Blu Swaters
Blu Swaters is a Ferrari blue paint color in the Blu & Azzurro family (Ferrari files it under Blu): hex #283054, RGB 40, 48, 84, closest Pantone PMS 654 C, factory paint code 513/C (Ferrari configurator).
| Family | Blu & Azzurro — Ferrari blue colors |
|---|---|
| Hex | #283054 |
| RGB | 40, 48, 84 |
| CIE L*a*b* | 20.8, 8, -23 |
| Closest Pantone | PMS 654 C (#0F2B5B, ΔE 5.1) |
| Alt. published hex | #163166 · RAL 5022 [Exotic Car Colors] |
| Paint code | 513/C (Ferrari configurator); 513/C (PPG); 516 |
| Code systems | PPG (1990s onward) 513/C |
| Ferrari configurator | Offered in Ferrari's current configurator as BLU SWATERS 513/C (BLUE MET) / BLU SWATERS WB / BLU SWATERS 513/C (BLUE MET) — Historical Ferrari Colors, Fiorano livery color. [ferrari.com] |
| Offered on | 296 GTB · 296 GTS · 296 Speciale · 296 Speciale A · 849 Testarossa · 849 Testarossa Spider · 12 Cilindri · 12 Cilindri Spider · Amalfi · Amalfi Spider · F80 · Luce · Purosangue · Roma Spider (configurator, October 2026) |
| Matte version | Blu Swaters Opaco — own page; the same pigment in a matte finish |
| Finish | Gloss · Metallic |
| Value | Verified color chip |
Sources: Ferrari Colors blog · carpaints.co · codes: FWD, TCR
Added · Updated
About Blu Swaters
Blu Swaters is a historical Ferrari color. It's a dark blue metallic similar to Blu Tour de France but a bit lighter and it leans slightly more towards a purple hue. The paint also has a more apparent metallic effect. As for the name, this paint was named after Jacques Swaters. Jacques was a racing driver and team owner of Ecurie Francorchamps. In 1953 Swaters was appointed as official importer for the Benelux and in 1992 the 456 was unveiled at his dealership in Belgium. To honor their long-standing partnership, the color of the car was named after Jacques. Recently it has been available on modern Ferrari's from the historical paint range. A matte version of the paint called Blu Swaters Opaco has also been created.
The story of Blu Swaters
Ferrari's magazine describes Blu Swaters as a deeply lustrous metallic blue named after Jacques Swaters (1926–2010, per Wikipedia), the Belgian founder of the world's first Ferrari dealership and of the Ecurie Francorchamps racing team, which finished third overall at Le Mans in 1967 with a 330 P4. The color dates from the 456 GT launch: RM Sotheby's records that the 456 headlined Garage Francorchamps' 40th-anniversary celebration in Brussels in 1992, an Italian owner recalls a blue car named Swaters, in homage to the Belgian driver and importer, shown there in September 1992, and Petrolicious writes that Ferrari introduced "Blue Swaters" to mark the 40-year partnership. Iconic Auctioneers sold a 1994 456 GT, chassis ZFFSD44B000099050, in Blue Swaters Metallic in 2022; RM Sotheby's offered a 2016 F12tdf, chassis ZFF81BHT3G0217175, in Extracampionario Blu Swaters at Villa Erba in 2017.
Sources: Ferrari magazine, Essential colors, with a story · Ferrari magazine, A Tailor Made F12tdf inspired by the Écurie Francorchamps 330 P4 · RM Sotheby's, 1995 456 GT, Paris 2018 · Auto.it, Ferrari 456 GT (11 Oct 2018, an owner's account) · Petrolicious, This 1973 Fiat 238 officially served Belgium's biggest Ferrari dealer · Iconic Auctioneers, 1994 456 GT, Sywell 4 Jun 2022 · RM Sotheby's, 2016 F12tdf, Villa Erba 2017 lot 156 · Motor1, the Luce configurator · Wikipedia, Jacques Swaters · Grokipedia, Jacques Swaters (cites 24h-lemans.com and barchetta.cc)