Which was the first "original" colour of Ferrari ?

The Scuderia Ferrari cars (Alfas) were painted red. The Auto Avio 815s were painted a darker, more blood red color.

Many Scuderia Ferrari Alfas that exist today are painted the darker (almost maroon) color, but that is NOT correct.

 

Small correction. The Romeo name was added later as Nicola Romeo bought the company ...

Pete's correcting
ps: direct link: http://www.alfaromeo.com/cgi-bin/pbrand.dll/ALFAROMEO_COM/history/history.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0595515242.1088038313@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadclldddddicefecejgdfiidggk.0&categoryOID=-1073750515

 

Hmmm, Alfa Romeo racing colours were always a more maroon red than the Ferrari red. Especially in the P3 and 8c days. By the time the 158 came on the scene they were painted in the Italian racing red which is pretty damn close to the correct Ferrari red.

I think when discussing shades of red it is complicated because reds can look different in photographs, etc.

I also guess companies are allowed to change their shades of red ...

Pete's opinion

 

Sorry, but you are mistaken.

I have been involved with ALFAs for 40 years. All of the racing cars from the beginning until Ferrari took over in 1929 were BRIGHT red. The Scuderia Ferrari cars from 1929 on were only slightly darker, and never almost maroon.

 

Thats is very interesting. I read one article about an owner restoring his 8c something actually matched the colour by going to the Alfa muesum and chipping some paint of one of the display cars. Now to me this car when finished was not bright red but a darker red ... maybe like you are saying Scuderia Ferrari cars were.

I do seem to remember a 6c1750 being red, definitely not maroon and not at all the colour of the P3's, but not what I would call a 'bright' red.

Red is a difficult colour to discuss because I think it looks different to many of us ...

The thing that I find interesting about this. You are indicating that many very rich owners of these awesome Alfa Romeos are getting their cars restored in an incorrect colour. Surely they would have done the research as well as the company that restored it for them ???

Australia does have a very early ALFA and it is red not maroon but that is way before Alfa Romeo and way before Jano's time.

I'll go and have a look at the Alfa Romeo history site ...

Pete's doing a little research

 

There may be a phenomenon as color blind and being able to distinguish shades of red. The picture of the Alfa I posted above is local to Bay Area and I got to meet the owner and the car in person, and believe me the color is maroon. Some may say it is bright red, because it is both bright and red!

 

Okay I went to www.alfaromeo.com and here is a couple of pictures:

1923 Targa Floria car and a 6c Alfa Romeo (I think, might be 8c) which is the colour I think of as early Alfa Romeo red.

Note the 1923 cars colour is what I would call bright red ...

Pete's thinking many different shades of red were used
ps: Most think of the Jano time at Alfa Romeo as the greatest period of Alfa Romeos history (I do) and thus think of Alfa red being the darker more blood red, like my second photo.

EDIT: Added another picture of the awesome 8c2900 ... dribble

EDIT2: Added another picture of the 158 ... lovely rich blood red IMO, but yes this is after the Scuderia Ferrari period (note: the 158 was actually designed by Colombo while working at Scuderia Ferrari ...)

 

Here's a slightly darker version, like you mention.

But, even darker Alfas, what I would call maroon, definitely exist. I've seen pictures of them. I'll post one. Of course I don't know where they fall chronologically in history, but old Alfa Romeos have certainly born that dark color.

 

I always thought the first racing cars were dark red similar to 'Rosso Barchetta'.