List of international auto racing colors
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From the beginning of the 20th century until the late 1960s, before sponsorship liveries came in use, vehicles competing in Formula One, sports car racing, touring car racing and other international auto racing competitions customarily painted their cars in racing colours reflecting the nation of origin of the car or driver. These were often different from the national colours used in other sports or in politics.
History
The colours most likely have their origin in the national teams competing in the Gordon Bennett Cup, which was held annually in 1900-1905, and were definitely established in the 1920s and 1930s era of Grand Prix motor racing, when blue Bugatti and red Alfa Romeo dominated many races.
Due to the weight limit for GP cars introduced in 1934, German Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union teams did not apply the traditional white paint in order to save weight, and the bare sheets of metal gave rise to the term Silver Arrows. When aluminium was replaced by fiberglass materials in the 1960s, some German teams (like Porsche and BMW) returned to white paint. Others German manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and Audi (Auto Union) used silver paint when they returned to international racing in the 1990s.
In spring of 1968, sponsorship liveries, which already had been used in the United States for years, were allowed in international racing. Team Lotus was the first F1 team not only to paint their cars in a tobacco livery, but also to change the team name accordingly. The British Racing Green vanished soon from the cars of private teams, while the Rosso Corsa used by Italian manufacturers like Ferrari is in continuous use to the present day.
Contemporary usage
Although this colour scheme was abandoned by the FIA for most racing disciplines in the 1970s, it is still informally used, especially by Italian, British and German automakers and teams that want to emphasize their traditions. Often, sponsorship agreements respect this. Many concept cars follow the color scheme, and many amateur racers prefer them as well.
The A1 Grand Prix series instigated in 2005 features national teams, driving identical cars with differing colour schemes. Initially, most schemes were based on the respective national flags; some teams with different traditional sporting colours have since switched, including A1 Team Australia and A1 Team India.
Historic colours
Major competitors
| Code | Country | Body | Numbers | Marques/Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | Germany | White | Red | Benz, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche |
| Silver (or bare metal (Silver Arrows)) | Red | Mercedes-Benz, Auto Union, Veritas, Borgward, EMW, Porsche, Audi | ||
| F | France | Blue | White | Bugatti, Talbot, Matra, Gordini, Ligier, Prost |
| GB | Great Britain | Green (British racing green) | White | Jaguar, Vanwall, Cooper, Lotus, Brabham, BRM, Bentley, Aston Martin |
| I | Italy | Red (Rosso corsa) | White | Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia, Ferrari, Abarth, O.S.C.A., Officine Meccaniche |
| J | Japan | White with red "sun" | Black | Honda, Nissan, Toyota |
| USA | USA | White, Blue lengthwise stripes ("Cunningham racing stripes"), Blue underframe | Blue | Cunningham, Ford, NART, Shelby, Chaparral |
| Blue, White lengthwise stripes, White underframe | White | AAR Eagle, Ford, Shelby, Scarab |
National list
The following schemes have been adopted for various countries at various times:
| Code | Country | Body | Bonnet | Other Colours | Numbers | Illustrated example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Template:AUT | Blue | Black on white | 
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| ARG | Template:ARG | Blue | Yellow | Chassis: Black | Red on white | 
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| AUS |  |
Green | Gold | Blue | Black | 
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| B | .png){kind=small} |
Yellow | Black | 
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| BR | Template:BRA | Pale yellow | Chassis/Wheels: Green | Black | 
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| BUL | Template:BUL | Green | White | Red on white | 
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| C | Template:CUB | Yellow | Black | Black on white | 
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| CDN | Template:CAN | Traditional colours are white and green parallel stripes | After the Canadian flag was changed in 1965 Red with wide lengthwise white stripes became popular | Black | 
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| CH |  |
Red | White | Black | 
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| CS |  Czech Republic |
White | Blue/white | Underframe: Red | Blue | 
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| D |  |
White | bare metal (aluminium, "Silver Arrows") | Red | 
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| DK | Template:DEN | Silver-grey | National flag as a lengthwise stripe on bonnet | Red on white | 
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| E |  |
Red | Yellow | Chassis/Springs: Red | Black on yellow or white on red | 
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| ET | Template:EGY | Pale violet | Red on white | 
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| F |  |
Blue | White | 
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| FIN | Template:FIN | White | Two blue stripes on bonnet shaping a Latin cross | Black on white | 
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| GB |  |
Green | Scottish entrant Rob Walker used dark blue with a white noseband and Ecurie Ecosse also used dark blue; the Arrol Johnston team pre-World War 1 used navy tartan | White | 
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| GR | Template:GRE | Pale Blue | Two white lengthwise stripes on bonnet | Black on white | 
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| H | Template:HUN | Front: White Rear: Green |
Red | Black | 
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| HJK | Template:JOR | Brown | Black on white | 
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| I |  |
Red | White | 
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| IRL |  |
Green | Horizontal band of orange all around | White | 
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| J | Template:JPN | Ivory White | Red disk on bonnet | White on black | 
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| L |  |
Tricolor lengthwise stripe (red/white/blue) from front to rear | Black on white | 
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| MAS | Template:MAS | Yellow | White | Black on white/Black | 
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| MC | Template:MON | White | Red lateral stripe around car | Black on white | ||
| MEX | Template:MEX | Gold | Different designs in royal blue (Not strictly an X on the bonnet) | Black on white (not red on white) | 
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| NL |  |
Orange | White | 
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| NZ | Template:NZL | Green and silver | Black and silver | 
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| PHI | Template:PHI | Red and Blue | yellow | |||
| P | Template:POR | Red | Underframe: White | White | 
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| PL |  |
White | Underframe: Red | Red on white | 
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| RCH | Template:CHI | Red | Blue | Underframe: White | Blue/red or red on white | 
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| S | |
Blue bottom, yellow top, three cross bands of blue on top of bonnet | White | 
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| T | Template:THA | Pale blue with yellow horizontal band around body and bonnet | Wheels: Pale yellow | White on blue | 
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| U | Template:URU | Pale blue with large red band around the lower part of bonnet | White on black | 
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| USA |  |
White with blue lengthwise stripes | Underframe: Blue | Blue on white | 
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| ZA | Template:RSA | Gold | Green | Black on yellow | 
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See also
- Racing stripe on notes about US racing color.