diff --git a/tabulate/__init__.py b/tabulate/__init__.py
index 12a2950..db4067a 100644
--- a/tabulate/__init__.py
+++ b/tabulate/__init__.py
@@ -1651,7 +1651,13 @@ def _wrap_text_to_colwidths(
                     if cell is None
                     else (
                         str(cell)
-                        if cell == "" or _isnumber(cell)
+                        if cell == ""
+                        or _isnumber(cell)
+                        or (isinstance(cell, str) and _ansi_codes.search(cell))
+                        or (
+                            isinstance(cell, bytes)
+                            and _ansi_codes_bytes.search(cell)
+                        )
                         else str(_type(cell, numparse)(cell))
                     )
                 )
diff --git a/test/test_regression.py b/test/test_regression.py
index 9555676..e73c40b 100644
--- a/test/test_regression.py
+++ b/test/test_regression.py
@@ -531,6 +531,15 @@ def test_exception_on_empty_data_with_maxcolwidths():
     assert_equal(result, "")
 
 
+def test_colored_number_with_maxcolwidths():
+    "Regression: ANSI-colored numeric strings crash when wrapped by maxcolwidths (github issue #359)"
+    colored_three = "\033[31m3\033[0m"
+    result = tabulate([[colored_three]], maxcolwidths=10)
+    assert "3" in result
+    assert "\033[31m" in result
+    assert "\033[0m" in result
+
+
 def test_numpy_int64_as_integer():
     "Regression: format numpy.int64 as integer (github issue #18)"
     try: