I was reading this article by Club Sportiva about their ordering experiences of an F430. This is the second paragraph of the article: "First and foremost is the decision for the color. Although the car looks good in many colors from red, yellow, black, grey and blue, there need only be one choice for the F430. Rosso Corsa. There will be no debate on color for this V8-powered car, however, with V12 Ferraris I don't feel so strongly about red." Here's the article: http://sportscars.clubsportiva.com/2008/03/what-options-to-get-if-buying-ferrari.html What do you think about that? If V12s can't be red, what should they be? Maybe black, considering black represents power? Thanks John
that would be viewed as a ploy to make people pay the premium for custom color on 12's,but i do agree with the theory,599 excepted
The Testarossa, Daytona, 365/512 Boxer, 275, 250 GTO, 500/575. . . All 12 cylinders. All look marvelous in red.
The Testarossa must be RED. The name says it all ................... For all the others, regardless of # of cylindars, whatever color your heart desires.
Red has always been a thematic color for Ferrari V12 cars since day 1. Even if Ferrari quit offering red (rosso corsa, rosso scuderia, etc.) on the V12's, you'd still be able to opt for a paint-to-sample color. (Which could be red.)
might be a little off-topic but why the color red. I ask because in some movie about his life, Enzo says in an interview that he made the race cars red because that was the color of the dress his wife was wearing when they first met. However, the 'reporter' or wife or someone then claims it was purple (but that red looked better on the cars). My 2 cents- red is the iconic color for Ferrari's and when a club wants a car for its members it should pick the color that appeals to most of the people it is catering too. I don't think anyone can argue with being permitted to drive a Ferrari and being 'forced' into a red one. When it comes time to buy your own, all bets are off... In the spirit of full transparency, I joined Club Sportiva prior to buying my 328. I wanted to try different models and see what it was like to drive one in traffic. I enjoyed that club very much, and they gave me a lot of insight into my purchase and maintenance of the car.
Red is always associated with being the racing colour of Italy (same as British racing Green), but there are lots of inconsistencies in National racing colours, Germany for instance started with White and later silver (as in Silver arrows).
I've never really bought into the whole 'a ferrari should be red' ethos. That would be like saying an Aston Martin should be green, and a Bugatti should be blue. Vive la difference I say.
Sorry, but yes, there will be debate. The author is being sentimental, but rather closed-minded. IMO, red is not an especially good color for the F430, 599, California or 612. (In fact I saw a red 612 last week while in downtown San Diego, and it looked about 300 ft long.) They're all reasonably handsome cars in the grand scheme of things, and it's not like they're ugly in red by any stretch. But they're also big cars and red doesn't do them any favors. In the case of the 599/612, the designs are ultra-conservative, so red strikes me as a "last chance" to add some drama to the cars. Which is wrong -- a 612 I saw in black metallic (for sale at Symbolic) was really magnificent, bordering on gorgeous. So, I wouldn't base color choice on cylinder count. I'd go by body design. Of course everyone here knows my bias. I keep up with the 308/328s for sale and all I can think is that the guys who ordered these new were some of the least imaginative car buyers on the planet. Red, red, red, red, red, red, black, red, red, red, red, red... Now 30 years later it's desperately hard to find a great 308/328 in anything else. Then when one shows up in blu sera, nero metallico, grigio or whatever we get a special thread on FChat because it looks great and no one has ever seen it...
I saw a silver/light gray 1980s Testarossa...beautiful and stunning. Read an article where Pinninfarina said that when they design a car they have a specific color in mind. Not that other colors won't work, but they have a preference at the time they design the car. In the end it comes down to personal preference. I prefer my Fcars in red. It just feels better when I am driving. that's just me. and unless you are at a Ferrari meet, the car stands out and is easy to spot...not many red cars around here. and agree that big cars usually don't look good in red (metallic red may be OK)...small cars look better in red...a big car can be just too much...overdone. IMVHO
I've seen silver, dark blue, black, white, beige, red and bronze 612's in person and they all look 300ft long to me.
When common folks hear Ferrari most of them think red, notably Rosso Corsa red. I think all Ferrari's have the potential to look great in a variety of colors. As already stated, red is a dominant racing color. When it comes to owning a Ferrari for personal reasons, I think you should do whatever you like and what will make you excited to see your car each time. ^^I agree that body design should be more of a factor, but again, everyone perceives things differently and obviously forms their own opinion on what looks nice. However, I think the California and 612 can look good in red, I just don't like them in Rosso Corsa or any other bright reds. I think they look much better in metallic wines or darker reds. Then again, I love burgundy exteriors for most Italian cars anyways.
Well, they are big cars. I've just warmed up to them over the last few years. The 'Sessanta' edition two tone looked elegant. If you accept that it's not a sports car, and compare it to other cars that seat four, suddenly it looks a lot better.
If you read the article you linked, the author never said V12 models can't be red. He said, in his opinion, V8 cars must be red but V12 car do not have that same requirement.
I don't understand all this "this should be this and that should be that". Everyone has their own tastes and I don't see why you can't have a silver F430 or a red 599. Just get whatever you like and makes you happy.
Mark - I can't tell if your serious or in what sense you're using "must" (things get lost in translation on the internet), but the "rossa" in the original Testa Rossas (1955 4-cylinder, two liter 500 TR and the v-12s that came after it) referred to the cam covers that the factory painted red - the name had nothing to do w/ the color of the car. this pic is from 500 TR, serial number 0600MDTR. The car is yellow because the first owner was Jcques Swaters, the owner of the Ecurie Francorchamps, the official Ferrari team of Belgium (national racing color being yellow). FWIW, very few of the production Ferraris left the factory in rossa corsa until the 1970s. The competition cars were rossa corsa if they were factory team cars or in the hands of Italian privateer owners. Otherwise, they were painted the national racing color of their owner. Our 1955 500 Mondial left the factory in French Racing Blue since its first owner was a frenchman. Image Unavailable, Please Login