The many racing faces of the Gulf livery

The Gulf colours are a staple of race circuits around the world, adorning some of motorsport’s most recognisable machines.

Any car sporting that famous light-blue and orange livery becomes an instant icon, with that timeless design now replicated on many Scalextric racing cars. With a long history of racing partnerships dating back to the 1960s, there are plenty of subjects for us to choose from.

A brief history of Gulf race car branding

The story of Gulf branding actually began with a Grumman G-22 “Gulfhawk II” aircraft. Gulf branded the aircraft, ensuring their eye-catching colours were displayed to European airshow crowds as they admired the precision aerial acrobatics. The design was slightly different to the more modern version we’ve all come to know and love – the blue was darker, and far less prominent.

The company expanded their marketing horizons in the 60s, sponsoring everything from NBC News, Holiday Inns and road maps. The obvious next step was motor racing, with the Ford GT40 as the first car to wear the signature colours. The car in question belonged to Gulf Oil’s vice president Grady Davis, and it raced at Daytona International Speedway and Sebring International Raceway in 1967.

Since then, different versions of the Gulf livery have been splashed across cars such as the Ford Mirage M1, the Porsche 917, and the McLaren F1 GTR. Today, the livery can be seen on Atlassian Williams Racing cars and the Trackhouse Aprilia bikes in the MotoGP.

Bringing the Gulf livery to the Scalextric range

Of course, it was only a matter of time before such a prolific design made it onto the Scalextric circuits, delighting collectors. Any car wearing the Gulf colours is always a big seller, with people building full slot car collections of blue and orange vehicles.

At the time of writing, there were four Scalextric racing cars sporting the light-blue and orange theme. The officially licensed vehicles include an Aston Martin GT3 Vantage, a Shelby GT350 and a VW Golf.

The Ford Cortina – Gulf Edition 

The most recent addition to our Gulf collection is the Ford Lotus Cortina. Best known for its success in British saloon car racing, this classic car looks incredible in the iconic Gulf colours,  replicating a car that competed in European historic racing the early 2000s. This popular design features working front and rear lights and Magnatraction technology that helps keep the car on the circuits as it navigates tight corners and tricky obstacles. You can also upgrade your car to digital control with ease.

This might not be the first car you would associate with Gulf branding, but it carries the colours with style. As one of the more unique cars in the Gulf collection, this Ford Lotus Cortina is likely to spin off our shelves pretty quickly, so get yours now!

For collectors, Gulf presents a wealth of liveries that allow you to create an impressive display of Scalextric cars. For racers, nothing is more thrilling than watching flashes of blue and orange whizz round your home circuits.

The Ford Lotus Cortina – Gulf Edition is a striking addition to any collection celebrating one of motorsport’s most recognisable designs.