Hi, Thank you, I see it better now. Yes, often the sales sheets and period brochures/colour charts are needed to get the right colour information. I was just using wrong words, when I just meant "factory documentation". I still find it weird that this particular leather code (VM.3238) seems so impossible to find in any samples and booklets. Someone told me it was such a long time ago and possibly a very rare special case. Time will tell, I hope. Cheers, Pekka T. Fin.
I'm about to undertake a big restoration project, a 1975 Ferrari GT4 2+2. This car will be shown and judged so the absolute correct leather is vital. The owner did get a Build Sheet from Ferrari Classiche and it shows the interior leather as Pelle Beige VM 3218 and the exterior paint as Verde Medio Metallizzato 106-G 29 Salchi. Fortunately there are several trim pieces that have portions of the original leather which have been hidden all these years and the true color looks very much like the original Connolly Saddle 3218 as most all of the exposed interior at some point has been spray dyed. I Googled the leather code and that showed samples from Connolly Bros. and UK Hide as Luxan Fawn which looks nothing like what I have in my hands. I have already had several conversations the Henk at HVL and he has shed some great insight basically saying that colors and codes over the years have changed. I have used his reproduction Daytona Stripes on a 1974 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer that showed quite well at this years Cavallino show in Palm Beach, Florida and was really pleased with the quality and overall look. I'm about to send Henk a couple of leather samples for this GT4 and have him perform his magic.I have also read several other posts on HVL and his leather work and all were very positive. This car is getting a full restoration, body and paint with a complete engine rebuild all getting done here in Naples, Florida. I'll post more on the leather from HVL Exclusive as that part of the restoration progress moves along. I also have a boat load of Connolly sample photos from Henk as well, he like to send photos. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here's Connolly Beige VM 3218. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The S/N is on the document you partially posted and described as "build sheet". That actually is not the build sheet but a one page confirmation from Michele Rayneri, a Ferrari Classiche employee in Maranello. A factory build sheet is a multi page document, usually between 5 and 8 pages long. Marcel Massini
Thank You Marcel, yes, that is exactly what I have in my hand. This piece in this photo is salvage that wrapped over top of the rear quarter panels. I just called it a Build Sheet because that's the first thing that came to mind. The owner has the full sheet, I just took a photo of the interior portion Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here's a Ferrari in gorgeous Verde Medio 106-G-29 (275 GTB #08545, owned by a well known fchatter). Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank You Marcel, that is absolutely beautiful! That's an amazing color, it will look stunning on this 308 GT4 2+2. Here's a couple of photos of the 1974 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer that took the Platinum award at this year's Cavallino show in Palm Beach I mentioned above. The entire restoration except for the interior was done in the owner's garage, Amazing!. The reproduction Daytona strips came from HVL. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sorry, I replied to the wrong post, I will pass along to the owner regarding 48 GT4's painted in the Verde Medio 106-G-29 and try and get the Serial No.
connolly 3218 was used by MG, RR, Bentley,Ferrari. each manufacturer called it a different name, ie fawn, tan,beige, etc. its all the same color. go by number, not name.
This issue of restoring leather in a car to not only the idea of "period correct", but to how the leather actually looked in period, seems very tough. What I mean is, through my own obsession/interest in this subject, I've learned that not only did the name of the colour change throughout different eras (and car companies), but the actual colour itself corresponding to a number could change as well throughout the years. For instance, I am a fan of VM3104, often called Arancia (Orange)...VM 3104 is today called Ochre by Connolly. I have seen Ferrari paperwork for a Daytona Spyder I'm fond of listing VM3104 as Beige. In reality, while early VM3104 does look quite orange, by the time this particular 365GTS/4 (14389) rolled out the door VM3104 was a more butterscotch brown colour (my own interpetation but backed up by period photos and people familiar with the car). The point being that over time, regardless of what it was called by Connolly or Ferrari, or what the number was, the colour itself shifted from orange to a more butterscotch colour, and now today back again to a more orange colour. I think it's fair to assume this wasn't the only colour this happened with. It seems the ONLY way to know what the leather looked like originally would be to uncover original leather fragments in the car itself that were untouched by sun, wind, etc, such as Corsican has done on the 308GT4 he's tackling. Then you could hopefully match to colour and texture, regardless of name or number. Even period correct leather samples, while of course much more likely to be correct, might not actually be how the car looked when it rolled out of the factory 40, 50, 60 years ago...or so it seems to me, anyway, given that we can't pinpoint exactly when the changes inn colour occurred or if the factory was using "last years leather, this years leather, or next years stock"...i.e.- was the leather being used at the factory keeping up with the Connolly samples or vice versa.
Agree with all of the above, thank you. Here's 14389 (back in August 2008 at Fantasy Junction), owned by a well known fchatter. The code is more important, of course, as the name (such as beige or arancia/orange, etc.). 3104 was once even named Marrone. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login
Spot on davemqv, colors and codes are what they are, even with the newest Ferrari leathers colors may vary from di-lot to di-lot. maybe not that noticeable until you say recover an arm rest then set it on top of the original door pane, Oops! Finding an untouched sample hidden since the piece was first covered at the factory is the most accurate way to tell what it is. With that being said, the grain on the portion that has been worked and stretched has almost disappeared as opposed to the salvage that was wrapped over the edge of the panel. The salvage is the truest sample showing the grain. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
the grain found on the backside of a seat is not always representative of the grain found on the console. a leather hide has grain variations in it. examine original ferrari interiors to see how the leather artisans did it back in the day