Ferraris were made in this color combination so the odds of finding anything else for sale are low.
Trying to be different might also mean that your Ferrari is worth much less when you decide to sell it on. Having an unusual color means you have to find another person who also wants to go against seventy-five years of automotive history – which might be harder than you think.
If you really don’t like red, there is hope for you and your Ferrari dreams because while most Ferraris are indeed sprayed red, that number is falling fast. As with many sports car marques, Ferraris are launching their newest cars dressed in silver, grey and blue, and buyers are taking their cue and branching out in their color choices.