Metallic Red

Metallic Red (code 21) is a vivid to medium-vivid red metallic from the early Porsche production era — a period description that covers what was in factory documentation a specifically formulated shade, catalogued generically in cross-reference databases as simply 'Metallic Red.' As with the companion Metallic Green (221), the 21-series code belongs to the earliest Porsche production color system before more descriptive and specific naming became standard practice. Red metallics from this period have a specific character — the metallic grain adds shimmer and luminosity to the red base, producing a more complex and demanding color than the contemporary non-metallic reds. On early 911 and 912 bodywork, a red metallic would have had a striking, distinctive quality relative to the solid reds in the lineup. Authentication of specific early Porsche metallic reds requires comparison with factory paint records and period documentation, as the distinction between adjacent red formulations can be difficult to establish from secondary cross-reference sources alone.