Anyone Have Factory Color Chips For The 1935 Studebaker?

[Guest Avanti]

Autocolorlibrary.com only lists the color names and I'm not even sure if this is a complete list as it leaves out two-tone combinations. If you have a color chart, I would appreciate if you could post a scanned copy.

RM Auctions claimed the red and silver finish on this Roadster was "lovingly restored to its original showroom condition", however I do not see any reds or silvers listed on the above paint

[X-Frame]

Try this at the DuPont Paint library:

http://pc.dupont.com/hcl/data/Data/Domestic%20Cars/Studebacker/Studebaker%201931-1955/STU%201935/005732.jpg

And:

http://pc.dupont.com/hcl/data/Data/Domestic%20Cars/Studebacker/Studebaker%201931-1955/STU%201935/005733.jpg

The RED color of the car shown appears to be a 1934 color, not 1935. It was called Rust Flame (6715 DuPont 246-50798) - that is "if" they restored it to that color? They also had a Sea Gull Gray, Light (6758 DuPont 246-51538) but again???

If this is a 1935 model then they goofed and put a 1934 color combination on it. Beautiful car though!

Eric

Edited August 10, 2010 by X-Frame (see edit history)

[Earl B.]

If you write to DuPont at Auto-Ref.Color@usa.dupont.com and send them the original name, they can usually send you the modern color name and formula. Just tell them whether you want single stage urethane or base coat-clear-coat. Some colors are not available in one or the other. They are very nice people there and will help you all they can. They will also tell you that the chips have changed over 70 years or so, and matches are done as best as possible. good luck, B

[Guest Avanti]

The RED color of the car shown appears to be a 1934 color, not 1935. It was called Rust Flame (6715 DuPont 246-50798) - that is "if" they restored it to that color? They also had a Sea Gull Gray, Light (6758 DuPont 246-51538) but again???

If this is a 1935 model then they goofed and put a 1934 color combination on it. Beautiful car though!

Eric

Thanks, It's definitely a 1935 model Dictator Roadster. Unless the owner has some proof that Studebaker did a special-order color scheme, this is most likely to be non-original.

The interesting thing about the DuPont color chart for 1934 is the line "No Color Combination Chart is offered with this Color Bulletin since the Studebaker Corp. offer no set combinations of body colors on their 1934 models."

I guess all those two-tone '34 Studes I've seen do not have factory-correct finishes.

[Guest Avanti]

If you write to DuPont at Auto-Ref.Color@usa.dupont.com and send them the original name, they can usually send you the modern color name and formula. Just tell them whether you want single stage urethane or base coat-clear-coat. Some colors are not available in one or the other. They are very nice people there and will help you all they can. They will also tell you that the chips have changed over 70 years or so, and matches are done as best as possible. good luck, B

I'm more interested in determining if the two-tone finish on the RM Auctions '35 Roadster is factory-correct.

[Gary_Ash]

Actually, for only a few dollars, the factory would paint anything any color. In addition, dealers could repaint cars before delivery per customer request, so saying that a color combo is not "factory correct" may be taking a very narrow view of what might have been delivered to the first owner. It's also necessary to be cautious when looking at paint chip charts from a paint vendor of the period. They might not have had access to all of the colors offered by Studebaker over the course of a model year, and the company was famous (infamous?) for bringing out "Spring colors" or other special offerings.

According to our favorite Studebaker guru, the company offered "metallic" paints as early as 1932, though they were really "pearlescent" or irridescent, not necessarily true metal flakes, and certainly not the large size flakes used on modern cars. But, an irridescent silver or gray of muted intensity might be considered correct for the period. It's a pretty good looking car.

[Guest Avanti]

Actually, for only a few dollars, the factory would paint anything any color. In addition, dealers could repaint cars before delivery per customer request, so saying that a color combo is not "factory correct" may be taking a very narrow view of what might have been delivered to the first owner. It's also necessary to be cautious when looking at paint chip charts from a paint vendor of the period. They might not have had access to all of the colors offered by Studebaker over the course of a model year, and the company was famous (infamous?) for bringing out "Spring colors" or other special offerings.

Do you have any documentation showing that Studebaker did indeed offer the option of "anything - any color" in 1935?

Also, if a dealer slaps on some paint over the factory finish (that does not match the color code on the build plate), the new dealer-applied color would no longer be "factory-correct".

[dictator27]

If requested by a dealer, Studebaker would ship cars in primer. I don't have it to hand, but I have seen documentation which stated Studebaker would paint vehicles in customer requested non factory colours. Studebaker didn't offer two tone colours for a number of years in the thirties.

Terry

[Guest stude8]

To answer some of the questions so far I have posted scans of the DuPont 1935 STudebaker color charts [note, no Red shown]. I have the 1934 sheets also with the Flame Red shown if it is needed. Sorry I don't have a Ditzler color sheet for 1935, they didn't seem to favor Studebaker in their publications at that period, lumped them next to other independents like Hudson.

Studebaker did document the "Two Tone" combinations from 1929 to 1933 but with the depression financial problems dropped them for a few years until 1939 or 40? In 1951 they published a color combination book listing "Combination" patterns from 1941 thru 51. I scanned some pages for the 1941 models to illustrate how they were documented.

Early issues of Antique Studebaker Review club newsletters around 1980 contained very detailed articles about the 1929-33 combinations prepared by Alvin Shafer.

I recall seeing sales dept bulletins to dealers advising how vehicles could be supplied with special paints jobs or in primer if the dealer preferred. Studebaker historian Richard Quinn could probably produce a copy of one of these company notices.

Stude8