CODE: AST1140 (also 1140)
TYPE: Metallic
CONTENT ARCHIVE: Aston Martin Racing Green
SUMMARY:
The story of Aston Martin Racing Green likely begins with England’s pre-war national racing color of British Racing Green. At a time when top-tier racing represented pride in one’s nation, blue stood for France, red for Italy, white (the silver) for Germany, yellow for Belgium, white with blue stripes for the USA and for England… green.
Why green? The exact origin of this association with Great Britain isn’t fully clear, but the most common tale that tends to be told involves a nod to the so-called Emerald Isle of Ireland. At the time, racing on public roads of Great Britain was banned, so British racers tended to head to Ireland for such competitions.
Brand historians will tell you that green hasn’t always been the theme at Aston Martin. Initial racing cars from Gaydon were presented in grey, black or natural metal finishes. At that time, the races they were entering weren’t international, but in 1922 when an Aston Martin was entered in the French Grand Prix, that car car was painted a very dark shade of green that would adorn works Aston Martins into the late 1940s.
Then, in 1949, that green shifted to a pale, metallic shade of green. The underlying paint code in question was more commonly referred to as Almond Green by paint suppliers and manufacturers. However, as Aston Martin became more of a racing fixture in the world of sportscars and also Formula 1, the color became more indelibly linked to Aston Martin.
In 1999, on the occasion of marque’s 40th anniversary of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin reintroduced the color and coining the name “Aston Martin Racing Green”. And, when Aston Martin reemerged in F1 in 2021, the marque saw the opportunity to cement its own racing identity with its distinctive take on green – with less emphasis on the more traditional and darker hue we tend to think of when we imagine British Racing Green. Over several seasons since their return, the color has been further perfected.
“There’s been a lot of work since (2021) to bring out the green,” says Jack Brown – Senior Manager Colour, Material and Finish for Aston Martin.
“The F1 car that we launched in ’21 was a very sophisticated colour, and it looks truly amazing on road cars – but it was a little bit too dark for the cameras, appearing almost black in certain lights. Our task then, was to capture that darkness and sophistication in subsequent cars but give it more brightness and punch in the highlighted areas. It wasn’t a case of making the paint lighter, just a question of making the highlighted areas shine.
“Ceramic pigments float within different layers of the paint and you have to ensure those pigments are suspended in exactly the right layer for the highlighted areas to be bright enough. And, because this is F1, we strived to achieve the lightest application of paint to keep the weight down. The paint is applied at a microscopic level. It’s about 20 microns thick – that’s less than half the width of a human hair.”
Since its association with the modern Aston Martin Racing F1 team, not to mention painting it on GT racing cars and safety cars around the world, Aston Martin Racing Green has captured the heart of brand enthusiasts seeking a tailored build for their car. Whereas Almond Green had a limited take rate amongst Aston Martin road car clients in the 1950s, Aston Martin Racing Green is the most popular color for today’s Aston Martin customers.
Jack Brown continues, “I think that’s a really nice link to the pinnacle of performance for our customers. It doesn’t just look like the paint on the F1 car, if you buy a car in Aston Martin Racing Green, it genuinely is the paint from the F1 car. It’s exactly the same formulation.”
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