Why is Ferrari red? 🏎️
Today we talk about brands and their curiosities.
Hello!
This week I read about Jaguar's controversial rebranding, and I thought it was very interesting to tell you some things about the identity signs of car and motorcycle brands (and how they can be changed overnight).
In case you haven't heard about the controversy, Jaguar has changed its brand design with the aim of attracting a younger (albeit affluent) audience. In fact, from 2025, the feline brand will only produce electric cars.
I share with you one of their ads and their new logo:
I have always associated Jaguar with a very traditional elegance, so the truth is that I am quite shocked by this change of image. However, it's true that it is a brand that has fallen a little behind in recent years. What do you think?
Okay, but why is Ferrari red?
I won't beat around the bush. I'll answer the main question of the post.
In the early days of motor racing, race cars were required to wear colors representing their countries of origin. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) assigned specific colors to each country:
Green: for UK cars (such as Aston Martins and Bentleys). Don't you think of Jaguar when you think of green? Well, now it's your turn to think of unicorns... 🦄
Blue: for France (Bugatti).
Silver: for Germany (Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union, now AUDI).
Red: for Italy (Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Ferrari, and Abarth).
When Enzo Ferrari started racing in the 1920s with Alfa Romeo, he had to race in red cars. So, when he founded Ferrari in 1947, his racing cars adopted red, following this regulation.
Ferrari's best-known shade of red is “Rosso Corsa” (racing red). This bright, eye-catching color was ideal for standing out on the tracks and soon became synonymous with the brand. However, over time, Ferrari has introduced variations of red, such as “Rosso Scuderia” (the one used on its Formula 1 cars) and “Rosso Dino” (more orange), to satisfy different customer preferences.
Other brand curiosities
I'll share some more curiosities that caught my attention when I started researching the subject:
BMW: That blue and white logo? It is not an airplane propeller, as many believe, including me. It actually represents the colors of Bavaria, the region of origin of the brand.
Mitsubishi: Its name literally means “three diamonds” in Japanese. Hence the design of its logo.
Yamaha: Originally, Yamaha was dedicated to the manufacture of musical instruments. Up to this point, almost all of us knew it, but I had never realized that their logo is three intertwined tuning forks.
Lamborghini: Did you know that Ferruccio Lamborghini loved bullfighting? That, together with the fact that he was a Taurus, gave rise to the brand's logo.
That's all for today. Do you know any curiosities about motorcycle or car brands? I'll read your comments or your emails.
A big hug and take care!