Petty Blue was most famously used on the 1970 Plymouth Superbird
Yesterday I talked about one of the colors I considered for my new Ford GT. Today I’ll identify the only other paint-to-sample (custom) color I considered: Petty Blue.
Petty Blue got a boost in awareness after the movie CARS debuted
Petty Blue is a color Plymouth offered on its vehicles in the early 1970s. It’s called Petty Blue because of its association to Richard Petty, one of the most famous NASCAR racers of all time. If you’ve seen the animated Pixar movie CARS the character “The King” is voiced by Richard Petty and the car represents a 1970 Plymouth Superbird painted Petty Blue.
I have loved this color ever since I first saw it in my early teens. Generally speaking I find blue, in all its hues, the best color for a car. And within the spectrum of blue, Petty Blue is one of my favorite shades. I told this to my Ford GT Concierge and asked for a sample, which Ford provided.
When the sample arrived it further confirmed how much I loved the color. I actually locked my new Ford GT specification with a paint-to-sample Petty Blue shade. But that was on a Friday, and I had until the following Tuesday to change my configuration. On the following Monday I changed my Ford GT color, bailing out on Petty Blue. Why?
The primary reason I changed my mind relates to another color: Riviera Blue.
The new Ford GT looks fabulous in Riviera Blue
Riviera Blue is a Porsche color, and while it’s not identical to Petty Blue it’s close enough that I’m positive people would constantly be asking me, “Is that Riviera Blue?” whenever they saw my car. Riviera Blue has become a very popular Ford GT color because Dave Bannister, who started the Ford GT Forum, spec’d his 2017 Ford GT in Riviera Blue. This color looks amazing on the new Ford GT, so much so that at least 4 other Ford GT buyers have opted to also paint their cars Riviera Blue.
Riviera Blue’s popularity with the Ford GT community doesn’t negate how great Petty Blue would look on the car, but it does diminish the individuality of Petty Blue. Given the cost of opting for paint-to-sample when buying a new Ford GT, the idea of paying that much money to be constantly confused with another color just didn’t make sense.
The Ford GT looks great in both Riviera Blue and Liquid Blue
As such, I changed my Ford GT’s color at the last minute, from Petty Blue to Liquid Blue. I really like how the Ford GT looks in Liquid Blue, and the only reason I initially hesitated was because of the popularity of this color with other new Ford GT buyers. As the color the car debuted in, Liquid Blue is getting a high take rate with buyers.
BUT — I still love the color despite its popularity, and I will have some exterior features on my car that will be very unique. This will help it stand out among Liquid Blue GTs, quelling my fear that my GT will look like so many others.
I’ll provide more details on my car’s specific exterior treatments, beyond its color, in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you know the color I ultimately went with for my new Ford GT. A decision that involved a lot of back-and-forth and obsessive compulsive analysis.