Ever wonder about the origin of British racing green or Ferrari red? These colors were agreed upon in the early days of auto racing and standardized in the Code Sportif International (International Sporting Code), Appendix I, of the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA). The color was associated with the nationality of the car's owner; hence, an Italian car raced by an Englishman would be painted British racing green.
In early cars, the chassis was often visible and many countries chose particular colors for that and other parts. Eventually, the chassis was concealed and the secondary colors were applied to trim such as numbers and racing stripes.
The FIA no longer requires that race cars follow this color code. Their web site states explicitly that Formula 1 cars, for example, are exempt from national colors. Appendix I is not available on their web site so I can't confirm exactly when this went into effect. However, I did find a reprint from the table from Road & Track magazine, January 1960.
COUNTRY COLORS OF CAR NUMBERS
Argentina Body: blue red on white
Hood: yellow
Chassis: black
Belgium Body: yellow black
Brazil Body: pale yellow black
Chassis and wheels:green
Bulgaria Body: green red
Hood: white
Canada Body: green white
Stripes: white
Chile Body: red half blue-
Hood: blue half red or
Underframe: white all red on white
Cuba Body: yellow white on black
Hood: black
Czecho- Body: white blue
slovakia Hood: blue and white
Underframe: red
Egypt Pale violet red on white
Finland Black blue on white
France Blue white
Germany White red
Great Green white
Britain
Holland Orange white
Hungary Body, front: white black
Body, rear: green
Hood: red
Irish Free Green with horizontal white
State band of orange around
body
Italy Red white
Luxem- Pearlgray white on red
burg
Mexico Gold white on black
Monaco White with red hori- black on white
zontal band around
body
Poland Body and hood: white red
Underframe: red
Portugal Body and hood: red white
Underframe: white
Scotland Green white
South Body: Gold black on white
Africa Hood: green
Spain Hood: yellow black on yellow
Body and chassis: red white on red
Sweden Body and hood, lower white
part:blue-upper:yellow
Three cross bands of
blue on top of hood
Switzer- Hood: white black
land Body and underframe:
red
Thailand Body and hood: white on blue
pale blue with yellow
horizontal band around
body and hood
Wheels: pale yellow
United Body and hood: white blue on white
States Underframe: blue
Venezuela Body: white
Stripe:green