Prewar parking light bulb color

[kgreen]

What color bulb is used in the parking light on the front fender of a 1940 Buick?

 

From memory, prewar cars had a clear bulb in the front parking lights, where they existed.  All the parking light lenses that I have seen were clear, but I may not have seen them all.  I recall amber colored bulbs or lenses in the 70's.  1940 was also the first year that Buick used turn signals, I'm not sure what other cars had or when they had turn signals.  Can anyone offer a little history lesson on turn signals and parking light colors on prewar cars?

[rocketraider]

To my knowledge 1963 was the year front park/turn lamps were required to have either amber lenses or amber bulbs in US. Before that, clear bulbs and clear or white lenses.

 

When side marker lamps were first required in 1968, the fronts used amber lenses or bulbs. Some amber side marker bulbs have gotten hard to find. I've painted plenty of them using Caterpillar Yellow spray bombs.

[kgreen]

Thanks rocketraider, always interesting to learn a bit of car trivia, as well as making sure I put the correct bulbs in the sockets.

[61polara]

Buick introduced turn signals in 1939 and was an industry first from the factory.  Accessory aftermarket turn signals were available beginning in the 1920's.  Most manufacturers began offering turn signals in the early 1940's although they were options on many of the cars.

[kgreen]

23 hours ago, 61polara said:

Buick introduced turn signals in 1939 and was an industry first from the factory.  Accessory aftermarket turn signals were available beginning in the 1920's.  Most manufacturers began offering turn signals in the early 1940's although they were options on many of the cars.

You're absolutely correct: https://jalopnik.com/these-are-what-the-first-modern-flashing-turn-signals-l-1845692668

[Marty Roth]

When the 1963 models had amber bulbs or lenses in front,

I remember buying and applying a special amber paint to the inside of the parking light lenses of my 1956 Bel-air convertible.

It wasn't the best application, but looked modern in my estimation.

 

I didn't make the "upgrade" to my 1958 Impala convertible, but the '64 Valiant and later the brand new '69 Pontiac Custom"S" came that way.