Which was the first production car to use metallic paint?
Discussion
h to match!Twincam16 said:
I always thought it was Sunbeam-Talbot, on the 90, but then again that was designed by Raymond Loewy and inspired by various American cars, so I wouldn't be surprised if it first surfaced in America.
I did have a search, and some claim that it was used as early as 1927! The Sunbeam-Talbot 90 was a similar era to the XK I believe, so maybe it only arrived over here in the very late 40s?MX7 said:
I saw a very nice XK120 today, but I've never seen one in that colour before. Apparently it's called Jaguar Bronze.
I was quite surprised that they used it as far back as the 40s/50s, but which was the first production car to use metallic paint?
The colour is Saluki Bronze, and it was special order.I was quite surprised that they used it as far back as the 40s/50s, but which was the first production car to use metallic paint?
Personally I think it looks absolutely beautiful. I had a 3.8 MK11 in that colour with white leather and Sundym glass, a rare option. It drew admiring glances every time I took it out.
I think Jaguar must have been one of the first manufacturers to use metallics, but couldn't swear to it.
J
jith said:
The colour is Saluki Bronze, and it was special order.
Personally I think it looks absolutely beautiful. I had a 3.8 MK11 in that colour with white leather and Sundym glass, a rare option. It drew admiring glances every time I took it out.
I think Jaguar must have been one of the first manufacturers to use metallics, but couldn't swear to it.
J
Thanks for the reply jith. Because of what you said, I found the exact car that I saw, and I think you already know it.Personally I think it looks absolutely beautiful. I had a 3.8 MK11 in that colour with white leather and Sundym glass, a rare option. It drew admiring glances every time I took it out.
I think Jaguar must have been one of the first manufacturers to use metallics, but couldn't swear to it.
J
I'm not sure it's called Saluki though, as that appears to be a Ford colour, the one that was so popular on the Mk3 Cortina was if I remember correctly, and exkay seems to confirm that it was just called ' Jaguar Bronze'.
So, is that the earliest production metallic in the UK?
MX7 said:
So, is that the earliest production metallic in the UK?
What do you mean by 'production'? As has been said there were several cars produced before the Xk120 with metallic paint. Incidentally my 1958 Aston was originally a colour called Satin Bronze (a kind of dull old-gold colour) and it was not good at all. No wonder it was re-sprayed 30 years ago 
Edited by RichB on Tuesday 4th October 17:02
you could get metalic paint in the 1930's
a bentley my dad owns was two tone black and silver - the silver was metalic.
the problem was that the effect was got by using fish scales mixed into the paint, which would go a browny colour after a short period of time.
i guess thats why it wasnt very popular
a bentley my dad owns was two tone black and silver - the silver was metalic.
the problem was that the effect was got by using fish scales mixed into the paint, which would go a browny colour after a short period of time.
i guess thats why it wasnt very popular
Balmoral Green said:
I read of a metallic blue Phantom that Henry Royce had at his house in the south of France in the twenties, the paint got a special mention in the article. Royce died in 1933, so metallic paint is obviously older than that.
Ayup, Would that be the car where the sun had been shining on one side and the paint faded, so before being entered for a conncours, they turned it round and let the sun fade the other side? cml said:
There'a XK120 across the road from me in Bath in that colour - I quizzed the guy as I thought it must be a modern colour (it looks like it to the uninitiated). Still don't like it much though! BRG for me (as if I ever could...)
That'll be Neil Fender's Broadsport demonstrator. Amazing car to drive, heavily modified but still retaining the essence of the original. I had a blast round some country lanes in it - an absolute dream to drive, especially with rack-and-pinion steering and a smaller wheel plus lower seats so I could actually get in it!
I found this with a google search. hopefully it answers your question.
"Metallic paints were available back as far as the early 1930's. There are a number of interesting stories floating around as to how we got metallic paints. The one I believe is accuate, pertains to a car that was painted just in time to be presented at a late 20's or early 30's major auto show.
Seems something failed in the pigment grinding machine, and the paint job had tiny metal flakes in it. At first, the people who were to present the car were horrorfied - but, on second glance, decided it was interesting enough to take a chance on displaying it the way it was. The auto show-going public saw the new exotic finish with these metallic particles, liked it, and the paint mfg's were quick to jump on this and exploit it.
I have seen some genuine "original" metallic finishes. They seem to be much more subtle, and MUCH finer particles, than is the custom today.
No question that the modern two part finishes are vastly superior to paints available in the old days, in every respect - gloss, color retention, durability.
BUT - even the un-trained eye, even without understanding the phenomena, will catch the difference between a "real" lacquer or enamel paint job. The light simply behaves differenty when it bounces off the different type finishes.
Personaly, I like the more subtle look of the "authentic" finishes. If memory serves, Chrysler Corp. and Ford had ENAMEL on their cars, and GMC and Packard favored lacquer, clear up until the mid 1950's when the so called "acrylics" started showing up."
"I believe that the first "public" use of metallic paint, in this case, Dupont Duco Lacquer, was the metallic gold paint job on the 1928 Sampson Miller 91 driven to victory in that year's Indianapolis 500 mile race.
Of course, metallics were certainly used on show cars as early as 1933, when both the Duesenberg "Twenty Grand" and the Pierce Silver Arrow were unveiled at the 1033 Chicago Century of Progress World's Fair.
As for lacquers vs enamels, Ford did use pyoxylin lacquers for body shells and hoods beginning in 1926, and carrying on until at least the mid-30's, while Chrysler seems to have used baked enamel finishes through the 1950's. Ford did use japan enamel (black) for fenders and running board splash aprons through the end of traditional black fenders however (Ford called it their "Bonderized" finishing system).
GM did use enamel for many parts, however. Their specs call for lacquer body finishes, with enamel for front and rear splash panels (between bumpers and body) and wheels through the 1950's."
"I'll have to stand corrected on the earliest use of metallic paint! While in Auburn this weekend for ACD, I walked the ACD Museum with camera in hand. In the Dean Kruse Gallery stands a 1927 Duesenberg Model X sedan, which is listed there as being an all original, unrestored car (neat to see something like that!). It's painted in a now-faded green, which has a very, very fine (almost pearlescent fine) metallic powder in it. So, I guess I've learned something new!"
the earliest UK car ive owned with metallic paint was a pre war vauxhall DX
it was an advanced design with metallic paint , independant front suspension and (I think) monocoque construction !
"Metallic paints were available back as far as the early 1930's. There are a number of interesting stories floating around as to how we got metallic paints. The one I believe is accuate, pertains to a car that was painted just in time to be presented at a late 20's or early 30's major auto show.
Seems something failed in the pigment grinding machine, and the paint job had tiny metal flakes in it. At first, the people who were to present the car were horrorfied - but, on second glance, decided it was interesting enough to take a chance on displaying it the way it was. The auto show-going public saw the new exotic finish with these metallic particles, liked it, and the paint mfg's were quick to jump on this and exploit it.
I have seen some genuine "original" metallic finishes. They seem to be much more subtle, and MUCH finer particles, than is the custom today.
No question that the modern two part finishes are vastly superior to paints available in the old days, in every respect - gloss, color retention, durability.
BUT - even the un-trained eye, even without understanding the phenomena, will catch the difference between a "real" lacquer or enamel paint job. The light simply behaves differenty when it bounces off the different type finishes.
Personaly, I like the more subtle look of the "authentic" finishes. If memory serves, Chrysler Corp. and Ford had ENAMEL on their cars, and GMC and Packard favored lacquer, clear up until the mid 1950's when the so called "acrylics" started showing up."
"I believe that the first "public" use of metallic paint, in this case, Dupont Duco Lacquer, was the metallic gold paint job on the 1928 Sampson Miller 91 driven to victory in that year's Indianapolis 500 mile race.
Of course, metallics were certainly used on show cars as early as 1933, when both the Duesenberg "Twenty Grand" and the Pierce Silver Arrow were unveiled at the 1033 Chicago Century of Progress World's Fair.
As for lacquers vs enamels, Ford did use pyoxylin lacquers for body shells and hoods beginning in 1926, and carrying on until at least the mid-30's, while Chrysler seems to have used baked enamel finishes through the 1950's. Ford did use japan enamel (black) for fenders and running board splash aprons through the end of traditional black fenders however (Ford called it their "Bonderized" finishing system).
GM did use enamel for many parts, however. Their specs call for lacquer body finishes, with enamel for front and rear splash panels (between bumpers and body) and wheels through the 1950's."
"I'll have to stand corrected on the earliest use of metallic paint! While in Auburn this weekend for ACD, I walked the ACD Museum with camera in hand. In the Dean Kruse Gallery stands a 1927 Duesenberg Model X sedan, which is listed there as being an all original, unrestored car (neat to see something like that!). It's painted in a now-faded green, which has a very, very fine (almost pearlescent fine) metallic powder in it. So, I guess I've learned something new!"
the earliest UK car ive owned with metallic paint was a pre war vauxhall DX
it was an advanced design with metallic paint , independant front suspension and (I think) monocoque construction !
Edited by gr88 on Tuesday 4th October 19:36
Twincam16 said:
cml said:
There'a XK120 across the road from me in Bath in that colour - I quizzed the guy as I thought it must be a modern colour (it looks like it to the uninitiated). Still don't like it much though! BRG for me (as if I ever could...)
That'll be Neil Fender's Broadsport demonstrator. Amazing car to drive, heavily modified but still retaining the essence of the original. I had a blast round some country lanes in it - an absolute dream to drive, especially with rack-and-pinion steering and a smaller wheel plus lower seats so I could actually get in it!Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff