34 replies to this topic

[ian senior]

Long gone now, of course. But was it ever obligatory to paint your car in the appropriate colour, and who was first to break the (unwritten?) rule?

[rdrcr]

Perhaps there is some information here: International Racing Colours.

Another helpful hint >>> Search BB

I am not the monitor!

[ian senior]

Oops. Me heap big nuisance. I'll read the thread!

[Richard Line]

When I took the SEFAC chassis apart and cleaned of several shades of French blue and black, .
I was surprised to find that the original colour was a cross between mid blue and purple making for a very strange colour for a French GP car of 1934
Regards Richard.

[Michael Müller]

Originally posted by ian senior
Long gone now, of course. But was it ever obligatory to paint your car in the appropriate colour, and who was first to break the (unwritten?) rule?

The rule definitively was not "unwritten", it was fixed in the regulations of the ACF, and later that of the AIACR and the FIA. However, it was always up to the organizers of the event to adhere strictly to the rule or not. As example, at the voiturette race of the 1934 AVUS-Rennen Bobby Kohlrausch started with the "Magic Midget" MG which was still painted green, it arrived shortly before the event from England, and there was no time to paint it white. Also at the AVUS, back in 1932, Manfred von Brauchitsch's streamlined SSKL was silver (bare aluminium?), 2 years before silver was generally accepted as national colour for German cars. Well, for the Grand Prix cars, voiturettes and sports cars remained white.
Contrary to this, in the 50's - forgot where and when - Porsche had troubles with their silver cars, as the regulations still officially said "white".

[Holger Merten]

Originally posted by Michael Müller

(...) 2 years before silver was generally accepted as national colour for German cars.(...)

What?

Originally posted by Michael Müller

(...)Well, for the Grand Prix cars, voiturettes and sports cars remained white.(...)

And for which other cars?

[dbw]

the factory bugatti "blue" went from a pale robin's egg to near black....i suspect anything in between was ok for a french driver [remember it's the driver's nationality that dictated the color]...my bug was dark blue as a late factory car [with a french driver]...when sold to a german it was promptly painted white ....from period photos it seems the painter[s] got carried away and painted over the factory polished parts..springs,axle.brake cables..you name it. it is strongly suggested it was done with leaded enamel and a brush...so much for pebble beach.

[Michael Müller]

Originally posted by dbw
remember it's the driver's nationality that dictated the color

No, the entrant's nationality.

[Vicuna]

Does any photographic evidence exist of a car painted in Canadian racing colours?

Correction:

Evidence of a Canadian car in Canadian colours.

Otherwise Bob Anderson would qualify....

[ensign14]

There's the Stebro, in a dark colour with white stripe, but I have never seen a colour shot...

[uechtel]

The "Team Canada F1" Brabham of Eppie Wietzes in 1974 was red and white with the maple leaf on nose cone and airbox. So I assumed this to have been the Canadian colours?

[marat]

And the Al Pease Eagle 101 in 1968 ?

[uechtel]

predominantly yellow with a read and blue stripe along the nose, but that looks not very "Canadian" to me and I think that´s due to the sponsor´s colours.

[Vicuna]

If I've got it right, Canadas colours were green with a white stripe.

Red would have been logical.

[marat]

Uechel, ok for 1968 but in 1967?

[Rob29]

Originally posted by Vicuna
If I've got it right, Canadas colours were green with a white stripe.

Red would have been logical.

BritishComonwealth racing colours;
Canada;Green & White
Australia;Green & Gold
New Zealand;Green & Silver
South Africa;Green & Buff
Irish Free State(as was) Green & Orange

[uechtel]

Originally posted by marat
Uechel, ok for 1968 but in 1967?

sorry, only b/w picture of that. White/dark. Does not help much.

BritishComonwealth racing colours;
Australia;Green & Gold
New Zealand;Green & Silver

Then why appeared Brabham in turquoise in 1963 and again in 1970?

And McLaren´s "Kiwi-orange"? Where does this come from?

[fines]

Originally posted by uechtel
And McLaren´s "Kiwi-orange"? Where does this come from?

Gulf

[Holger Merten]

Ahh, the Gulf racing colours, I like them on the cars, especially on the 917, but also on the Ford GT 40s. As well as Martini as sponsor colour on the cars like Porsche,Lancia and so on.

[Rob29]

Originally posted by uechtel






Then why appeared Brabham in turquoise in 1963 and again in 1970?

Colours were issued by the FIA to be used by entrants. As the Brabham/MRD cars were built and run from Surrey,I guess they should have worn UK colours anyway? Likewise McLaren.

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by fines
(Regarding the origins of McLaren orange)
Gulf

Are you sure?

The first time they were painted orange in Europe was 1968, when they used Shell. The colour scheme first appeared in the 1967 CanAm series, but I don't think they showed any sign of Gulf sponsorship.

[fines]

Originally posted by Roger Clark

Are you sure?

No, I am not! I always believed that to be the case, don't know why, but now that you question it I would like to know.

[GIGLEUX]

nd in 1967, the F1 McLaren were orange-red coloured!

[David Birchall]

A bit late getting in here but the Canadian racing colours were white body with green stripes.
If I knew how to post pictures....

[GIGLEUX]

Always the McLaren, white with blue nose and a blue stripe!

[GIGLEUX]

In 1966, of course.

[scags]

And Pete Aron driving...

[Muzza]

Hello, Fellows,


We at The Motorsport Memorial Team carried out a rather extensive research on this subject last year. Our results are published on this page.

If your browser does not accept this sort of link syntax, please visit http://www.motorsportmemorial.org and click on "other".

Canada racing colors were originally green and white, but were later changed to "red with a large lengthwise white stripe from front to rear (over body and bonnet)"; numbers were to be "black on white" (black numbers on white background). I believe this change took place in the late-1950s/early 1960s.

Sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

Corrections and comments are much appreciated.

Cheers,


Muzza

[uechtel]

For an overview of McLaren colours I found this interesting site (but alas in Greek language)

http://migf1.256.gr/...rs2his6670s.htm

And yes, it even seems, that the shade of orange they used was a little bit different to that of the Gulf logo, at least on the following picture



On the other hand they indeed seem to have kept at least some orange on the car (even on the side of Hailwood´s M23) until the Gulf logos had to give way for Texaco sponsorship in 1974.


Also I have some doubts about Brabham´s turqoise. Wouldn´t green/gold have been more close to "British" appearance than the turqoise?

[uechtel]

Originally posted by David Birchall
If I knew how to post pictures....

If no other options left any more you can always send the pictures to somebody else and ask him to do it for you...

[Mac Lark]

McLaren orange - of which there were various forms - did NOT come from Gulf.

That's a notion that has been kicked around for years but is simply not true.

Also, the nose and stripe on the 1966 M2B was green, not blue - or black, as it appears in some photos.

Orange-red on the M5A?

Looked very red to me.

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by Mac Lark


Orange-red on the M5A?

Looked very red to me.

But orange at Kyalami!

[Vitesse2]

I too remembered the 66 cars as blue and white, but before reading Mac's post I found this:

... the white M2B with its broad green stripe ....

McLaren by DCN p88

I also agree with Mac about the M5A - it was almost cherry-red IIRC.

As to the orange: again from DCN, p95:

Teddy [Mayer] had long been unhappy about the team's colours. They had changed from dowdy British Racing Green to black and silver, red with pale stripes, and now [mid 1967] he fell for a bright yellow-orange papaya shade, prompted by Jackie Epstein's Lola T70 "which would show up like a beacon on TV."

[Roger Clark]

Originally posted by uechtel


And yes, it even seems, that the shade of orange they used was a little bit different to that of the Gulf logo, at least on the following picture

Didn't Gethin win the 1971 Italian GP in a BRM? It's Jackie Oliver, of course.

[Mac Lark]

Originally posted by Roger Clark

But orange at Kyalami!