Hot Rods What's yer thoughts on Earth tone colors on cars

just another modern trend that hopefully will go away soon.

 

all henrys colors were beautiful. Not a fan of easter egg colored hot rods.

 

I'm not personally a fan. I think I equate brown/beige and white with new/late model cars which all seem to fall into some greyscale color bar like they're competing for what can blend into the parking lot the best. To each his own and all that, I wonder if I'd feel differently if every new modern blob car was some eye searing flashy color.

That's not to say that some of the cars shown above aren't very well built, but not what I would pick.

 

Those colors have four things going for them IMO; they don't fade as quickly as more vibrant colors, they don't show dirt as easily, and they'll disguise suspect bodywork better. They're also generally cheaper to buy. I associate them with 'practical' car owners and fleet sales.

They also don't show body lines as well, so detail/sculpturing tends to disappear. In the '20s and '30s when these colors were commonly used the factories applied pinstriping or other accents to combat that. They're not as visible to other drivers as they can 'blend' into the surroundings.

And to tell the truth, the fascination some guys have for pre-'50s OEM colors I just don't get. To my eye many of these have a 'muddy' look to them and that had to do with the fact the paint manufacturers were unable to produce 'purer' colors at that time that wouldn't fade quickly. Most of these had 'earth tone' components to reduce fading which is where the 'muddy' came in.

 

I dig em.
Mine has lots of earth tones. Mostly iron.

 

That "modern trend" started with the OEMs.....

 

But it's a modern street rod trend to use those colors this decade. We all know hot rods are black, a bright color, or primer.

 

Generally speaking, I'm not a fan.

Of course I've seen cars that look good in earth tones, but it almost always strikes me that they would look better in a more flattering color - or black.

 

Can't consider black or grey to be earth.
Any tone of brown may be best on an antique.
Brown tones on a rod or custom say Meh.
Sometimes tho, red can get weary.
JMHO

 

Man, it was insane. There wasn't one red car at Byron. Must be some new trend.

 

By Area '70s-'80s, everything was "Earth tones". It was a 'movement'. Clothes, carpets/rugs. "Earth tones."
Say it again. Make your mouth as smaaawl as you can..."Earth tones."

 

I like it, and I don't see it as a trend other than it just became popular again, especially since the demise of the Easter egg era and by the way, I was in the thick of it during that period and let me tell you, it wasn't just the so called street rods but also some pretty cool hot rods were sporting those "colorful" hues.
Ryan Reeds' 37 Ford really blows my dress up but as good as it looks in print it is really a killer looking car in the flesh.

 

I like em Don

 

It Depends On The Car And Quality Of Work...

 

I like them a lot better than the pastels of 30 years ago!

 

I'd drive that Deuce sedan!

 

Well if the better haft suggested it ??? Then I would try it her way.

 

Can you think of any "Hot Wheels" toys in earth tones?

 

All I can say is that I have a very serious want for a Tan car that is for sale right now. If it was a bright color it probably wouldn't spin my wheels near as much.
That said, the 48 is intended to be some sort of bright ass red when it is done.

What I don't like is certain colors or certain shades of colors that tell you exactly what narrow time frame a car was originally finished in. Some of those pastels that look like the car owner found the color while eating a bowl of sherbet Or some of those "it's my wife's favorite shade of_____ " colors that just flat don't fit the build.
Most of the earth tones I see on new rides fairly resemble some pre mid 50's colors that were common.

 

Count me as a yes vote for the “earth tones.” Don’t think they will ever be dated like pastel colors and tweed interiors.

 

This one is a bit of a toss up for me... Love two tone cars and trucks with a white over a somewhat muted bright color. Think Ford's Inca Gold instead of a bright yellow. As has been mentioned the car picks the color (given a reasonable eye). My motto is that there isn't a bad color, but there are bad car color combos.

 

I should mention that I was referencing the Ford Inca Gold from the 50's... Think it was a T-Brid color in 57'.

 

Bad earth tones...


Good earth tones...

 

I think "earthtones" actually were common in the fifties and sixties as lots of cars and trucks came from the factory with shades of green,tan,brown,and even gray. People hopped up the engines and kept the factory colors............we just didn't call them "earthtones" yet. They used to call em "sleepers". Factory colors,small hubcaps, blackwalls, and a big motor.
Look back at many of the cars of the thirties and forties that celebrities drove and the fine interiors in them, they weren't all black.

 

From the first time I saw this car I was knocked out by the color. HRP

 

So what colors, exactly, are considered "earth tones"? The natural earth has some very bright colors!

Cars that are the colors of the ground, trees and bushes just sort of blend in with the surroundings to me, it pretty easy for me to miss or overlook them. Those colors with pinstriping, or two different shades of color fair much better. The brighter earth tones are OK.

All of the earth tones would look great on your car, but when I spend my money on paint, I want it to at least stand our from the the earthly things in the back ground. The paint doesn't need to scream and yell for attention, but I don't want it to blend in either.

So, from a different perspective, I'm sitting here looking at the picture of my coupe in my avatar. The picture was taken when it was white and blue, in the Rocky Mountain National Park. just after Memorial Day in 2016. With the snow on the ground, and the clear blue shy, if my would have been on it's roof, it would have blended right in! Most of the time, the white and blue pretty much stood out. Are white and blue considered "earth tones"? Gene

 

I like browns, grays, greens, whites, etc. But not necessarily all shade of all those colors. Not a big fan of pre WWII cars in metallic colors though.
I went through a dozen color choices to paint my '39 Chevy, and finally just decided to go Wimbledon White.

 

Some are ok but some look like shiny primer.

 

Ha, me too.