3 replies to this topic

[jph]

Another one of those infuriating colour questions, I’m afraid.

Ford GT40 number 1078 was originally supplied to Geoffrey Edwards in 1968 and was entered by Strathaven Limited in various major races including Le Mans where it was driven by Mike Salmon and Eric Liddell. The various GT40 books quote its original colour as being Borneo Green and Adrian Streather’s recent book ‘Ford GT Then and Now’ gives a colour code of PO31-4390.

None of my local automotive paint suppliers have a colour called Borneo Green listed for Ford, even in catalogues going back to the 1960s. Similarly, none of them recognise PO31-4390 as a code, though one thought it might be an ICI code.

Can anyone help with a current code number or shade, or close approximation? It’s only for a model, so I guess it doesn’t need to be exact!

[mfd]

That code is definately an ICI code. You'll struggle today to get any paint supplier to recognise it. It applied only to Cellulose paints produced in the 60's and 70's. There is no run on or correlation, unfortunately.

[PonysiteEd]

The gt40.org site has a pic of it being green. http://www.gt40.org.uk/Cars/1078_1.htm
The Whitmore/Mann now Ford UK press GT40 car seems to have the same color hue (I'm not sure), might be worth to visit Goodwood Revival if it's there, I guess so for the 40th Anniv. to get an opinion from the caretakers.

If there is an option for a colour change for you I#d recommend the green colour of #1034 Paul Weldon/UK GT40 now being in Australia (Bowdens collection).

[jph]

Thanks for the comments, PoneysiteEd, but I don't think we are quite there yet! The Ford UK press car was and I think still is linden green, which is a quite different shade. The picture of 1034 suggests a rather darker shade than the mysterious Borneo Green. Thanks for the advice, though.