Paint Colours

Re-reading Don Hayter's 'MGB Story' I have come across several amusing snippets involving the development of the MGB, and one concerns dip-priming the body. Originally ICI suggested a tank which dipped the body up to bulkhead level, and the panels above that would be hand-sprayed. However that left a line on the bonnet which had to be hand feathered. So ICI suggested a deeper tank which would take the whole body. He writes "Paint representatives and management gathered to watch the first body through the revised process. It came down into the primer but, due to the trapped air in the upper panels, floated off the mechanical line hooks, which moved on alone, leaving the body to slowly and gracefully sink to the bottom of the vat. Not much was said and we all left, leaving Bill Bailly and the Planning Department with a difficult submarine recovery operation ...".

I am very grateful to Craig Quenneville for taking the trouble to scan and mail me a set of original paint chip charts. You must bear in mind that these are scans of period documents, displayed on your monitor, and both the scanning and display is subject to electronic 'interpretation'. The relationship between the colours should, in theory, still be relevant but maybe some of the chips themselves have changed colour over the years because although most are as I remember them some are less so. Full details of the colours, BL and manufacturers codes, and years and models used are below. For the scans of his original DuPont (Canada) documents click here.

See also:

  • Paul Tegler's colours page which includes pictures of many cars a lot of which are a good match to the chips on my monitor at least. However he frequently states an MGB colour was in use from 1963 to 1980 but this is incorrect, only Black was available throughout. He does have examples of colours and codes used in Australia which aren't available from Clausager.
  • AutoColour's library of MG paint charts (select 'ahmg' and the year).
  • PaintScratch paint supplier has colour chips (mostly very good) and codes. Search by year and make, but note that according to Clausager some of the colours listed weren't used on the MGB.
  • Clausager is very sniffy in his 'Original' book about people wanting to know how many were made in each colour, suggesting that if anyone wants to know they should go and count them themselves! The V8 Register seems to have done just that, for V8 models at least, and the results can be seen here.

    The paint manufacturers colour codes are taken from Clausager's 'Original MGB'. He states that where manufacturers show more than one code against a colour, MGB records do not contain any information as to show when or where each shade was used. Dates available are model years except where specified.

    The original paint colour can sometimes be seen behind the dash and centre-console, less so in the engine compartment and even less externally unless only very quick paint jobs have been done - or perhaps none at all! Only 1980 models have the paint code on the VIN plate in line with modern practice, other than that the only source of the original colour name will be on the Heritage Certificate.

    August 2019: I've seen references to 'RAL' paint codes, which is a coding system described thus: "RAL colors are used for information defining standard colors for varnish, powder coating and plastics. It is the most popular Central European color standard used today. The colors are used in architecture, construction, industry and road safety. The RAL colors in this chart have been matched as closely as possible." My emphasis, and another site uses the phrase "RAL colour closest to this." for a typical MGB colour. Doesn't fill one with confidence. Some one asked about Teal Blue, and a couple of charts say that is 5018, but show a swatch that is more like Aqua than Teal Blue.

    Warning! MGB Tahiti Blue is a much lighter shade than that used on the MGF/TF which uses the code JRJ. The same may apply to Flame Red (modern code COF), British Racing Green (HAF or HFF), Old English White (NNX) and Brooklands Green (HYF) with the MGF/TF colours being in metallic and pearlescent as well as 'solid'. Suppliers seem to use the standard 3-letter codes for modern cars but for 'classics' some use the BMC/BL codes in the table below but others don't, hence it's easy to get the wrong colour.

    Colour nameBMC/BL codeAult & Wibourg/
    Berger/
    Gipgloss
    ICIPPG/
    Ditzler
    (US)
    Dupont
    (US)
    Glasso/
    Rinshead Mason
    (US)
    Black
    1962-80. Special order only from 1970. Not available in North America in 77. Sole colour for North American 79-80 LE
    BK1
    BLVC 90
    PMA*
     KE 47900099946
    Brown/beige colours
    Antelope (beige)
    1970 GT only
    BLVC 72804079843289085786648
    Bedouin (beige)
    1971
    BLVC 428664785523581 6655
    Bracken (brown/orange)
    1974-Feb 76
    BLVC 9330096924760760432756672
    Bronze Metallic
    1980 home market Roadster LE
    BLVC 370
    BMC*
    34824M
    35269M
    6759M   
    Golden Beige Metallic
    1968 MGC GT standard roadster optional 1968 MGB GT optional
    BG. 1926930M3006M
    2496M
    2284781786635
    Mustard
    Experimentally on a few GTs at the end of 1971
    n/an/an/an/an/an/a
    Russet Brown
    1978-80
    BLVC 205
    AAE*
    31072
    32592
    33669
    DD 5124378448489251
    Sandglow (beige/gold)
    Jan 76-77
    BLVC 63310308651
    GC 20
    24300445658844
    Sandy Beige
    1965-69 GT only
    BG. 152347361872221381776639
    Blue colours
    Aqua (turquoise)
    1972
    BLVC 602800279321407588216651
    Bermuda Blue
    1970 GT only
    BU. 402288528461263085826587
    66540
    Blue Royale
    1970
    BU. 3823322
    28603
    518612635
    14475
     6588
    Iris Blue
    Roadster 1962-Oct 65
    BU. 1220306324312235
    3199
    81848536
    Midnight Blue
    1971
    BLVC 1228666796314245300116663
    Mineral Blue
    Oct 65-69
    BU. 918921313012115
    15406
    81826600
    Mirage (mauve)
    1974 to Dec 74
    BLVC 1130097796033135432776668
    Pageant Blue
    1978-80
    BLVC 224
    JNA*
    31913FC 581523145473AH9733D
    Rivieria Silver Blue Metallic
    1968 MGC GT standard, roadster optional, 1968 MGB GT optional
    BU. 4726544M3005M   
    Teal Blue
    1971-Feb75
    BLVC 1828667791814244300066656
    Tahiti Blue
    Feb 1975-77
    BLVC 6530788
    31692
    AF 4514866
    15096
    439076674
    Green colours
    Brooklands Green
    Jan 76-80
    BLVC 169
    HMM*
    306834498
    FM45
    FD 68
    45190446308848
    Green Mallard
    1971 (a few cars only) -73
    BLVC 22288957925446383001466610
    Limeflower
    1973
    BLVC 20286687968(?)44448300106658
    British Racing Green
    Dec 62-Aug 63
    GN. 252167781204334281936607
    Dark British Racing Green
    Aug 63-70
    GN. 292449997674644681946606
    New Racing Green
    1971 1975 Jubilee models one 75 V8
    BLVC 2528670798544446300126659
    Tundra (olive drab)
    1974-Feb 76
    BLVC 9430094
    32045
    32777
    942444978432786670
    Grey colours
    Chelsea Grey
    1962-Aug 65
    GR. 151758127503173381986669
    Grampian Grey
    1965-69 GT only
    GR. 1221175708731934 6575
    Pewter Metallic
    1980 home market GT LE
    BLVC 377
    MMD*
    35700M
    34836M
    6766M   
    Red colours
    Aconite (purple)
    1974-Feb75
    BLVC 9530095942514728432746673
    Black Tulip (purple)
    1973
    BLVC 2328058797014417300159406
    Blaze (orange)
    1971-Feb 75
    BLVC 1628665
    30545
    786460637300076654
    Damask Red
    1973-Feb 77
    BLVC 99
    (RD. 5?)
    20921
    30488
    480872261
    71064
    881966228
    Carmine Red
    Feb 1977-80
    BLVC 209
    CAA*
    293559236
    FD 32
    EE 80
    72065430198325R
    Flame Red
    1970-72
    BLVC 6128126
    29787
    34427186185716652R
    Flamenco (orange red)
    Feb 1975-77
    BLVC 13330789
    32137
    32635
    9718
    DA 63
    DA 90
    72144436616675
    Tartan Red
    1962-69
    RD. 920817
    32046
    377071062
    71416
    82048534R
    Vermillion (orange red)
    1978-80
    BLVC 118
    CML*
    32781FC 57
    GE 40
    60932454719732R
    White colours
    Glacier White
    1970-77 (alternatively Triumph White in 77)
    BLVC 5927962
    30099
    43098845
    90074
    85796647
    Leyland White
    (also known as Ermine White or Porcelain White. Triumph White may have been used alternatively)
    1978-80
    BLVC 243
    NMC/NME/
    NAF/NCG*
    32335
    36133
    FA 7890106H78969734
    Old English White
    1962-67
    WT. 332043
    24643
    18580
    2379
    2122(/)
    817782076642
    Police WhiteWT. 2
    BLVC 1024
    24048HT 49   
    Snowberry White
    From start of MGC production and from Jan 1968 for MGB to 1969
    WT. 4193033012834182106644
    T*****h White
    1977-80 as an alternative to Glacier White and Leyland White, aka 'New White'
    BLVC 206
    NAB*
    24863
    31694(?)
    37388380431810053
    Yellow colours
    Bronze Yellow
    1970-73
    BLVC 15279449785
    7861
    8182785816649
    Chartreuse
    Jan 76-77
    BLVC 16730645CH 7645189446298847
    Citron
    1974-Feb 76
    BLVC 7330083865344947432766669
    Inca Yellow
    1978-79
    BLVC 207
    FAB*
    33668
    31073
    32694
    DD5082309448809252
    Pale Primrose Yellow
    Feb 67-70
    YL. 122611132978149983196630
    Snapdragon
    1980
    BLVC 235
    FMN*
    31939GJ 80824624547512115
    Harvest Gold
    1972-Feb 76
    BLVC 1928894791982018300136662

    *These three-letter codes were found stamped on the VIN plates of 1980 model year RHD cars.