Ferrari red is a thing. Just like Tiffany blue, and Hermes orange, if we all closed our eyes and envisaged Ferrari red, we would all be thinking of the same colour.
Technically known as “Rosso corsa”, the colour red has been associated with Ferrari since the birth of the iconic Italian car brand.
History has it that when Enzo Ferrari founded the company in 1947, he chose to use the colour red to distinguish his cars from his competitors. He wanted to create a brand that was bold and powerful, and the red colour was the perfect choice for this. Now while all this is true, it is important to note that before being a stand alone brand, Ferrari acted as Alfa Romeo’s factory team on motor racing circuits.
In the early days of motor racing, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) required cars to be painted according to a colour code with each shade represented a country. The vehicles were painted according to their country of origin: green for England, blue for France, silver-grey for Germany and red for Italy.
The first car built by Ferrari – the Auto Avio 815 – was therefore red out of respect for the rules, and not by choice of the manufacturer. Therefore the colour red became symbolic of not just Ferrari’s racing heritage but of Italy’s in general. The unified colour scheme associated with countries carried on until 1968, but the Ferrari brand has continued to embrace the tradition ever since.
Naturally, the first Ferrari ‘road’ vehicle intended for the public used the same shade of ‘Ferrari red’ when it was released to maintain the link with the marque’s racing heritage.
The most well-known Ferrari red colour is Rosso Corsa, which translates as ‘Racing Red’. This iconic shade has come to not only embody the brand, but some of its most classic models, including the 288 GTO and the 488 Pista.
Although the Rosso Corsa is Ferrari’s most recognisable red colour swatch, it isn’t their only shade of red they design in.
Since its founding, more than forty varieties of red have been used by the brand: Scuderia, Roma, Bordeaux, Cherry, Monza, Vivo, and more. In fact, the only colour element that has never changed on Ferrari cars is actually the emblem of the logo, the cavallino rampante, a black prancing horse on a yellow background.
Since then the Ferrari brand has come to represent more than just cars, it is about a lifestyle and an experience.
Red is the colour of passion, speed and performance, which is what Ferrari stands for. It is a colour that evokes a sense of excitement and power and is often associated with Ferrari’s competitive spirit and high performance.
Finally, the colour red is also associated with danger, which is something that appeals to many Ferrari owners. The colour red is a reminder of the risks associated with driving a high-performance vehicle and evokes a sense of thrill and excitement. Ferrari red continues to distinguish its cars from its competitors has become a timeless symbol of the brand.