Henry Ford used to say that his Model T was available in ‘any colour the customer wants, as long as it’s black’.
In the same way, all Ferraris were once painted in rosso corso, or racing red.
But the Italian supercar marque’s deep-pocketed customers – brand new models can cost anything from £250,000 to £400,000 – have taken to ordering increasingly garish paint jobs in recent years.
Now the firm behind one of the world’s most beautiful and thrilling sports cars has decided enough is enough.
In order to protect its brand identity, Ferrari is planning to simplify its colour catalogue to prevent orders of cars with lurid colour schemes or vinyl wraps.
Here we present a rogues’ gallery of some of the most blingtastic creations, from a vision in gold to one covered in black suede.
Feline groovy: DJ Joel Zimmerman was sent a cease-and-desist order for emblazoning his Ferrari with the Nyan Cat internet meme
Unobtrusive, moi? Camouflage is designed to help you blend in in the mean streets of the urban jungle – but not when it comes to supercars
The Midas touch: One shopper in west London’s busy Sloane Street clearly believed nothing screams ‘bling!’ better than brilliant, lustrous gold
Crowd-puller: This model – covered in a tactile black suede – attracted dozens of onlookers in London’s exclusive Knightsbridge
Jaw-dropping: This Japanese owner decided the best way to look sharp was to put shark-teeth on his front grille
Art attack: This garish cartoon redecoration is calculated to give Ferrari’s top brass a collective cardiac arrest
Hoots mon! A presumably Scottish driver who must have lost a bet on the golf course went for the tartan look. You take the high road…
Snow problem: It might turn heads on the slopes but this one in winter camouflage would have Enzo Ferrari turning in his grave
Racy: Model Michael Morrow wanted a paint-job that would get him noticed and went for a lady in her undies
Chrome narcissus: The mirrored effect means this owner doesn’t have to use their rear-view mirror to admire their reflection
