A timeline of colours
Americans, of course, love nothing quite as much as their cars. A perusal through the one hundred and fifty-odd pages of the American Automobile Paint Code Interchange Manual presents a national psychogram of sorts, one that moves from wartime colors – South Sea Blue, Military Blue, London Gray – to postwar middle class 1950s fantasy (Cambridge Maroon, Sportsman Green). The social striving of the early 1960s – Executive Gray – turns cheeky (Smoker’s Lung Gray) by decade’s end. This light cynicism is superseded by a shockingly socially conscious series of colours, particularly at Ford, in the 1970s (Counter Revolutionary Red, Anti-Establish Mint). Some even directly reference the war in Vietnam, from an indubitably Peacenik perspective (Bring’em Back Olive). By the 1980s, this flair is gone, replaced by blander, more commercially appealing colors: French Vanilla, Medium French Vanilla, Pastel French Vanilla. There is less fantasy, more Antique Cream. By 1990, even Midnight Wine had given way to Mary Kay Pink. Join us for a quick stroll down America’s memory lane.

40s
1941 Chrysler
South Sea Blue
1942 Chrysler
Military Blue
1946 Cadillac
Seine Blue
London Gray
1946 Ford
Navy Blue No. 1
Navy Blue No. 2
Dynamic Maroon
1947 Ford
Rotunda Gray
50s
1950 Ford
Cambridge Maroon
Sportsman Green
Wagon Tan
Bimini Blue
1953 Buick
Niagara Blue
Potomac Blue
Everglades Green
Submarine Gray
Caravan Beige
Hollywood Maroon
Casino Cream
1953 Ford
Polynesian Bronze
1954 Ford
Dovetone Gray
Highland Green
Lancer Maroon
1956 Dodge
Chinese Rose
Oriental Coral
1957 Ford
Woodsmoke Gray
1958 Ford
Bali Bronze
1959 Edsel
President Red
Jet Stream Blu
60s
1960 Chrysler
Executive Gray
1962 Chrysler
Dove Gray
Embassy Red
1963 Chrysler
Pace Car Blue
1963 Buick
Diplomat Blue
1965 Chrysler
Patrician Gold
1966 Ford
Candyapple Red
1967 Buick
Smoker’s Lung Gray
1967 Ford
Playboy Pink
1968 Chevy
Tripoli Turquoise
1969 Ford
Freudian Gilt
Thanks Vermillion
Hulla Blue
Anti-Establish Mint
1969 Chrysler
Avocado
70s
1970 Ford
Bring ‘em Back Olive
Last Stand Custer
Three Putt Green
There She Blue
Good Clean Faun
Counter Revolutionary Red
1970 American Motors
Big Bad Orange
1970 Dodge
Plum Crazy
Sublime
Green Go
Go Mango
Panther Pink
1971 Dodge
Citron Yella
1975 Ford
Green Glow
Tan Glamour
1976 Dodge
Big Sky Blue
1977 Ford
Lipstick Red
80s
1980 Ford
Bright Bittersweet
Pine Opolescent
1982 Ford
French Vanilla
Medium French Vanilla
Pastel French Vanilla
Antique Cream
1982 Ford
Marigold
1986 Ford
Midnight Canyon Red
Midnight Wine
1990 General Motors
Mary Kay Pink
1991 Ford
Bisque Frost
Race Yellow
Pastel Alabaster