When were metallic and pearl paints first used?

I want to build my 48 in a mid-50s style. I love metallics and I love pearls, but something tells me they came out in the 60s. Anyone know?

 

I'd think before the sixties, metallics anyway, don't know about pearls or candies...I had a '57 Chevy that wore Highland Green metallic...a factory color.

R-

 

porsche and vw where using metalic paints in 1953 i think pearls where around at the same time.

 

The factory paint on my 52 Chevy was metallic green. AFAIK, they had a blue and a gray available as metallics then, as well.

 

I think metallics been around since the 30's at least, pearl I've got no idea about.

 

I think i know what metallics you're talking about. They don't seem to have the depth of today's metallics. Is that because they were lacquer and now we have 2 stage acrylic?

 

todays colors are much better because of the clear. single stage metalics dont have the same depth to them.

 

I remember the custom painters using a product called Flip Flop to get the pearl look. That was 64-ish. Back when you bragged about the number of hand rubbed coats of lacquer that you had. Metal flake was also popular so metalics pre-dated that.

There is a color chart site on the net that goes back pretty far. Pick a year and explore the state of the art colors for that time period.

 

i know someone will ask... I think you mean this one, but it doesn't seem to be working now

http://www.autocolorlibrary.com/

 

Here is a story that details an early use of pearlescent paint. The year indicated is 1958, and they used ground fish scales to get the effect.

http://www.coachbuilt.com/des/j/jeffries/jeffries.htm

Also, a lot of concept cars of the mid and late '50s used the same kind of paint, but it would have been VERY unusual to see it done on a street vehicle, but not completely out of the realm of possibility. I say go for it.

 

How exciting that the '48 project is back on after the long hard road on the '59!

I think you should pick a factory color from what ever year you are shooting for. Jon Jon's Olds is a factory early 60s olds color. Tommy's Starchief is factory colors too.

 

heh heh! I haven't even finished the 59 yet! Just minor detail work though

I thought Tommy said Jon Jon custom mixed the colors for the Star Chief?

anyway, yeah, I'm thinking of finding a color from that era. I was just wondering if metallics were used then. I was thinking of throwing in some pearl, too, if it was available then.

 

Pearls have been around since the '40s. The first rendition of Westergard's fadaway was white pearl. It was done in '40 or '41.

Now these weren't the really wierd pearls like Frog Eye or the like those didn't start showing up until the '60s.

By the mid '50s you wouldn't be very far off using a pearl or a Candy Apple type of paint.

Joe Bailon "Candy Joe" built Scoopy (58 Impala) in '58 showroom fresh. it debuted at the Oakland Roadster Show in Pink Candy pearl in '59. He was known as Candy Joe long before that.