United Kingdom

Oxford Blue symbolizes British academia and elite spirit. In 1829, the first Oxford-Cambridge boat race was held on the Thames; Oxford chose dark blue uniforms—hence "Oxford Blue." Cambridge Blue is lighter and brighter. Oxford Blue permeates British culture—Oxford University Press logo, Conservative Party colors, and British trench coat linings.

British Red comes from the Union Jack, originating from the Cross of St. George, England's patron saint. In 1801, the crosses of St. George (England), St. Andrew (Scotland), and St. Patrick (Ireland) merged to form the Union Jack. The British Redcoat—from Cromwell's New Model Army to Waterloo—became the British Empire's visual symbol. In the American Revolution, red coats were highly visible in forests, earning the nickname "lobsters."

British Racing Green originated at the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup, when the British team was assigned green. In the 1960s MINI won the Monte Carlo Rally in this deep green, becoming a symbol of British style and driving fun.