Ferrari Paint Codes: How to Find and Verify Yours

Your Ferrari’s paint code is on a label on the car itself. It is usually in the front luggage compartment, a door jamb, the glovebox or the engine bay, depending on model and year. Copy the value next to the PAINT or COLOUR field exactly. Then treat it as the start of a check, not the end of one: Ferrari has used several numbering systems over the decades, and a color name such as Rosso Corsa can point to more than one formula.

This guide shows where to look, how to read what you find, which codes are commonly cited for popular colors, and how to confirm a match before paint touches a panel.

TL;DR

• The paint label on the car is the primary source. Check the front luggage compartment or bonnet-latch area, door jamb or B-pillar, glovebox, trunk and engine bay, depending on model and year.
• There is no single public chart of every Ferrari color. Older cars carry five-digit or supplier-specific numbers, later cars commonly carry three- or four-digit short codes.
• Rosso Corsa is the classic trap: FER-300 is documented for 1981 to 1996 and short code 322 for 1997 to 2018.
• A correct code does not guarantee an invisible repair. Always spray a test card and compare it in daylight before painting the car.
• Keep every number you find. For a restoration or a sale, originality is documented with the label, the VIN and the build records.

Table of Contents

• Where to find the paint code on a Ferrari
• Why one Ferrari can have several “codes”
• Common Ferrari paint codes at a glance
• Rosso Corsa: 322, FER-300 and why the name is not enough
• Special order, Tailor Made and heritage colors
• From code to matching paint: the verification process
• Our perspective: treat the code as evidence
• Find body panels and parts for your Ferrari
• Common mistakes to avoid
• FAQ
• Sources

Where to find the paint code on a Ferrari

Ferrari does not put the code in one spot on every car. Paint-supply guidance on Ferrari paint code location points to the same set of places: the front luggage compartment or bonnet-latch area, the door jamb or B-pillar, the glovebox, the trunk and the engine-bay area. Which one applies depends on the model and year.

Work through them in this order:

1. Open the front luggage compartment and look around the latch and the inner panels.
2. Check the door jambs and B-pillar for a sticker or plate.
3. Look in the glovebox, where labels and paperwork sometimes sit.
4. Check the trunk and engine bay if the car has them in a usable layout.
5. Photograph everything you find, with the full label in frame and a readable close-up.

Read the right line

A label can list several values. Take the one next to PAINT, COLOUR or a comparable exterior field. Do not substitute the interior or trim code, which is a different line and a different product. The same source notes that label formats vary: one documented example uses a six-digit value, 226688, next to PAINT, while other Ferrari records use three-digit and four-digit identifiers. Do not assume that a short number is incomplete or that a long one is a typo.

If the label is missing

Labels get lost in bodywork, panel swaps and restorations. Ferrari does not publish a single, complete historical paint-code chart covering every factory, special-order and Tailor Made color, so a missing label is not solved by searching a name. The workable route is a mix of evidence: photos of any surviving label, the VIN, the build sheet or factory documents, and confirmation from a Ferrari specialist who knows your model. Our guide to building provenance before a Classiche review covers how to assemble that paper trail.

Why one Ferrari can have several “codes”

People search for “the” Ferrari paint code as if it were one universal identifier. It is not. Older cars may carry references from Glidden-Salchi, Italver/Max Meyer or Glasurit, while later records commonly cross-reference a short Ferrari identifier with longer supplier formula numbers. The 2018 Ferrari color program from Sherwin-Williams shows this layout well. It lists a short code, often a longer cross-reference number, and the color name.

Older records look different again. Historical listings in the PaintRef Ferrari color table include five-digit examples such as Grigio Scuro 20152, Marrone 20325, Tetratema Bianco 20414 and Nocciola 20451. Some colors also show alternate codes, so a name-to-number search can return several legitimate references.

The practical rules:

• Give a paint supplier the car’s year and the complete code string, not just the name.
• Preserve every number you find. For a restoration, do not replace an original reference with a modern equivalent.
• Treat any code list, including the one below, as a lookup example and not a year-independent formula.

Common Ferrari paint codes at a glance

The table below collects codes from the Sherwin-Williams Ferrari program for later cars. Use it to recognize what a label might say, not to order paint.

The same program shows longer cross-reference numbers for many of these colors. If your label shows a long number and a short one, both may be correct, just from different systems.

Rosso Corsa: 322, FER-300 and why the name is not enough

Rosso Corsa is the color most owners ask about, and it is where mismatches happen. The cited historical records distinguish two things. Glasurit FER-300 is documented for Ferrari model years 1981 to 1996. Ferrari short code 322 is recorded for 1997 to 2018. The FER-300 record also notes year-to-year differences in appearance, including comments that some years ran lighter or more yellow.

A refinish supplier’s listing shows how many numbers can sit behind a single name. Its Rosso Corsa two-component entry groups 120462, 133573, 229120, 231191 and 322 together. That listing also gives product-specific spray instructions, such as a 10-minute interval between coats at 20°C. Those are instructions for that product system, not Ferrari paint specifications, so follow the data sheet of whatever system your shop actually uses.

Before you order anything sold as Rosso Corsa:

• Match the car’s model year against the code’s documented range.
• Confirm the paint system, such as Glasurit or PPG, and any variant suffix.
• Compare against the label or VIN evidence, not the seller’s description.

Ferrari’s own writing on Rosso Corsa and Giallo Modena shows why names carry cultural weight but do not work as technical identifiers: the same color family has existed in several shades and historical contexts.

Special order, Tailor Made and heritage colors

The familiar reds are only part of the palette. Ferrari’s 2025 article on special equipment and optional paints describes a 78-year history and an almost limitless choice through its personalization program, including heritage-inspired colors. For you, that means a color name alone is especially unsafe on Tailor Made, limited-series and older cars.

If your car is one of those, the label and factory documents matter even more. Collectors should also remember that originality is a documentation question. A shade that merely looks right is not the same as a color you can prove was on the car when it left Maranello. Owners of Lamborghinis face the same problem with special-order colors, and our piece on Lamborghini paint codes and Ad Personam verification walks through it.

From code to matching paint: the verification process

For a tiny chip, a touch-up product mixed to your code may be enough. For anything larger, a professional process is the safe path. It follows the same steps whichever paint system your shop uses.

1. Document the original label and VIN. Photograph both before any work starts.
2. Have the refinish technician retrieve the formula in the relevant paint database, using manufacturer and code.
3. Spray a test card or panel. Never judge a color from a screen or a swatch.
4. Compare it to the car in daylight and from several angles.
5. Blend adjacent panels when the spray-out shows the match is close but not invisible.

Why manufacturer and code input matters

Glasurit’s technical notes on digital color retrieval explain that entering the manufacturer and code narrows the search to formulas with the appropriate pigments and effects. The same guidance warns that a mathematically adjusted result is not automatically the best visual match. A technician still has to judge a spray-out.

Why a spectro-style scan does not replace a test card

Imaging tools help, but they are aids. The PPG DigiMatch device, for example, uses 6 imaging angles plus 6 reflectance angles to retrieve formulas, because metallic and pearl finishes change with lighting and viewing geometry. The professional view is that color matching is a measurement-and-validation task. Even with the right code, spray technique, pigment orientation and paint aging can shift the result.

Protecting a fresh repair

Once new paint has cured to your shop’s specification, protect it with care. Follow the paint supplier’s cure times before any coating goes on, then use a gentle method such as this panel by panel spray and rinse coating, which is designed to avoid streaks on freshly finished surfaces.

Our perspective: treat the code as evidence

We list more than 365,000 exotic and supercar parts, and paint-related mistakes come up whenever a body panel, bumper or mirror cap changes hands. A buyer sees “Rosso Corsa” in a listing, assumes it matches their car, and discovers later that the year, the system or the finish is different. That is not a flaw in the buyer’s care. It is the nature of a name that has covered more than one formula.

Our advice is to use the paint code the way a mechanic uses a part number: as evidence to be cross-checked, never as a final answer. Photograph the label, note the VIN, and compare against the seller’s photos in daylight. If a used panel is already painted, ask for the original code and the year of the donor car. For the part itself, we suggest running a VIN check for Ferrari parts compatibility, and for numbers that do not line up, our notes on cross-referencing part numbers help.

We also suggest keeping the old label, or a clear photo of it, with the car’s file for good. It costs nothing and answers questions for the next owner.

— Artem

Find body panels and parts for your Ferrari

If your repair involves replacing a panel or trim part and you want to see what is out there for your model, browse Ferrari parts and cars on Supercars.parts. You can search by VIN or part number, and our AI-driven search helps locate rare items across the listings. Sellers can list parts with 0% commission, which is one reason hard-to-find items turn up here.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Ordering by name. Rosso Corsa, Nero and Grigio each have more than one documented formula across years.
• Using the interior code. The exterior paint line is the one you want.
• Dropping older numbers. Five-digit and supplier-specific references are part of the car’s history.
• Judging on screen. Hex values and web swatches do not capture metallic or pearl behavior.
• Skipping the spray-out. Even a correct code can drift because of technique and age.
• Painting one panel in isolation. Blending adjacent panels is often what makes a repair disappear.

FAQ

Where is the paint code on a Ferrari?

The paint label is commonly in the front luggage compartment or bonnet-latch area, a door jamb or B-pillar, the glovebox, the trunk or the engine bay, depending on the model and year. Read the value next to PAINT or COLOUR, not the interior or trim line. If you cannot find it, use the VIN and factory documents.

What is the Rosso Corsa paint code?

In the cited records, Ferrari short code 322 covers Rosso Corsa for 1997 to 2018, while Glasurit FER-300 is documented for 1981 to 1996. Many refinish suppliers also list longer cross-reference numbers. Confirm your car’s year and paint system before ordering.

Is there an official list of all Ferrari color codes?

No. Ferrari does not publish a single complete historical chart covering every factory, special-order and Tailor Made color. Supplier programs and historical databases help, but they should be checked against your car’s label, VIN and build records.

Will the right paint code give a perfect match?

Not automatically. Metallic and pearl finishes vary with spray technique, pigment orientation, viewing angle and aging. A technician should spray a test card, compare it to the car in daylight and blend adjacent panels when needed.

Sources

• Ferrari paint code location
• 2018 Ferrari Color Program, Sherwin-Williams
• PaintRef Ferrari paint options
• Glasurit code FER-300
• 1997 Ferrari 322 paint
• Rosso Corsa two-component refinish listing
• Ferrari: Ferrari’s second soul
• Ferrari: Essential colours, with a story
• Glasurit: Digital Color Retrieval with ScanR
• PPG DigiMatch

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