Our Favorite NASCAR Liveries
We’ve got NASCAR on our minds this week, for two reasons. One, the 2024 Cup Series championship is decided: Joey Logano, for the third time, has been crowned the winner. The other is more somber.
Two days before Logano swung his #22 Mustang around and around in happy donuts at Phoenix, Arizona, Bobby Allison passed away. He was 86, and best known as one of the most winning drivers in stock car racing; only three drivers have won more races than he (Richard Petty, David Pearson, and Jeff Gordon). Whether or not you’re familiar with Allison’s story, take a moment and read the article that Steven Cole Smith wrote on Tuesday remembering him; it’s a poignant reminder of the human side of racing, which isn’t always as glamorous as TV broadcasts would suggest.
With all that on our minds, we started recollecting our favorite NASCAR liveries—whether from Allison’s era, before it, or after. Scroll through them, and share your own favorite in the comments below.
Smokey Yunick’s Black and Gold
I always liked Smokey Yunick’s simple black and gold livery, well enough that I sort of duplicated it in several of my own stock cars, including a Chevelle and this Street Stock Camaro (left). — Steven Cole Smith
Jeff Gordon’s DuPont Rainbow
I’ll admit, I wasn’t much into NASCAR as a young buck. However, I can still remember seeing it on TV occasionally at my grandparents’ house, and I’ll never forget the DuPont Rainbow livery of Jeff Gordon’s #24 car. This image is from the Indianapolis race in 1999. There were variations on this theme, but I think this one stands the test of time as one of the all-time great liveries. So easy to identify, and so bright and cheerful. — Nate Petroelje
I paid next to no attention to NASCAR growing up, but you couldn’t really ignore Jeff Gordon’s DuPont–liveried Monte Carlo. Maybe that’s an obvious choice, but I just like the colors. — Andrew Newton
Allison’s Coca-Cola Monte Carlo
The late Bobby Allison was a great driver and a great ambassador for NASCAR, but even if this big brute of a Monte Carlo hadn’t won 11 races in the 1971 season, it would still look good with its red and gold livery. Allison managed to win five in a row in the Coca-Cola-sponsored car and finished fourth in points that year, with Petty taking the series championship. — Brandan Gillogly
Gant’s Skoal Bandit … or Sorenson’s Polaroid?
If I had to pick, just because it’s so evocative of the era, I am going with Harry Gant’s 1980s Skoal Bandit scheme.
If I had to pivot, again purely on aesthetics, I’d go Reed Sorenson’s Polaroid scheme. Simple, multicolored, not visually overwhelming. But still a fundamentally black stock car, which has menace. — Eric Weiner
Miller Genuine Draft, Black and Gold Edition
Since Eric took the slick-looking Harry Gant Skoal Bandit, and the clear choices of Earnhardt and Gordon almost go without saying, I’ll go with the simple black-and-gold Miller Genuine Draft livery, especially during the Rusty Wallace era. It’s not for driver or brand affiliation—black and gold just look great on a race car. Honorable mention to Darrell Waltrip’s #17 Tide Monte Carlo. — Eddy Eckart
[If you’re expecting a photo of Waltrip’s #17, hang tight. —GH]
Marty Robbins, Unbranded
Throwback to the unbranded pink and yellow of journeyman Marty Robbins. — Stefan Lombard
Chrome Numbers!
There is only one correct answer and it is the Gray Ghost driven by Buddy Baker. Chrome numbers! — Cameron Neveu
Cameron Has Many Thoughts
[We couldn’t bring ourselves to limit our most vocal NASCAR fan to just one choice. —Ed.]
There are too many to choose as runners-up, though. Benny Parsons had two top-notch Chevys. The red Chevelle (with blue wheels!) and a gold Kings Row Malibu.
DiGard 88 Gatorade car also up there. Love the 88 font.
While we’re on a Darrell Waltrip thread:
Okay, last one for now. Very underrated scheme:
Purolator was the main sponsor during David Pearson’s dominance with the Wood Brothers, but the filter company sponsored Derricke Cope’s car in the early ’90s. One of the car’s only bright spots was a trip to the 1990 Daytona 500 victory lane after Dale Earnhardt cut a tire on the last lap. — Cameron Neveu
Go Daddy… or don’t
This is certainly not my most favorite, but the Go Daddy livery stands out in my mind because I didn’t like it. As a car enthusiast, I lost interest in NASCAR because the platforms had been homogenized for years. I also grew weary of tech company hype after the dot-com bubble. That’s why this livery is definitely the most, ahem, memorable in my mind. — Sajeev Mehta
…It wouldn’t be right if we skipped the Intimidator
I had to come back and add this one. There are plenty of other worthwhile liveries that deserve a spot on this list (Bill Elliott’s number 9 Coors Thunderbird, or the “race the truck, Dale” brown-and-white UPS Ford of Dale Jarrett come to mind), but there’s one we can’t skip. Despite my previous vote for Wallace’s black-and-gold number 2, no one wore black better than Earnhardt. This was especially true in 1988, his first year under GM Goodwrench sponsorship and the last of the Chevys to be based on the rear-drive Monte Carlo. No, a solid color is not a livery per se, but no one’s mistaking the black number three for anything but Dale’s car. —Eddy Eckart
I like the Wrangler livery from Dale Sr.’s earlier days. I had a slot car with that livery as a kid and always thought it looked great.
Now your talking! Those were the days…. That’s when I really enjoyed NASCAR!
And “Run what you brung”
None of these wow me. I can’t think of any offhand that have. A question of better or worse with no particular standouts. For the most part some liveries are only more memorable than others largely due to familiarity. Of course the look of a car does depend largely on who’s sponsoring it so that weighs in heavily. Color combinations and not all logos are equal. Far from it. So if say Mobile is the sponsor, being able to put the classic Pegasus on the rear quarter isn’t a bad start compared to some others. I generally prefer the older hand lettered stock cars. The nostalgia of that mix of block and script fonts. Todays cars being wrapped open up a greater range of creative possibilities than the previous yet I can’t think of anyone who has really utilized that. Nascars throwback weekend is a good gimmick. I always wonder why someone hasn’t replaced the current simulated head/tail lights with old school looking simulated metal covers instead to further that look. A slightly distressed, like it was pulled out of mothballs, scheme might be cool too.
Agree Wrangler was better than most of these others. The Goodwrench fit Dale well.
What most miss on the cars that are black or have black sides they are hiding changes to the body.
The Goodwrench car had quarters and rear bumpers that were not legal.
The Smokey Chevelle hid the wheel wells and other changes to the Body.
The Grey Ghost that killed the field at Daytona lacked the flared fenders and gave him additional speed.
Many of the cars in the 60’s and 70’s used black tail panels to hide oil leaks. If the car leaked oil it would turn black and you would be black flagged. If it already was black they could not tell if you were leaking.
The Red and while of the Wood Bro #21 should not be forgotten. The Cale Hardees car in the 80’s. Finally the Poppy Red 71 of Dave Marcus and Bobby Isaac in the K+K insurance Dodges were always contenders.
Finally the Folgers Tim Richmond car. When he drove it he was always contending for the win. Dale Sr said he was one of the few that could really challenge him. Tim of course got T shirts made up with blue and yellow streaks on them that said Guess who I ran into on the track today.
Finally our own 299 Chevelle we ran in the 70’s. This is where I got to work on my first race car at 11 years old doing odd jobs. The number was an old legacy number and we were the only one running 3 digits. It was inspired by Tim Flocks 300 he ran in the fifties.
Or owner driver just passed last Thursday due to cancer. I owe Ray a lot as he taught me much on the car when he could have just run us off. I never knew it till later we for a small local track team we were doing car set up just like the guys in Nascar back then. We had a Nascar sportsman racer who helped us and loaned us scales when no one scaled cars back then, We also were the first to use screw jacks on the springs.
Ray was pretty smart and we did ok for a low buck team using a Howe kit.
I want to add the Kyle Petty Protest car.
The 42 was penalized if I recall for rough driving and he was mad if he car was black and silver he would get away with it. The next week he sported a paint job just like Dale Dr. They even made a popular diecast of this car and yet today it is called the protest car. How better to send a message and make a buck all with just paint.
How about the iconic Wonder Bread livery from the champ, Ricky Bobby? I think it was especially iconic with the Fig Newtons banner on the windscreen.
David Pearson is 2nd in all time wins with 105.
He drove so many less races and had a higher winning percentage than Richard. David often would out smart Petty. At Daytona one year he was leading going in on the white lap. He waived Richard past and got off the gas!
Richard thought he blew up. David got back on the gas and passed him coming out of 4 and won the race. Richard really pitched a fit. Years later they both laughed about it.
Right on Pearson was the best with the wood brothers 1970 mercury cyclone!!!
I can’t believe you left the iconic STP red white and blue dodge that the king drove. It was easy to spot because he seemed to always be running up front.
I’ll second that motion. All in favor say eye.
The King should be in here for sure
Exactly !!! Well said my friend.
I agree 100% – where was the King???
Long live the King.
Sajeev wrote my response perfectly. 👍
Oh I think you could do better. 😉
Could do this whole article just with Sterling Marlin cars (lot of variety there).
Yeah, he had some good ones, including the Ganassi Coors car!
He had to live with the Underalls butt cheeks on the TV panel in back.
As a kid, playing NASCAR ’98 on my Playstation (my first introduction to NASCAR, I believe), my favorite liveries were Mark Martin’s #6 Valvoline Thunderbird and Bobby Labonte’s #18 Interstate Batteries car (he drove a Pontiac, I think, but in the game used a Monte Carlo for some reason).
Learning more about NASCAR-history and discovering the Charger Daytonas and Superbirds, of those
Bobby Allisons #22, Charlie Glotzbach’s #99, Bobby Isaac’s #71 stands out on the Daytona-side.
On the Superbird-side, you can’t beat The King himself – Richard Petty’s #43.
Lately the Daytona #78 raced (with an abrupt and unfortunate ending) by Talmadge Prince has taken the favorite-spot among the classic 60s/70s Stock Car-liveries. There’s something about the color and stripes and how they sort of mimick a “regular” Charger.
On the Ford/Mercury Side: Can you beat Cale Yarborough’s #21 Cyclone or David Pearson’s #17 Torino from 68/69?
I agree about Pearson’s gold and blue 17. Great car!
I love the Mark Martin Valvoline cars
Salsa- STP wanted Petty to paint the cars all red like the ones Granatelli sponsored in Indy cars. That was even stipulated in Pettys contract. Petty said he simply crossed that out and then signed. So the Petty blue STP red combination was really a compromise. Whether it worked is another matter.
Did not know that! Thanks for the info.
The King wasn’t good enough to make this list?
Where is Rusty Wallace and the FOLGERS COFEE MACHINE?
I remember when car dealerships names were on the side of the cars. They actually sold cars after a win on Sunday…
What, no Petty or Wood Brothers?? Tsk, tsk, tsk!!
I can’t believe that you left out the winged superbirds of Richard Petty STP and Petty blue is ,was and always will be iconic and an international icon of NASCAR
My thoughts exactly. How could those not be in the favorites? Glad they put Jeff Gordon’s rainbow car at the top of the list. They used it for a long time and it was definitely easy to spot, even before HD on a 27″ TV.
Richard Petty’s car can be seen for miles … and known to even a mild NASCAR enthusiast …
The color is iconic. The livery…. pretty boring. There is more to “liveries” than just the color you remember.