Why is Guards Red referred to as Indian Red in Germany?

[DOCG]

Are there any Germans on the forum who could explain it?

Does it relate to American Indians or the subcontinent of India? And why is it named differently in English speaking markets?

[MDL111]

I am not sure, but if anything it will refer to the country. The word for the American Indians is different in German.

[Maxym]

The wheels of London Transport buses used to be painted Indian Red. Nothing like Guards, more a red-brown.

I've always thought that Guards here is a nod to soldiers' tunics. Indian? Just a name for a bright red colour without, I suspect, any great significance.

[PM3]

Indian red
noun
earth of a yellowish-red color, found especially in the Persian Gulf, that serves as a pigment and as a polish for gold and silver objects.
a pigment of that color prepared by oxidizing the salts of iron.

Indian red as a colour referred to a lot in art paint supplies ( but quite unlike Guards , or any German Auto manufacturer description ! )

Edited by PM3 on Friday 6th September 14:25

[braddo]

Maxym said:

The wheels of London Transport buses used to be painted Indian Red. Nothing like Guards, more a red-brown.

That's English Indian red as opposed to German Indian red. I wouldn't say it's a surpise that each country made their own mind up about how they wanted to describe shades of red and didn't care what the other country called them!

[Cheib]

DOCG said:

Are there any Germans on the forum who could explain it?

Does it relate to American Indians or the subcontinent of India? And why is it named differently in English speaking markets?

Some Porsche colours do have different names in different markets my 70’s 911 is Dalmatian Blue, in Germany it was called See Blau and also in some markets Oxford Blue.