1939 Colour Question

Gary-UK

Gary-UK

Senior Member
The PPG Antique Ford Repaint manual lists Cordoba Gray as an available colour for 1934 & 1939. The Early V8 '38/39 book doesn't list it? So was Cordoba Gray a '39 colour?

And was Desert Sand really a "west coast only" colour? Just curious...
 
Hi Gary, I have an original Sherwin-Williams color chart for 1939 standard factory colors which were also used on the Mercury V-8. I found this document at a flea market about 25 years ago when i started the restoration of my 39 Woodie. The original color of that car was Dartmouth Green and I wanted to match it, Sherwin -Williams converted the original formula to acrylic enamel and matched it perfectly. However, that doesn't answer your question. This color chart lists only seven colors and there various mixing formulas. They are: Mercury Blue, Jefferson Blue, Falk Stone Gray, Bright Coach Maroon, Gull Gray, Dartmouth Green, and Wren Tan Dark. There is an asterisk on the Wren Tan Dark and a printed notation saying used on Station Wagon models. Let me know if this helps. Remember, Henry Ford was color blind and his names for colors (colours as you in the U.K. say) are somewhat more fanciful than correct as descriptors. Best wishes, Toby
 
Cordoba was NOT a 39 color authentically.
Desert Sand was 38 only. Supposedly west coast only. I don't know of any proof available to rove or disprove of this.
 
Desert Sand was a 1936 Easter color. It was subsequently authorized for use at the Long Beach California and Richmond California plants (documented by factory letters), for the 1938 model. The color was popular here then as it is now. Speculation abounds regarding the 1937 model.

Do they really mispell color in the UK ? ;)
 
Thanks for the replies, I had kind of guessed the PPG book was a typo as it's only supposed to go up to '36.

Reason for the questions is I am trying to determine what colour my car was originally, it had been crudely hand painted dark green but there are a few areas where the original paint is intact, mainly the underside and back of the cowl vent, the back of the firewall behind the insulator and the area of the wheels around the lug nuts as the wheels were painted with the hub caps on. The colour is (to my eyes) a greeny olive brown colour. I would say identical to the 38 Cabriolet on the cover of the 38/39 book. Other than being crudely painted the car has 100% never been apart before so hasn't been through a previous restoration. Take a look at the pics, they are quite poor having been taken under yellow halogen light with a flash camera and then uploaded but they give an idea of the tone.

I think it is Desert Sand but it is a 39 Deluxe Canadian built car shipped to Dagenham and sold new in London April "39
 

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Gary, that does appear to be Desert Sand, and the cover car you refered to is my '38 Convertible Coupe in that color. As the factory letter authorization I spoke of only deals with American production and yours was Canadian, you'll have to ask the Canuks about that.
 
Alan thanks for the confirmation. I had initially thought it was Cordoba Gray but when the 38/39 book dropped through the door yesterday I was convinced it was Desert Sand; but the West Coast notation made me doubt myself. Just got to find someone to colour match it now as none of the early colours are listed over here.

Thanks again, and nice car!
 
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