Car Liveries

[TerryC]

Originally Posted by chezza

The liveries are lovely...I'm just not keen on the look of the car!

Why? What need fixing exactly?

[ss_collins]

It looks wrong... not sure but its not quite a low nose indy / 1995 Ferrari or quite a high nose...

just not convinced by its looks.

[thejester]

It might be something to do with the fact that Sheikh Makhtoum specified a certain 'look' for the car, before serious engineering began. There's an element of mutton dressed as lamb about them, the lines have an artificial feel, rather than wind tunnel sculpted.

[andy_b]

yeah, he stipulated certain things like fins and a futuristic look. I actually did some designs for this on behalf of "another manufacture" who was putting in to tender along with Lola. In the end both designs (they guy who did the actual styling was actually in my year at Uni - small world) were quite similar. Low profile tyres seem to have dissapeared, they were very keen on them, although knew they wouldnt work

[Teretonga]

It's a pity they didn't take a '97 F1 car (wide track/slicks) and simply aim at that look. eg Ferrari or McLaren.
Even the Nissan World Series Dallara is a better looking more balanced looking car...or the Formula Nippon Reynards from 99-2000.
I guess that wouldn't have distinguished the car enough from other series. Pity...

[Mathias]

Hum. I do think it's a bit of a shame they're not using the good old "official" car colours...

Though they would probably have to invent a few for nations new to motorsport - and for new countries too. Chile's is the craziest instruction. And so is Czechoslovakia - presumably each balkanised former Czech state could have one part of their old colours! And it sounds like Half-Nelson Piquet was racing for Egypt last year. And Sweden are even sillier.

I've found this list, if anyone's interested...,
Country - Car Colours - Number Colours
Argentina - car:blue with black bonnet - numbers: red on white
Belgium - car: yellow - numbers: black
Brazil - car: light-yellow & green - numbers: black
Bulgaria - car: green with white bonnet - numbers: red on white
Chile - car: red with blue bonnet & white rear end - numbers: half blue and half red on white or entirely red
Czechoslovakia - car: white with blue and white bonnet and red rear end - numbers: blue
Egypt - car: light-lilac - numbers: red on white
Finland - car: black - numbers: blue on white (explains why Finns gravitate to McLaren)
France - car: blue - numbers: white
Germany - car: white (yes, white not silver!) - numbers: red
Great Britain - car: green - numbers: white
Hungary - car: white with red bonnet and green rear end - numbers: black
Ireland - car: green with horizontal orange stripe - numbers: white
Italy - car: red - numbers: white
Luxembourg - car: grey - numbers: white on red
Monaco - car: white with horizontal red stripe - numbers: black on white
Netherlands - car: orange - numbers: white
Poland - car: white - numbers: red
Romania - car: navy blue with red rear end - numbers: yellow
Spain - car: red with yellow bonnet - numbers: black on yellow/white on red
Sweden - car: lower part: blue, upper part: yellow with 3 yellow stripes on the bonnet - numbers: white
Switzerland - car: red with white bonnet - numbers: black
Thailand - car: light-blue with light blue wheels and horizontal yellow stripe - numbers: white on blue
USA - car: white with blue rear end - numbers: blue on white

[thejester]

Originally Posted by Mathias

And Sweden are even sillier.

Absolutely. How would you paint the top half 'yellow with three yellow stripes'??

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by thejester

Absolutely. How would you paint the top half 'yellow with three yellow stripes'??

I think this instruction got mixed up. It was LOWER part yellow(ie the chassis frame when these colours were devised in the 20s) upper part blue with yellow stripes.I remember Jo Bonnier did have a Maserati 250F blue with yellow cross stripes around 1957.
Extra colours introduced in 50s & 60s;
Australia-Green &Gold
New Zealand-Green & Silver
South Africa-Green & Buff
Canada-Green & white
Japan- White with red rising sun on bonnet.
Mexico-Gold & blue

[Cougar]

Originally Posted by Rob29

...
Japan- White with red rising sun on bonnet.
...

Talk about a weight penalty!!

[crozier74]

This is the most difinitive list I've seen:

http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/mi...ours.php?db=ct

Maybe an "image" column would help. There are some good pics around on the net if you search around. My favourite is without a doubt the USA colours, the blue/white NART Ferrari was an absolute classic

I for one would have much prefered if the national racing colours were used, opportunity missed IMO.

Is there a side-on orthographic view of the A1GP car somewhere? With that we could render it with national colours and our own ideas!

[pirenzo]

The trouble is this series is trying with it's world cup approach no doubt to get people who wouldn't normally watch racing interested. Most other sports have a world cup of some sort that has countries competing with each other, so this format is a lot closer to what people normally understand by a 'world' championship.

But these new viewers aren't going to know anything at all about national racing colours, nor will they want to have to learn them.

I think its best if they can associate the UK car for instance with an England football shirt or something.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by pirenzo

But these new viewers aren't going to know anything at all about national racing colours, nor will they want to have to learn them.

I do see your point, but isn't it a shame that we live in the world where even that small level of intrigue is over the head of most.

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by pirenzo

I think its best if they can associate the UK car for instance with an England football shirt or something.

It would be better to associate the UK car with a Union Flag identity, rather than an English one....

[pirenzo]

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

I do see your point, but isn't it a shame that we live in the world where even that small level of intrigue is over the head of most.

Yes it is sad But nothing's going to change with that respect overnight so...

[gttouring]

why not drap a flag over the cars, and paint it as such?
racing for holland on the other hand does wonderful liveries with the proper Colors

[Mackmot]

I think its funny that that car has been painted so many times, id hate to be the country that ends up with a 10kilo overweight car.

[gttouring]

wait...there is only one prototype running around for all these shows?
it looks as if they are gonna need about 100 cars by the 'entry list' so far,
once again the best laid plans

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by gttouring

wait...there is only one prototype running around for all these shows?
it looks as if they are gonna need about 100 cars by the 'entry list' so far,
once again the best laid plans

50 cars are on order and being built at Lola

[Mackmot]

there are two at the moment, one keeps being repainted and the other is testing and developing

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by pirenzo

Hmm, don't like our livery much...

Found a pic of Lebanon's entry, which I think is quite tidy.

I like that

[Mathias]

Originally Posted by pirenzo

But these new viewers aren't going to know anything at all about national racing colours, nor will they want to have to learn them.

I think its best if they can associate the UK car for instance with an England football shirt or something.

Originally Posted by AdamAshmore

I do see your point, but isn't it a shame that we live in the world where even that small level of intrigue is over the head of most.

I don't see Pirenzo's point. People are happy to come to terms with the different colours that football teams play in when compared to say the same nation's rugby, hockey or even cricket colours, and then their away strips and the strips they wear when their colours are too similar to the opposing team. People learn when a football team changes its colours for no apparent reason.

At least the national motor-racing colours are recognised by someone!

And I bet you any money that the Italian entry is red.

[Antrodemus]

I'm not sure football teams are a good analogy - they seem to use one of 4 different strips depending on the manager's mood on the day.
I remember the Scottish Rugby Union tried some different reverse strips a few years ago but very quickly reverted back to white. The orange one especially was awful - and not in the least bit Scottish!
I know down here at least there'd be a lynch mob of some sort set up if our car was not black. Likewise the Aussie car just wouldn't look Aussie enough if it wasn't green & gold.
England is probably one of the few countries that could get away with using racing colours, because British Racing Green is such a well know colour. And we are ultimately after quick recognition in terms of liveries.

Originally Posted by Mathias

And I bet you any money that the Italian entry is red.

That'll be an interesting one:
Flag = green/white/red
National Sports Teams = Blue (hence the 'Azzuri')
National Racing Colours = Red
I'd go for red too though, at the risk of offending Ferrari

[Mathias]

Originally Posted by Antrodemus

I'd go for red too though, at the risk of offending Ferrari

I'm always in favour of offending Ferrari!

[mabs_nsx]

Here is where you can check out the various picture galleries
from the A1 Grand Prix team launches.

http://www.pitpass.com/src/a1gp/a1gp_index.php

[thejester]

Team China is the best looking so far IMO. That dragon is !

Followed by Lebanon. Mainly for the font they used to write 'Lebanon'

The British one...urrr...I don't know...looks a bit...yeah, no, 'ugly' is the word I'm looking for.