British Racing Green

[orrmate]

For a while now I've been wondering why Team GB don't run in British Racing Green? It comes with great tradition and looks awesome.. I can't see why they don't do it

Is there some legal wrangle preventing them?

[ScotsBrutesFan]

The teams race in National colours...mostly in a resemblence of the national flag.

Aus and NZ being the obvious exceptions, but they race in their nations "sports colours".

The casual observer (punter in front of the TV) and that's what it comes down to simply wouldn't associate a green car with Britain...even if it is British Racing Green.

[zac510]

It doesn't look good on TV. I remember this being raised when Jaguar joined F1. They settled for a paler metallic green that showed up well on TV.

The A1GP car might look alright with a bit of a BRG streak over it at least.

[Hazard]

You missed Italy - who run in their sporting colour too.

I think British Racing Green in cars a very accepted concept - but similarities with the Pakistan car are likely too, and the now defunct Jaguar F1 cars also so soon still. Maybe a little longer.

[rcarr]

BRG appears black on tv, hence why Jaguar F1 wasn't proper BRG

[Kiwi3]

I agree with ScotsBrutesFan, the casual punter would wonder where the British car had gone.

[Francis Albert]

Originally Posted by Hazard

You missed Italy - who run in their sporting colour too.

I think British Racing Green in cars a very accepted concept - but similarities with the Pakistan car are likely too, and the now defunct Jaguar F1 cars also so soon still. Maybe a little longer.

And so do the Netherlands.

I'd like to see team GBR in British Racing Green but it's true that the way it shows on TV could be a problem. Maybe zac510's idea of not painting the car in BRG but incorporating it into a livery is the way to go?

[ensign14]

No such shade as British Racing Green...British colour was just "green"...from the seasick yellow of BRP to the almost black of BRM.

[rcarr]

Originally Posted by ensign14

No such shade as British Racing Green...British colour was just "green"...from the seasick yellow of BRP to the almost black of BRM.

How about the BRG of the 50s Jaguars? From recordings from then the commentators would say "the british racing green Jaguars."

Rover used to do a BRG, so there is officially a colour as BRG.

[ISPL]

I like the look of the GBR car. The only difficulty is the long range TV shots when it can be a bit difficult (or maybe my eyes are failing me) to imediately tell whetehr it is GBR, France or USA.

In sports terms, for a global audience, green has stronger links with Ireland than GBR.

I vote that we stick with Jack (union that is).

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by rcarr

How about the BRG of the 50s Jaguars? From recordings from then the commentators would say "the british racing green Jaguars."

Presumably as an adjectival description that cold have been applied to any car that was British, racing and green. I know people think of a very dark green as being BRG, but think of the Vanwalls, if not the Loti, for other variants that were just as valid.

Originally Posted by rcarr

Rover used to do a BRG, so there is officially a colour as BRG.

That's cheating, that was "a" BRG, not "the" BRG.

[rcarr]

Surely Colin Chapman wanted to be different from the Vanwalls etc so he specifically used a more olive green?

How different is a Vanwall green to a Jaguar green? Does anyone have a pic with them side by side?

[Rob29]

Basiclly the green used by Lotus,Vanwall,Jaguar,Aston Martin,Bentley,iswhat most people understand as BRG? The problem with red,white & blue is it is also the flag of USA,France,Holland,Russia,Czech Republic & most of the British comonwealth!
Irish racing colour is green & orange
Comonwealth colours issued around 1958;
Australia;green & gold
NZ;green & silver
South Africa;green & buff
Canada;green & white

[kipper]

Originally Posted by Rob29

Basiclly the green used by Lotus,Vanwall,Jaguar,Aston Martin,Bentley,is what most people understand as BRG?

Your probably correct in that most people's understanding of British Racing Green is those sort of colours. However, there are still differences in shade between those cars. As such my understanding is that British Racing Green can be applied to any shade of green.

With regard to A1GP, I would quite like to see a livery incorporating British Racing Green although I suspect that the flag design will stay.

[Knowlesy]

Nah, keep it as it is. People might think that Team Pakistan is running up front and die of surprise.

[ISPL]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

Nah, keep it as it is. People might think that Team Pakistan is running up front and die of surprise.

I couldn't agree more.

But at least something good has come from this thread. I've learned more about the colour green in 1 last week than in the rest of my 30 (ish) years put together. Roll on the next pub quiz.

[Red Bulldog]

So, to stay with colour education theme;
I thought "sporting colours" were only for schools, do all countires have official sporting colours? If so, what is Canada's?
An earlier post said Canada's commonwealth colours are green & white but I don't think Canada knows (or cares) about that as they always wear the red Maple Leaf!

[kipper]

Originally Posted by Red Bulldog

So, to stay with colour education theme;
I thought "sporting colours" were only for schools, do all countires have official sporting colours? If so, what is Canada's?
An earlier post said Canada's commonwealth colours are green & white but I don't think Canada knows (or cares) about that as they always wear the red Maple Leaf!

I think most countries do have sporting colours for motor racing purposes. There origin is within the Gordon Bennett Cups of 1900-1905. As such each nation were allocated a colour to race in depending or the colour of there flag or political or royal conotations. That said some colours, were over time changed. One such example is Germany, which was originally white. However, Mercedes stripped the paint off their cars in order to meet the weight limit and the use of silver stuck.

As has been said, Canada's racing colours are green and white. However, I'd imagine that there allocation predates the adoption of the current Canadian flag. However, it is of course academic as the A1GP team has adopted the flag as their livery.

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by kipper

I think most countries do have sporting colours for motor racing purposes. There origin is within the Gordon Bennett Cups of 1900-1905. As such each nation were allocated a colour to race in depending or the colour of there flag or political or royal conotations.

I think it might be a lot more complicated than that. Britain's colour in the 1901 GB race was red. The Americans also used red before the Italians - who had used black, IIRC - adopted it. I wonder whether the GB races had colours chosen ad hoc every year according to how many entrants. Perhaps by 1904 it had more or less settled down.

The first Grand Prix dropped racing colours to reinforce that it was not a country thing; the winning Renault was red. Early British entrants Arrol-Johnston used a navy blue tartan. One French team at the dawn of motor racing entered three cars - one red, one white, one blue. It was a bit later that colours were fixed, and British green has been explained as a "lucky" colour to overcome an unlucky number 13 and in honour of the Irish hosting the GB race at Athy in 1903. I think it may be a mixture - green was Napier's house colour, the success of Napier meant other people copied their green, and when in Ireland some poet thought of a pro-Irish explanation to pacify those opposed to the hosting of a race England did not dare to run.

The Silver Arrows thing is a huge debate...

Originally Posted by kipper

As has been said, Canada's racing colours are green and white. However, I'd imagine that there allocation predates the adoption of the current Canadian flag.

Definitely - the current Canadian flag is not that old. However, the previous one was based on the Red Ensign. Canada had green cos as a Commonwealth/Empire country it copied Britain's with a distinguishing mark.

[ISPL]

I'm not feeling quite so confident about that pub quiz now. My head is .

[ss_collins]

At the A1 Team GB launch (well one of many) a press release was issued which I have somewhere, that said that the car would be painted British Racing Green, however it was quickly recalled. And the Union Flag appeared instead. A shame.

[Hepatic]

Anyone seen the JPS Lotus's (Loti, whatever!) up close? Seem to remember sitting in Mansell's car when i was a kid, and was surprised to find the car more green than black as TV had lead me to believe...

I do like the current scheme, just not sure how you could incorporate the BRG in to it tho...

[rcarr]

Originally Posted by Hepatic

Anyone seen the JPS Lotus's (Loti, whatever!) up close? Seem to remember sitting in Mansell's car when i was a kid, and was surprised to find the car more green than black as TV had lead me to believe...

I do like the current scheme, just not sure how you could incorporate the BRG in to it tho...

Mansell did actually drive a BRG Lotus, I don't think it was JPS though, maybe Essex/Martini one?

http://www.users.qwest.net/~vveninca...tus80_1979.jpg

[Jon Lincoln]

Despite not being in the least bit patriotic I find myself wanting to see the GB car in BRG. Why is that? Well it would look fantastic (apart from on telly, like).

I do have Irish links though so perhaps I should support them. I'll dust that Irish rugby shirt down for this weekend and display it proudly around Brands.

Coming to the point, surely if teams are supposed to race in the colours of their country, in motor racing terms that means green for GB.

[ensign14]

Originally Posted by rcarr

Mansell did actually drive a BRG Lotus, I don't think it was JPS though, maybe Essex/Martini one?

http://www.users.qwest.net/~vveninca...tus80_1979.jpg

No, by 1980 the BRG had been replaced by the blue and chrome of Essex.