Vintage Liveries on Modern Cars

Story by David S. Wallens • Photography as Credited

How do you make a newer car stand out? Paint it up like an old one. Retro paint jobs may not be anything new, but they still manage to stop us in our tracks. Where can you find inspiration? Hop online, flip through old magazines, or vis…

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Sometimes it looks good, like the BRE livery on the 350Z.  Gulf on new cars, not so much.

In reply to Gearheadotaku :

Not that I agree or disagree, but there's an obvious exception to that theory:

slowbird said:

In reply to Gearheadotaku :

Not that I agree or disagree, but there's an obvious exception to that theory:

That's because the car itself is trying to look old. 
 

Liveries today are easy to do with a computer and a vinyl wrap. This means it's tempting to go all Red Bull on it and cover the car in detail. Too often, designers forgo simplicity and geometric strength, which is what makes the old designs work so well. Plus we associate them with certain successes.

Martini stripe all the things.

I could be convinced.

I've also always had a soft spot for Momo Livery.

I keep threatening to paint my wife's X-Terra Calsonic Blue.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Gulf colors on a Ford GT or Mustang?  Works.  Gulf colors on a battered Pinto...or even a Mustang II?  NO.

But then, I am biased as I have considered doing BRE colors on a Sentra....doesn't really matter which generation after the 2006 model.

Some retro liveries look great on modern cars. A lot don't.

Modern liveries for the race cars that get a lot of national TV coverage are sterile, bland, or just cool kid Kyle edgy. I can't think of many that make me go "wow that's [insert adjective to describe the artists work here]." The Plaff Porsche GTD is an exception; but, then again it's just buffalo plaid. 

Even the recent BMW art cars have been a bit of a drag. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I like pre 60's livery where the car is painted the colors of the country.  Absolutely no advertisements.  

This would go over well down at the local 711....

In reply to Gearheadotaku : 

Couldnt agree more!

If you get paid to drive then put all the sponsors you want on your car.

I dont see the appeal of brand loyalty to a sponsor decal when you are going to slow lap a new gt3 with the PCA at a DE no matter how cool it looked or historic the decal is.

Seems kinda poseur if you ask me. People get sore over putting M or GT badges on non-m or non-gt cars but then walk over to their street car with full racecar livery? PAHLEESE.

Now gulf livery on a ford escort? Yes. That would be approved by the board of Olemiss540 trustees.

The old Motorcraft stripe design holds up pretty well, actually.

So does the Wood Brothers NASCAR livery.

Our local dealer spent a considerable amount of money to have these done, including six figures (I heard)  to have the Gulf logo embossed in the headrests.  Sometimes, I think Vaughn has too much dough.

https://autofile.ca/en-ca/auto-articles/factory-finished-gulf-liveried-porsche-918s-only-in-canada

its easy now to have someone vinyl wrap your car in any logo design you can find , 

Think how many hours it took to do it back in the day !

I know exactly how long it takes! I was partway through masking out the red small stripes to paint coat #3 of 4 of the Martini livery when I realized why everyone goes with Gulf...

Putting Gulf and Martini aside, I think this A90 Supra in classic HKS livery looks absolutely spectacular.

G_Body_Man said:

Putting Gulf and Martini aside, I think this A90 Supra in classic HKS livery looks absolutely spectacular.

quoting because that's one of the few vintage liveries that looks excellent on a modern car. 

Falken liveries always look great too. 

Yeah gulf, reknown 787b, the pig, and martini are WAY over done and barely looked good in the original cars. They look hideous on anything new. 
the last thing I want to see on a brand new 911 is a pork cutlet. And gulf on anything other than what it originally came on is hysterical. Comical at best. 
 

If you search for original liveries, it's super hard to find any. Too many "control+C, control+V". That's why I use the livery maker in gran turismo. It makes for some very original designs. 

slowbird said:

The old Motorcraft stripe design holds up pretty well, actually.

So does the Wood Brothers NASCAR livery.

Graphics made to compliment body lines are awesome. Translating straight lines to a bubble car, not so much.

Actually the 2nd rustang would look less bad if the lines didn't touch the top of the wheel arch, and the motorcraft logo was spread out a little.

I need a livery for a 1972 Corolla. One of you people that are handy with computer graphics programs ought to be able to whip up something stunning. 

_ said:

. And gulf on anything other than what it originally came on is hysterical. Comical at best. 
 

The Gulf colours are actually John Wyer's colours. After the Gt40 they were used on his Porsche 917s and the Mirage cars that JWAE built and won with.

frenchyd said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I like pre 60's livery where the car is painted the colors of the country.  Absolutely no advertisements.  

Blame Colin Chapman he got the John Player Red Leaf sponsorship for Lotus and it's been downhill ever since.

DirtyBird222 said:

G_Body_Man said:

Putting Gulf and Martini aside, I think this A90 Supra in classic HKS livery looks absolutely spectacular.

quoting because that's one of the few vintage liveries that looks excellent on a modern car. 

Falken liveries always look great too. 

 

Agreed!!

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