RARE color vs. OFF-color...what's the difference?

When you're selling, it's a "rare color" +$

When you're buying, it's "off-color" -$

If it's "oro metallic", it's just plain bad
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Rare:
- Rosso Dino, Barchetta, Fiorano, Rubino Metallizato
- Certain Blues
- various int/ext color combos (like your yellow over chocolate, for instance - sounds very nice, but I'm sure it's not common)

"Off":
- Brown (with all due respect to dstacy's 400i daily driver!)
- Gold
- Green (unless it's a 456, and then it's just about spot-on) - reference the green/green/tan 348 Spyder at FoSF - *OFF.*
- Some say white, but I personally love it on FCars.

 

Is the decision to go with red mainly driven by preserving resale value?

 

That, and when most people get there first F-car, it's usually red.

I'd be interested in seeing a %....how many people bought their first Ferrari in red?

 

I think this counts as an OFF-color:
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Yes, I think that would qualify....

...as would this. Thank you Dante.
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i actually like it....................................................

 

My first (and so far only) is a F355 Spider in Tour de France Blue with tan interior. Went to the gathering down in Little Italy in San Diego last weekend and was the only one of its kind - not sure whether that was good or bad.

 

As you said, I think it depends on your marketing spin. Red is no longer as popular as it was in the '80s, so I'm not sure the "resale red" concept applies across all Ferraris - it might even hurt on a 575M, for example. We're seeing a lot of subtle hues on F430s that look great, but a TR in those colors would sit on a dealer's lot for months.

A simple definition might be that an 'off' color is one buyers don't expect to see. A verde scuro 348 may look nice, but the color is too salient -- you have a five-minute discussion about it instead of appreciating the nice car. It's also rare, if that matters.

Most sports cars are red, black or silver. Buyers tend to find those proper colors for a Ferrari, Porsche, Alfa, Aston or whatever. British cars get a pass on dark green (BRG). I'll be bold here and say that anything else tends to be 'off' when it comes to sports cars.

 

You can probably include yellow in that list as well.

 

i liked my marrone car. the car was like a stealth bomber. nobody really knew what it was until it was close, and too late.

the red ferraris and lambos were cop magnets. i think the second time i drove the red 308 GTB i got a ticket in it, a few 100 yards from my house.

my green 911 carrera is invisible, i swear.

i am glad to know that black is a "good" color to have !!!


i am sure carbon would agree !!!

 

How about rare combo's ?

Giallo Modena w/ Dark Blue

G

 

Hey - thats MY 400i daily driver - and I prefer the term "baby poop brown".

Funny thing is I paid top dollar for this car as Marronne really was my first choice color - I do believe that it is the best color on a 400 - went our of my way to buy it....so one man's off is another man's rare find.

A
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It is a car wrap. Actual color of the car is black. The owner did Gumball 3000 this year and also did Players Run in June. I drove my 512 TR on Players Run and would definitely do an entire car wrap on any future rally I participate in.