Every modern Ferrari is synonymous with a signature launch colour – the shade in which each car is typically presented to the world. Some are classics, not least the many shades of red. Rosso Corsa is perfect for both the track-focussed GTO and the 488 Pista, while the 12Cilindri debuted in Rosso Imola, another rosso with an overtly sporting bent.

But the Color & Trim team in Maranello continually strives to enrich a paint palette that already extends to thousands of choices, says Silvia Capuano, Pilot Color & Trim Lead Designer. Take the recent Ferrari Amalfi Spider, previewed in Rosso Tramonto, a softer, warmer red infused with yellow that brings to mind hazy summer sunsets. Last year, the Ferrari Amalfi, in its hard top version, launched in Verde Costiera, a blue-tinged green evoking the coastline that inspired the car’s name. It was one of several greens created last year.

‘Even with just one colour family, we can create drastically different interpretations,’ explains Capuano. ‘Verde Toscana adorned the 12Cilindri Spider with an elegant yet more GT-inspired interpretation, while Verde Nürburgring is a bold, extremely sporty and highly saturated shade that suits the 296 Speciale perfectly.’

Each of these colours is the result of a process that involves several departments, from early creative research through to industrial validation – and, ultimately, naming.

“The character of the car itself is our starting point when developing a new colour; many other variables - trends, strategy, and brand heritage - then come into play,” outlines Capuano. ‘It involves a great deal of technique, but also emotion. Colour is immediate, and highly subjective.’

The earliest stages draw on everything from mood boards to wider cultural and design trends, both within and beyond automotive, and naturally extend to discussions with paint suppliers. Close collaboration with Ferrari’s design team is fundamental throughout.

‘The goal is to present the car to the world in its best “outfit”,’ explains the colour and trim expert. ‘We use the design team’s input on form and surfaces to understand how colour can best support and enhance the styling. At the same time, we consider how that colour might work across the wider range.’

For the Ferrari Amalfi, inspiration came from the common threads of travel, of using the car to explore beautiful regions of Italy, not least the Amalfi coastline. But the colour was also used to signal how the Amalfi made a clear step on from its predecessor, adopting a fresher, and very contemporary character.

Each time a new paint is developed, collaboration with paint suppliers progresses from early test samples through multiple test cycles. Smaller metal sheets make way for painted doors or bumpers – the better to understand how a paint behaves on a larger canvas – each of which are evaluated under unforgiving artificial light as well as outdoors in everything from bright sunshine to fog. Small adjustments continue to perfect the hue.

‘When a colour starts to win us over, we refine it – a little more red, a little less yellow, a touch of blue – things that not everyone appreciates but which ultimately make all the difference,’ says Capuano.

Alongside this sits the discipline of industrialisation, where the final finish must not only look aesthetically pleasing, but be repeatable and robust within the high standards requirements. Today, that also includes a growing focus on sustainability, with water-based paints and low-bake curing processes reducing energy consumption.

Naming the colour is the final step. During development, projects are given informal nicknames – a way of capturing their character while avoiding technical codes – but once the colour is fully resolved, a broader group helps define its final identity.

‘Experts who work with the colour daily have a specific perspective, so it’s useful to hear a fresh take,’ adds Capuano.

Sometimes the naming process can extend to several brainstorming sessions as the team grapples with how best to concisely summarize each colour’s visual appeal. Not so for Amalfi’s signature launch shades.

‘It was actually super easy to come up with Rosso Tramonto and Verde Costiera because the concept of the car itself was so clearly defined,’ smiles Capuano. ‘The names complement the colours and the colours complement the car.’

Creating a new paint might be a highly complex process but – when it comes down to it – the goal really is as simple as that.