There exists, on Facebook, a pack of aesthetically challenged riff-raff cognoscenti of automotive brunneous……ness. While the primary subjects of their ardor originated in the malaise-era, the Brown Car Appreciation Society welcomes mocha-coloured machinery from any epoch. Which brings us to today’s subject: Ferrari 250 GTO, serial #3451GT.
Delivered new to Pietro Ferraro, 3451GT was entered in the 1962 Targa Florio with Giorgio Scarlatti as Ferraro’s co-driver. At some point prior to the race, the livery was changed from the utterly predictible and typically gauche Italian racing red to the Oreo cookie awesomeness in the photo.
Now, one might wonder why one would paint their race car brown. Perhaps, it was Ferraro or Scarlatti’s loving tribute to their lover’s fawn coloured locks. Maybe, the boys at Perugina threatened to break their legs. Or, they just drank too many espressos before choosing the paint. I don’t know. Whatever the reason, the paint scheme worked. Ferraro and Scarlatti’s rocky road hued rocket finished the Targa Florio in 7:22:08, good for 4th place overall and 1st in the GT class.
After it’s triumph at the Targa, 3451GT ‘s mahogany cast was removed, and returned to it’s original crimson state. Which is how it remains to this day. No doubt because of it’s success, brown was never widely adopted for racing liveries. It’s ochre toned majesty judged too much for world’s racing circuits. But, for one shiny coffee-hued moment, when asked what brown could them, Pietro Ferraro and Giorgio Scarlatti answered “win the Targa Florio”.
And finally, to the men and women of the Brown Car Appreciation Society, I say excelsior!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the snack machine. I’m dyin’ for a Hershey bar.
[photo source unknown]
Morning Qualifying – Brown Car Appreciation Society edition
By Jennings R. Scroggs, Jr.
Mar 28, 2011
<img src="http://www.pistonheads.com/pics/news/19666/UPStruck-L.jpg">
Now we know where UPS got the idea.
I thought that caption read, "Brown…the racist of all colors." I thought that was a bit racist.
Anyway, as a proud card-carrying member of the Brown Car Appreciation Society, I must say that the re-emergence of brown as a color option on many cars today is very pleasing to my eye. If we're going to be malaisy with our bean-shaped hybrids and direct-injected fuel sippers, we might as well go full out.
I also thought we were starting the week off on a racist note. Glad I just do not know how to read this early in the morning.
I highly recommend checking out The Brown Car Blog. There posts are quite infrequent, but seeing a blog devoted to straight up brown cars makes me happy.
<img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ld54oggpuL1qzhb89o1_500.jpg" width=500">
My personal favorite brown car.
I was going to say just that. I check it every two months or so and am always pleased with what I see.
I would never consider any other color when shopping for a 911. Everything in my Forza garage is white, except my 911s. Beautiful.
A Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3 in a lovely chocolate. Wish I had a better picture.
<img src="http://www.virtualeas.com/images/6_3_brown.jpg" width=450>
My parents bought a W115 220D in 1973 in that EXACT shade of chocolate brown, with the "Bamboo" MB-Tex interior (except for the dash and steering wheel, which were always just black). They had that little sedan for more than 20 years.
I think you meant umber rather than ocher. Just because it's not a popular car color now, there's never been anything wrong with brown. Some cars look better in it, some don't. That Ferrari is pretty sweet in mocha. There needs to be something more than the current hegemony risk averse silvers white and black.
Both umber and ochre were listed as synonyms for brown. Stupid online thesaurus!
Next time use an online thescelosaurus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thescelosaurus
Given the right gloss and the right lightness, brown can be a nice colour.
It rarely is, however, and I will never be able to get the "poop" connotation out of my head. (Somehow this does not affect me when eating chocolate. I think I ignore it because chocolate is the greatest.)
Wonderful photos.
(I would say the brown on this car is one of those "not particularly nice" browns. The last photo makes the car look cooler because it looks like it's black and dirty rather than brown.)
I'm not sure I could buy a Ferrari in any colour other than brown (provided I had used Ferrari money, which is new Ferrari money stretched out over two or three years of maintenance). It makes it all just understated enough I wouldn't feel self-conscious being a Ferrari owner. Something like either of the following would be just about perfect.
<img src="http://www.globalautosports.com/car-images/Ferrari/412-/33665/412_Profile_thumb.jpg" /img>
<img src="http://i20.ebayimg.com/01/a/000/77/87/bcb7_1.JPG" /img>
Of course, the online configurator shows the FF is available in brown. If my ship comes in, I at least know that's not something holding me back from adding it to the exhaustive list of ways I'd blow through my financial ship.
I once saw a Dino in a light medium brown semi metallic. It was one of the most gorgeous things I've ever seen.
While not, perhaps, the most enthusiastic member of the Brown Car Appreciation Society, I do have three brown cars in the showroom right in front of my office, each in a different shade of brown, and I have to admit they all do look pretty damned good in that colour.
If I've done my little part to teach the world to spell correctly, I consider that a job well done. 🙂
When Porsche started offering Macadamia Metallic as a color these past few years, I was giddy. If only I could afford a new Porsche, that is.
My dream car is a brown 928 with the op-art seats. Oh yeah.
Mahogany (code 2P4), 1984 only
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/TanyasMkII/supra%20paint%20schemes/brownandmaroon.jpg">
From CelicaSupra.com's "Official" Paint Code/Pictures Thread
I don't care what color it has around the BDG, brown is actually nice.
<img src="http://www.neilfletcherracing.co.uk/avo_01/Brn_mex_eng.jpg" width="500">
<img src="http://www.neilfletcherracing.co.uk/avo_01/Brown_mex.jpg" width="500">
(Image credits Neil Fletcher http://www.neilfletcherracing.co.uk/avo_day_2001….
the best brown car?fiat 124,tan interior (must of made 200,000 of them)