If there is one thing that stands out in the world of paint and bodywork and leaves an impression on anyone, it is the color of the car. Why does this happen? Because colors awaken a series of reactions in people that activate our emotions and make us feel a certain way. How we feel when we see a specific color will depend on each person’s own tastes and preferences. So it’s not surprising that a color that one person finds beautiful may seem horrible to another and might even put them in a bad mood.
Be that as it may, one thing that is absolutely certain is that vehicle colors are used as a lure by sellers and used by the customer as an element of customization. For many years, some manufacturers used color as an identifying feature of their cars, which has meant that, over time, certain colors have become inevitably linked and associated with certain brands, thus producing a series of legendary bodywork colors.
Here is a list of 5 legendary bodywork colors, carefully selected by ROBERLO. With this list, we hope to awaken your memory and, together, relive the days when the variety of available colors was not as extensive as it is today and many of us used to fantasize about these colors and vehicles.
Legendary color 1 – Rosso Corsa by Ferrari
Better known as Ferrari Red, rosso corsa is the legendary color par excellence. It can be defined as a light, clean (not mixed with other colors such as green or blue), vivid red color. Virtually anyone, especially if you are a motoring enthusiast, knows this color. It is also almost inevitable that when we hear the word “Ferrari”, an image of a bright, red Ferrari comes to mind.
But there are actually more than 10 different Ferrari reds that have varied over time and across different Ferrari models. Although the most famous is the Rosso Corsa, there are many other shades of “rosso”, such as Rosso Scuderia, typical of some of the most famous F1 cars in history, or Rosso Dino, which was created specifically for the model of the same name.
Not all solid reds belong to Ferrari. The brand has been able to evolve with more chromatic and complex reds for its bodywork, such as Rosso California or Rosso Portofino.
The most curious thing about this color is that its creation was the result of a decision made not entirely of the brand’s own free will, but in fact from a requirement that Ferrari had to comply with when it began competing in 1920. Specifically, the rule stated that brands had to paint their racing cars in a color representing their country of origin, so Ferrari chose the red from the Italian flag. In any case, it was a good choice, since Ferrari red is the most legendary color we could find in the automotive world, even though less than 50% of Ferraris in the last decade have been red.
Legendary color 2 – Audi Nogaro Blue
Like other renowned brands in the automobile world, Audi also has an iconic brand color: Nogaro blue. It is a navy blue reminiscent of today’s electric finishes. This color was first used in 1994, when Audi designed the famous RS line and incorporated both innovations into the Audi RS 2 Avant.
Since then, Nogaro blue has established itself as the brand’s identifying color, so much so that the manufacturer has decided to design and launch a new limited edition vehicle (50 units) called the “RS6 Nogaro edition” which, in addition to offering outstanding power and performance, also offers exclusivity with the color of its bodywork, thanks to the fact that it has been painted with the legendary Nogaro blue color. The result is spectacular, and it is very difficult not to fall head over heels for it.
Legendary color 3 – Mercedes Benz Silberpfeile
Mercedes Benz is another of the emblematic vehicle brands, both on the road and in races. In the 1930s, they decided to paint their racing cars silver. This decision came about by chance when, during a competition, the vehicle competing in the race (the Mercedes Benz W125) exceeded the maximum weight allowance by one kilogram.
Faced with this problem, the team’s manager at the time, Alfred Neubauer, decided to have all the paint sanded and removed from the car, leaving the aluminum bodywork bare. As a result, the weight of the car was reduced and Mercedes was able to participate. Additionally, and as if that were not enough, the car ended up winning the race, which, a few years later (in 1954), led the brand to design a paint color that emulated the color of unpainted aluminum. The end result was the legendary Mercedes silver color Silberpfeile, which means “silver arrow”, a combination of words that perfectly define that racing car.
Legendary color 4 – British Racing Green
British Racing Green is a color characterized by its dark shade, giving it an elegant, discreet and conservative look. This range of colors has been used by British vehicle manufacturers throughout history. As in other cases, it is the result of how colors were chosen in the past to represent racing vehicles according to their place of origin. Several manufacturers, such as Lotus, Aston Martin and Jaguar, have used variants of this color to coat their vehicles and turn them into something unique and characteristic.
One of the most famous British racing greens is “Heritage Racing”, as used by Lotus on its Exige Cup 430 Type 25 model. This color perfectly imitates the dark green of British racing cars from the middle of the last century, while also being an updated color with a few added effects to give it a more modern, current and eye-catching look.
Legendary color 5 – Subaru Sonic Blue Mica
The Subaru Impreza painted with Sonic Blue is one of the most famous and well-known rally vehicles in the automobile world. This car was initially designed for racing, but it was so well received by the general public that it did not take long for it to be adapted and standardized in order to be marketed as a road car.
The Subaru Impreza stood out thanks to its high mechanical performance and power, as it incorporated a 2.2-liter Boxer engine and its 280 hp version accelerated from 0 to 100 in 5.2 seconds. Possibly for this reason, the color was named “Sonic”, thus linking the color to the vehicle’s performance. In fact, Sonic Blue Mica was only used to paint the Subaru Impreza, allowing this color to become legendary. Leaving this peculiarity aside, Sonic Blue Mica is a blue color with a pearlescent effect that stands out thanks to its high luminosity and electric appearance.
Bodywork color as a symbol of identification
So that’s our selection of 5 legendary bodywork colors. The chromatic range is incredibly varied, so it’s sure to have left an impression on you; you may have even chosen one of these colors to repaint your car or for your new project. And if not, don’t worry, because in the future we will be showing you another 5 colors that have also made history in the automobile world. You will have to keep an eye out for our next publications!
