The question addressed in this article often arises when planning a repair or touch-up on a Ferrari - or even more commonly, during a full restoration requiring a complete paint respray. Knowing the colour codes of Italian cars - in this case, Ferrari vehicles - is essential in such cases.
The Ferrari colour code enables professionals to retriev...
The question addressed in this article often arises when planning a repair or touch-up on a Ferrari - or even more commonly, during a full restoration requiring a complete paint respray. Knowing the colour codes of Italian cars - in this case, Ferrari vehicles - is essential in such cases.
The Ferrari colour code enables professionals to retrieve the components and mixing the formula using automotive colour matching software. This mixing and preparation can be done either by a bodywork painter or by an automotive paint manufacturer.
Carrying out a paint job involves three key steps : identifying the correct reference, preparing the paint, and then applying it.
At each of these stages, no error must be made. The most crucial phase is the mixing and preparation of the paint. Weighing must be done with extreme precision - to the tenth or even the hundredth of a gram.
Naturally, the smaller the quantity prepared, the greater the risk of imprecision. For this reason, the minimum quantity for accurately mixing paint is 500 ml. It is then up to the refinisher to determine how best to carry out the touch-up and which mistakes to avoid.
Let's take the example of a door: this body part is located between the front and rear wings. If the paint is not properly mixed, the visual separation between these parts will clearly reveal any difference in shade - even to an untrained eye.
Also, it is important to understand that even if the paint is perfectly mixed and the formula exactly matches that of the Italian manufacturer, there may still be a difference between the old and new paint : this is naturally due to years of exposure to sunlight, which often causes fading. In general, colours that have received a lot of sunlight will appear bleached over time.
The best way to carry out a touch-up using a Ferrari colour code is to apply a fade-out. This simple technique involves not only painting the specific area, but also slightly extending the application to surrounding areas - that is, the adjacent panels. The idea is to create a soft gradient using the spray gun over a range of 20 to 30 cm around the repair area.
Of course, if the original Ferrari paintwork is too old or weathered, then a complete respray should be considered - that is, over the entire vehicle. Naturally, this involves a much more extensive and costly amount of labour.
The cost of the materials - that is, the manufacturer's paint matched to the Ferrari colour code - is not particularly high, since Ferrari paint is not more expensive than that of other brands. It is the disassembly, masking and micro-repair work that represents the bulk of the labour costs.
There is no need to introduce Ferrari - a world-famous Italian manufacturer of luxury and sports cars. The company was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939. In its early days, it emerged from collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Fiat. Throughout its history, the Ferrari brand has been deeply involved in motor racing via its Scuderia Ferrari team.
The first Ferrari car dates back to 1947, and it was already equipped with an exceptional engine: the 1.5L V 12.
In 1988, the legendary Ferrari F40 was launched - just one year before Enzo Ferrari's death - and it became the fastest production car of its time. Even then, it was priced well beyong reach for most people (between $500,000 and $700,000).
Today, Ferrari ranks among the top 10 largest automotive companies in the world, with a market capitalisation exceeding 50 billion dollars.
For Ferrari vehicles, the VIN plate displaying the colour code can be found in one of the following locations :
- Under the front bonnet, near the bonnet latch.
- In the front compartment, on the inner side of the right wing (seen from the front)
- In the rear compartment, on the right or left wings, or on the boot lid.
You may refer to the images below for visual guidance.
The colour code always consists of three characters (letters or numbers).
Since 2009, Stardust has specialised in reproducing Ferrari paints. From a single aerosol or paint can, you can receive your Ferrari colour in under 24 hours. StardustColors also produces the famous vermiculated paints used by Ferrari.
In the field of automotive body paint, there are two types of paint: the 1K basecoat (also called two-coat paint) and the 2K paint.
If you think Ferraris only come in yellow or red and that the Ferrari colour chart is short and simple - you'd be mistaken. In 70 years of producing exceptional vehicles, Ferrari has developed around forty highly diverse colour codes.
Yes, red is Ferrari's iconic colour - but there are many different red shades within the Ferrari range.
Color code | Color name | Year of operation |
12 | ROSSO CORSA | 1981 - 1989 |
120462 | ROSSO CORSA | 2004 - |
133345 | ROSSO SCUDERIA | 2004 - |
Aerosol or can?
Without hesitation, the can.
You should know that a 300 ml aerosol only contains about 100 ml of paint - the rest is gas (200 ml).
Choosing a can means choosing 100% paint.
Maserati car colour code
Lamborghini car colour code
Alfa Roméo car colour code
Fiat car colour code
Lancia car colour code
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