Overview
Ferrari's marketing site reads as cinematic editorial — closer to a luxury-magazine spread than a typical car-OEM site. The base canvas is near-black ({colors.canvas} — #181818) holding pure white display type; white-canvas bands appear only inside specific editorial contexts (preowned listings, pricing tables, dealer surfaces). The single brand voltage is Rosso Corsa ({colors.primary} — #da291c), the iconic Ferrari racing red, used scarcely on primary CTAs, the Cavallino mark, and Formula 1 race-position highlights.
Type runs FerrariSans as the single sans family at modest weights — display 500, body 400. CTA labels render in uppercase with generous tracking (1.1-1.4px). The brand never uses bold display copy.
The brand's strongest visual signature is the full-bleed cinematic hero photograph — top-of-page imagery shows car photography, model details, or trackside livery without any chrome competing with it. Headlines float over the bottom of the photo or sit in a tight band beneath. Spacing follows the explicit 8px token ladder: xxxs 4 / xxs 8 / xs 16 / sm 24 / md 32 / lg 48 / xl 64 / xxl 96 / super 128.
Key Characteristics:
- Single accent:
{colors.primary} (Rosso Corsa #da291c) for primary CTAs, the Cavallino, F1 race-position highlights. Used scarcely.
- Near-black canvas (#181818) — never pure black. White-canvas bands only inside editorial contexts.
- Single sans family: FerrariSans across every text role.
- Display weight stays at 500 — never bold.
- CTA labels render uppercase with 1.4px tracking.
- Sharp
{rounded.none} (0px) corners on every CTA, card, and band — luxury-automotive precision.
- Full-bleed cinematic hero photography is the page chrome.
- Explicit 8px spacing token ladder with named scale (xxxs through super).
- Hairlines + photographic depth — no drop shadow tiers.
Colors
Brand & Accent
- Rosso Corsa (
{colors.primary} — #da291c): The iconic Ferrari racing red. Primary CTA fill, Cavallino mark, F1 driver-position highlights. Used scarcely.
- Rosso Corsa Active (
{colors.primary-active} — #b01e0a): Press state.
- Rosso Corsa Hover-darker (
{colors.primary-hover} — #9d2211): Documented for completeness; per the no-hover policy this is not used in preview HTML.
- Hypersail Yellow (
{colors.accent-yellow-hypersail} — #fff200) + Yellow ({colors.accent-yellow} — #f6e500): Sub-brand accents reserved for the Hypersail sailing program and the global focus-ring color. Not part of the main automotive palette.
Surface
- Canvas (
{colors.canvas} — #181818): Near-black page floor — never pure black, slight warmth.
- Canvas Elevated (
{colors.canvas-elevated} — #303030): Cards and panels on dark canvas.
- Canvas Light (
{colors.canvas-light} — #ffffff): White editorial bands (preowned listings, pricing).
- Surface Card (
{colors.surface-card} — #303030): Same as canvas-elevated — driver cards, livery photo plates.
- Surface Soft Light (
{colors.surface-soft-light} — #f7f7f7): Light editorial alternating band.
- Surface Strong Light (
{colors.surface-strong-light} — #ebebeb): Light-canvas dividers, badges.
Hairlines
- Hairline (
{colors.hairline} — #303030): 1px divider on dark — same hex as {colors.canvas-elevated}.
- Hairline On Light (
{colors.hairline-on-light} — #d2d2d2): 1px divider on light bands.
- Hairline Soft (
{colors.hairline-soft} — #ebebeb): Lighter divider.
Text
- Ink (
{colors.ink} — #ffffff): Display, body emphasis on dark.
- Body (
{colors.body} — #969696): Default running-text on dark.
- Body Strong (
{colors.body-strong} — #ffffff): Same as ink.
- Body On Light (
{colors.body-on-light} — #181818): Default text on light bands.
- Muted (
{colors.muted} — #666666): Sub-titles, captions on dark.
- Muted Soft (
{colors.muted-soft} — #8f8f8f): Disabled link text.
- On Primary (
{colors.on-primary} — #ffffff): White text on Rosso Corsa.
Semantic
- Info (
{colors.semantic-info} — #4c98b9): Info badges, callout backgrounds.
- Success (
{colors.semantic-success} — #03904a): Confirmation.
- Warning (
{colors.semantic-warning} — #f13a2c): Validation warnings.
Typography
Font Family
FerrariSans is the licensed single sans family across every text role. Fallback: -apple-system, system-ui, sans-serif. No display/body family split.
Hierarchy
| Token | Size | Weight | Line Height | Letter Spacing | Use |
|---|
{typography.display-mega} | 80px | 500 | 1.05 | -1.6px | Homepage hero h1 |
{typography.display-xl} | 56px | 500 | 1.1 | -1.12px | Subsidiary heroes |
{typography.display-lg} | 36px | 500 | 1.2 | -0.36px | Section heads, livery band |
{typography.display-md} | 26px | 500 | 1.5 | 0.195px | Sub-section heads |
{typography.title-md} | 18px | 700 | 1.2 | 0 | Component titles |
{typography.title-sm} | 16px | 500 | 1.4 | 0.08px | List labels |
{typography.body-md} | 14px | 400 | 1.5 | 0 | Default body |
{typography.body-sm} | 13px | 400 | 1.5 | 0 | Footer body |
{typography.caption} | 12px | 400 | 1.4 | 0 | Photo captions |
{typography.caption-uppercase} | 11px | 600 | 1.4 | 1.1px | Section labels, badges |
{typography.button} | 14px | 700 | 1.0 | 1.4px (uppercase) | CTA pill labels |
{typography.nav-link} | 13px | 600 | 1.4 | 0.65px (uppercase) | Top-nav menu items |
{typography.number-display} | 80px | 700 | 1.0 | -1.6px | Race position highlights, spec values |
Principles
- Display weight stays at 500. Editorial confidence, not bombastic. The cinematic photography is doing the visual heavy-lifting — type doesn't need to compete.
- CTA labels are uppercase with 1.4px tracking. Luxury-precision feel.
- Nav labels are uppercase with 0.65px tracking. Consistent with CTA voice.
- Negative letter-spacing on display only. -0.36px to -1.6px on display sizes; body stays at 0.
Note on Font Substitutes
FerrariSans is licensed. Open-source substitute: Inter at weight 500 with letter-spacing -1%, or Söhne for closer humanist proportions.
Layout
Spacing System
- Base unit: 4px.
- Tokens:
{spacing.xxxs} 4px · {spacing.xxs} 8px · {spacing.xs} 16px · {spacing.sm} 24px · {spacing.md} 32px · {spacing.lg} 48px · {spacing.xl} 64px · {spacing.xxl} 96px · {spacing.super} 128px.
- Section padding:
{spacing.xxl} (96px) for major bands; {spacing.super} (128px) reserved for hero band depth.
Grid & Container
- Max content width: ~1280px on editorial bands. Hero photography goes full-bleed.
- Editorial body: 12-column grid.
- Feature card grids: 2-up at desktop for hero splits, 3-up for benefit grids, 4-up for preowned listing tiles.
- Footer: 5-column at desktop.
Whitespace Philosophy
Generous editorial pacing. Cinematic hero photography occupies generous viewport real-estate; body sections sit in tighter editorial layouts beneath. The canvas-light editorial bands (preowned, pricing) carry tighter density than the dark cinema bands.
Elevation & Depth
The system uses photographic depth + brightness-step elevation. No drop shadows except a single soft-small {shadow.small} documented in extracted tokens.
| Level | Treatment | Use |
|---|
| Flat (canvas) | {colors.canvas} (#181818) | Body bands, footer |
| Card | {colors.canvas-elevated} (#303030) | Driver cards, livery plates |
| Light band | {colors.canvas-light} (#ffffff) | Preowned listings, pricing |
| Hairline border | 1px {colors.hairline} or {colors.hairline-on-light} | Card outlines, dividers |
| Soft drop | 0 4px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) | Hovered cards (single shadow tier) |
| Photographic | Full-bleed cinema imagery | Hero band, livery photographs |
Decorative Depth
- Full-bleed cinema photography is the brand's primary depth treatment.
- Brand red gradient (
linear-gradient(180deg, #a00c01, #da291c 64%)): The Rosso Corsa gradient used inside accent bands and CTA hover states.
- Dark grey gradient (
linear-gradient(180deg, #3c3c3c, #030303 64%)): Atmospheric darken used at section transitions.
Shapes
Border Radius Scale
| Token | Value | Use |
|---|
{rounded.none} | 0px | Every CTA, card, band — dominant radius |
{rounded.xs} | 2px | Tight badges (rare) |
{rounded.sm} | 4px | Form inputs |
{rounded.md} | 6px | Compact cards (rare) |
{rounded.lg} | 8px | Mobile-only collapse cards |
{rounded.xl} | 12px | Modal/dialog corners (rare) |
{rounded.full} | 9999px | Avatar plates, badge pills |
The radius vocabulary is sharp by default. Sharp 0px corners are the brand button shape — never rounded pills. Pill geometry is reserved for badge labels only.
Components
Top Navigation
top-nav-on-dark — Default top nav on dark hero pages. Background {colors.canvas}, text {colors.ink}, height 64px. Layout: Cavallino mark left, primary horizontal menu (Models / F1 / Lifestyle / Owners / Preowned), language picker + utilities right. Menu items render uppercase with 0.65px tracking.
top-nav-on-light — White-canvas variant for editorial light bands.
Buttons
button-primary — The signature Rosso Corsa CTA. Background {colors.primary}, text {colors.on-primary}, type {typography.button} (14px / 700 / 1.4px tracking, uppercase), padding 14px × 32px, height 48px, rounded {rounded.none} (0px — sharp corners).
button-primary-active — Press state. Background {colors.primary-active}.
button-outline-on-dark — Transparent with 1px white border. Background transparent, text {colors.ink}, 1px white border, same sharp 0px corners.
button-outline-on-light — Transparent with 1px ink border on light bands.
button-tertiary-text — Inline text link, uppercase tracking.
Hero Bands
hero-band-cinema — Full-bleed cinematic photograph. Background {colors.canvas} underneath, but the photo fills the viewport. Display headline floats over the bottom of the photo or sits in a tight band beneath, in {typography.display-mega} (80px / 500 / -1.6px). One primary CTA + one outline CTA. Zero padding — the photo fills edge-to-edge.
hero-band-light — White-canvas variant for editorial bands. Background {colors.canvas-light}, text {colors.body-on-light}, padding 96px.
Cards
feature-card-photo — Image-first card. Background {colors.canvas}, text {colors.ink}, rounded {rounded.none}. Image fills the top edge-to-edge; title + body sit beneath in tight typography.
feature-card-light — White-canvas variant. Background {colors.canvas-light}, text {colors.body-on-light}, rounded {rounded.none}, padding 32px.
driver-card — F1 driver portrait card. Background {colors.canvas-elevated}, text {colors.ink}, rounded {rounded.none}, padding 24px. Layout: driver portrait + name + race number + team badge.
Editorial Surfaces
livery-band — A full-width Rosso Corsa accent band. Background {colors.primary}, text {colors.ink}, type {typography.display-lg}, 96px padding. Used as a standout livery callout between dark editorial bands.
preowned-listing-card — Used in the preowned Ferrari listing grid. Background {colors.canvas-light}, text {colors.body-on-light}, rounded {rounded.none}, padding 24px. Layout: car photo top + model name + year/mileage + price.
Spec & Race Surfaces
spec-cell — Technical spec callout. Transparent background, value in {typography.number-display} (80px / 700 / -1.6px white), label below in {typography.caption-uppercase}.
race-position-cell — F1 driver finishing position. Same number-display geometry but text in {colors.primary} Rosso Corsa for the brand's racing identity.
race-calendar-row — Hairline-divided row in the F1 race calendar. Layout: date column left, race name + circuit middle, results column right.
Forms & Tags
text-input-on-dark — Background {colors.canvas}, text {colors.ink}, rounded {rounded.sm} (4px), padding 14px × 16px, height 48px, 1px {colors.hairline} border.
text-input-on-light — White-canvas variant.
badge-pill — Small uppercase pill. Background {colors.canvas-elevated}, text {colors.ink}, type {typography.caption-uppercase} (11px / 600 / 1.1px tracking, uppercase), rounded {rounded.full} (9999px), padding 4px × 12px. The only place pill geometry is used.
Newsletter / CTA / Footer
newsletter-input-band — Newsletter signup band. Background {colors.canvas-elevated}, padding 32px, rounded {rounded.sm}. Holds an inline email input + primary CTA.
cta-band-dark — Pre-footer band. Background {colors.canvas}, centered display headline in {typography.display-lg}, single Rosso Corsa CTA. 96px padding.
footer-dark — Closing dark footer. Background {colors.canvas}, text {colors.body}. 5-column link list. 64×48px padding.
footer-link — Background transparent, text {colors.body}, type {typography.body-sm}.
Do's and Don'ts
Do
- Reserve
{colors.primary} (Rosso Corsa) for primary CTAs, the Cavallino mark, and F1 race-position highlights.
- Set every CTA at
{rounded.none} (0px sharp corners) — the brand's signature precision.
- Render CTA labels in uppercase with 1.4px tracking via
{typography.button}.
- Pair every hero with a full-bleed cinematic photograph — the photograph IS the depth.
- Use the explicit 8px spacing ladder (
xxxs through super) rather than ad-hoc px values.
- Keep display weight at 500 — never bold.
Don't
- Don't introduce a saturated brand color other than Rosso Corsa.
- Don't use rounded or pill CTAs — sharp 0px corners are the brand button.
- Don't bold display copy. The cinematic photography does the visual heavy-lifting.
- Don't use Hypersail yellow outside the Hypersail sailing program context.
- Don't use pure black canvas. The brand canvas is
{colors.canvas} (#181818) — slightly warm.
- Don't add drop shadow tiers. Photography + brightness-step elevation carry the depth.
- Don't extract a CTA color from a third-party widget (cookie consent, OneTrust). The brand's CTA color is what appears on actual product CTAs, not on injected modals.
Responsive Behavior
Breakpoints
| Name | Width | Key Changes |
|---|
| Mobile | < 640px | Hero photograph crops vertically; hero h1 80→32px; feature card grid 1-up; nav hamburger; preowned listing 1-up. |
| Tablet | 640–1024px | Hero h1 56px; feature card grid 2-up; preowned listing 2-up. |
| Desktop | 1024–1280px | Full hero h1 80px; feature card grid 3-up; preowned listing 4-up. |
| Wide | > 1280px | Editorial body content caps at 1280px; hero photography continues full-bleed. |
Touch Targets
- Primary CTA at 48px height — at WCAG AAA (44 × 44).
- Nav items render uppercase with 0.65px tracking, padded for an effective 48px tap area.
Collapsing Strategy
- Top nav switches to hamburger below 768px.
- Hero photograph reframes per breakpoint via art direction — desktop carries wide cinematic; mobile crops tighter or shifts to vertical.
- Feature card grid: 4-up → 3-up → 2-up → 1-up.
- F1 driver cards: 2-up at desktop, 1-up at mobile.
Iteration Guide
- Focus on a single component at a time.
- CTAs default to
{rounded.none} (0px sharp). Cards use {rounded.none} too. Pill is reserved for badges.
- Variants live as separate entries inside
components:.
- Use
{token.refs} everywhere — never inline hex.
- Hover state never documented.
- FerrariSans 500 for display, 400/700 for body. Uppercase + tracking on CTAs and nav.
- Rosso Corsa stays scarce — primary CTAs, Cavallino, race-position highlights only.
- Use the explicit 8px named spacing ladder.
Known Gaps
- FerrariSans is a licensed typeface; Inter at weight 500 is the documented substitute.
- Animation timings (hero parallax, livery band entrance, race position counter) out of scope.
- In-product surfaces (preowned configurator, F1 telemetry overlays) only partially captured via marketing surfaces.
- Form validation states beyond focus not visible on captured surfaces.
- Hypersail yellow tokens are extracted but only appear in the Hypersail sailing program context — documented as scoped accents.