7 replies to this topic

[Fabienne]

Dear Sirs

In France 1938, Reims-Gueux, Hermann Langs Mercedes W 154 shows a very dark coloured nose. See please:

http://www.klemcoll....4-32.aspx?page= (Louis Klemantaskis site)


At Bremgarten Bern 1938 the nose is obviously light/middle blue:

http://subaru555.fot...1/172370899.jpg

Is anybody able to explain why this differences? Why did Mercedes use different blues(?) in the same season?


Many years ago George Monkhouse wrote Langs colour code to be oxford blue.....

Thank you very much in advance

Fabienne

[Vitesse2]

I would trust Monkhouse's testimony over any colour photograph from the time. Colour film from the 1930s degrades over time: I've seen a print of a picture of one of B Bira's cars in which it appears to be light green and there are several pictures of Alfa Romeos which appear bright red - almost the "Marlboro red" which Ferrari use today - whereas their actual colour was closer to maroon. And different makes of film degrade in different ways: two identical pictures on Kodak or Agfa would end up looking very different after 70 years!

The trim on the restored W165 driven by Lang at Tripoli - which I'm sure Daimler Heritage have rebuilt exactly as it was at the time - should be your guide.

[Doug Nye]

... and there are several pictures of Alfa Romeos which appear bright red - almost the "Marlboro red" which Ferrari use today - whereas their actual colour was closer to maroon.

Not at all convinced this is true.

DCN

[D-Type]

How sure are you of the colours? In his German GP history David Hodges refers to the drivers' helmet colours as Seaman - green, Lang - white and von Brautitsch - red. Given Neubauer's thoroughness, I would expect the helmet colour coding to match the cars.

[Roger Clark]

Mercedes-Benz changed cars from race to race, so there's no reason why any driver should have similarly coloured grills in two events.

[Jean L]

The colours code was also used for the steering wheels.

[monoposto]

There is some information here on the the excellent Golden Era website http://www.kolumbus....snellman/c9.htm showing front grill colours.

It would appear from photographs there was also a narrow outline border around the grill of the same or perhaps a darker colour. The darker colour may just be that it is painted on the metal body as opposed to the open grill material.

Colour coded steering wheels is news to me.

[Fabienne]

There is some information here on the the excellent Golden Era website http://www.kolumbus....snellman/c9.htm showing front grill colours.

It would appear from photographs there was also a narrow outline border around the grill of the same or perhaps a darker colour. The darker colour may just be that it is painted on the metal body as opposed to the open grill material.

Colour coded steering wheels is news to me.

Dear monoposto

Please, would you be able to post photos/sources of "the colour coded steering wheels"? This is really new to me.

Thank you very much in advance.

Fabienne