National Colours NMOT

Archives of Posts to the NZ MX5 List back in 2004
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Simon Lord
See my 5 and raise you.
See my 5 and raise you.
Posts: 98
Joined: Fri Sep 22, 2006 1:09 pm
Location: Albany

National Colours NMOT

Post by Simon Lord » Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:03 pm

Where did the idea come from that yellow was the French racing colour? It's
been blue for many, many years, ever since national racing colours were
popularised through the Gordon Bennet Cup races from 1900 to (I think) 1905.

Britain was green, France blue, Italy red and Germany white. Germany later
became silver because the pre-WW2 Mercedes and Auto Union teams sanded back
the bodies to bare metal to save on weight, hence the 'Silver Arrows' and the
colour sported by McLaren to this day. My recollection is that yellow was the
Belgian national racing colour - certainly Ecurie Belgique use to race yellow
Ferraris. There were variations later - Japan adopted white, while Jack
Brabham adapted the original BRG to a lighter green with a gold stripe to
match Australia's sporting colours. McLarens actually started as red before
changing to the familiar orange (can't remember why now, but I know the
Italian fans used to cheer McLaren before the change!).

Yellow is the Renault corporate colour, but a trace of blue has crept back
again which is nice. I dare say we will lose the (almost) BRG of the Jaguars
now they have been sold to Red Bull, but for a while there we had the old
national racing colours out there again under the stickers (give or take
Marlboro's appalling annexation of the original historic Ferrari red).

Simon
97 SR Ltd (sparkle green)
Email: simon@franchise.co.nz

r.v.boxall

National Colours NMOT

Post by r.v.boxall » Tue Nov 16, 2004 2:06 pm

Thanks for the history lesson, Simon, and I agree it's a shame that we'll lose BRG with the departure of Jaguar. I'm extremely old, and can remember BRG D-Types racing with Mike Hailwood driving! And nice green Coopers. I know the French racing colour is blue, it's just a wind-up. French blue would also be too dull for Gazza, so it has to be yellow, and who has ever heard of Belgium? Wasn't that where the Maginot Line stopped?
Ron
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