Blue seats?

There is an urban legend that needing to cover a seat the night before a race somebody cut up a blue Ferrari uniform as a quick fix and the tradition stuck and there is also the idea that in period a certain cloth was found that absorbed moisture and heat better than others, that just so happened to be manufactured in the now famous blue.

I'm sure there are numerous other explanations too.

 

Workers uniform is the story I heard.

 

Not so early cars, LM had blue cloth interior and the Daytona competition prototype the first one created for Le Mans had and still has a blue cloth interior. Does not look like workers overalls though!

 

Originally Posted by ginge82
There is an urban legend that needing to cover a seat the night before a race somebody cut up a blue Ferrari uniform as a quick fix and the tradition stuck and there is also the idea that in period a certain cloth was found that absorbed moisture and heat better than others, that just so happened to be manufactured in the now famous blue.

I'm sure there are numerous other explanations too.

I've also heard that the blue seats were a tongue and cheek jab directed toward the French during Le Mans because their cars were of course, French blue...

 

I would think that only the first ones were workers overalls. After that just blue cloth but not sure.

This story was told to me by a pretty serious collector who had the blue seats in a 250 SWB.

But not sure how correct the story is.

 

seems simple enough-lots of "picture hoarders" here on the site, thus there MUST be a colour pic of a car BEFORE advent of an SWB which would support much earlier use of blue seats(Monzas???)...or not....picute would say it all in a period pic of an earlier comp car with "famous" and or significanmt historical refernce in background to date pic-NO???

 

1959 250TR's as bodied by Fantuzzi had blue cloth seats as originally delivered

 

unless custom-ordered by a client, I believe the stock seat covering in the Scaglietti-bodied Mondials/Monzas of 54 thr 56 was vinyl.

 

Porsche used blue cloth on some 904's too

 

Correct! Same for the 250MM and some in leather.

 

Correct for PF Mondials also.

 

Are you saying cloth or vinyl is correct?

Thanks.

 

Sounds to me as legit as the claim that Frenchmen were eating their socks until they invented food.

 

Don't know if its true or not but until disproven I choose to believe it. Just because.

 

At least they had socks!

 

Not sure about when and how exactly Ferrari introduced the use of a blue cloth in their sports (and competition GT) cars but, without having time to do a bit of researching, I would roughly say around 1960/61 (Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 1960? 196SP?), then – as we all know – this feature became fairly common on several 250GTO, 250LM and the rear engined sports prototypes of the ’60s. I am confident that several of our Fchatters could offer detailed contributions on this issue.
Previously, for sports and competition cars, Ferrari generally used vipla leatherette or corduroy. Vipla was normally used on clients’ cars while corduroy was mostly preferred on works car and monopostos, being less resistant but also less slippery and offering better perspiration.
Why the blue cloth? Well, I can say that starting from the 19th century, all over Europe and mostly in Italy, the use of the strong and resistant “tela di Genova” became more and more used for workers’ overalls and aprons. This fabric, originally produced in my town, Genoa, and offered in various shades of blue and in various grains, became quickly popular among workers and even found its way to the States. The sturdy blue slacks widespread among cowboys and railroad workers of the West assumed the name of jeans with reference to the indigo blue Genoese canvas that sailors and workers from Genoa spread all over the word.
It is not difficult to understand how this excellent and strong cloth used on workers’ overalls ended up into cars’ seats. BTW, this cloth was easy to work and fairly cheap!
I may conclude telling you that, if you’ll ever visit the beautiful Museo Diocesiano of Genoa, you might admire twelve spectacular XVI century tapestries showing episodes of Christ’s Passion made in “tela di Genoa”. In other words, this is a long story.
Franco Lombardi

 

Thanks for that post, Franco! It's very informative, and very very interesting.

Could someone post some color photos of these overalls?

 

Franco, do you know if the rumor is true then?

That being that they were in a jam and cut up a workers uniform to upholster a seat?

Thanks for the knowledge.

 

In this photo

FERRARI RECORD FOR A CLASSIC FERRARI

you can see Dan Gurney at LeMans in 1958 next to his 250TR chassis 0666 and you can see that the seats are blue.

From 1959:

Four-Links ? 1959 LeMans, mystery off-road bus, Samsen designs, DeSoto dealer | Hemmings Daily

 

Nice photos but the seats don't look very blue to me...

 

Nice photo! IMO Le Mans 1959 with Hill and Gendebien next to their 250TR entry. Below, on the left, mechanics Rossi and Amadessi. BTW, the seats look blue to me, so this might be one of the very early use of the blue cloth by Ferrari.
Never heard about a quick fix using the workers' aprons cloth as a temporary solution, but this could well be. In a rush they could have tried this solution, discovering that it did work fine.
I am travelling at the moment, but I will try to find some photos of the blue overalls getting back home.
Just keep in mind that there were several shades of blue and that this blue fabric could be had in different "weight", being more or less resistant (and more expensive).
F.L.

 

Does anyone know a source to purchase this fabric?