News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

When was metallic paint first used on Cadillacs?

Started by Quentin Hall, March 03, 2020, 07:04:42 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Quentin Hall

There’s a lively debate going on on another forum about the origins of metallic paint and it’s time line. When did Cadillac first offer metallic paint as a standard offering?
53 Eldo #319
53 Eldo #412.
53 Eldo #433
57 Biarritz
53 series 62 conv
39 Sixty Special Custom
57 Biarritz

Mike Josephic CLC #3877

Cadillac was one of the first to offer metallic paints
in 1933 according to info I have.  Other luxury makes
soon followed and by the 40's and 50's it was quite
common.

Mike
1955 Cadillac Eldorado
1973 Cadillac Eldorado
1995 Cadillac Seville
2004 Escalade
1997 GMC Suburban 4X4, 454 engine, 3/4 ton
custom built by Santa Fe in Evansville, IN
2011 Buick Lucerne CX
-------------------------------------
CLCMRC Museum Benefactor #38
Past: VP International Affiliates, Museum Board Director, President / Director Pittsburgh Region

The Tassie Devil(le)

Don't forget that Lead was used in paint, and lead is a metal. ;)

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Cadman-iac

Quote from: The Tassie Devil(le) on March 03, 2020, 08:43:26 PM
Don't forget that Lead was used in paint, and lead is a metal. ;)

Bruce. >:D

Does that mean the color is a dull gray metallic?😁
CLC# 32373
1956 Coupe Deville A/C car "Norma Jean"

fishnjim

If you exclude "gilding", leaf gold applique, pin stripes, etc. and other metallic oxide pigments, which were around pre-autos and strictly mean autos "body" painted with metal "flake" aka powder as "metallic", that's a DuPont Duco/Dulux circa depression era thing.   '33-ish is a good number.   
I think it would be difficult to establish exactly who/what was the first as records probably don't exist.   Many custom coach works o day and autos ex USA.   Depression was on, and slow to adopt, a lot went back to basic black, no chrome due to cost.
Can most certainly exclude before '25, as the technology wasn't available.

Bob Schuman

I vaguely remember learning that the 1934 Dodge had a metallic paint, using the word "poly" in the color name. Looking at <Autocolorlibrary.com> , they do not even list Cadillac from 1933 or 1935, so I looked at 1934 Dodge and did see "poly" colors in the list, so it seems likely that Cadillac did have a poly color in 1933, maybe even earlier.

Going to later years, I recall Cadillac and Olds having at least one premium acrylic lacquer color in 1956, other colors being the old nitrocellulose lacquers. Each succeeding year Cadillac and Olds, possibly Buick and Pontiac, also added more acrylic lacquer colors until 1959 when all were painted with acrylic lacquer.

My 2015 Holden/Chevrolet is metallic black, the only black Holden offered on that car, and it always looks dusty to me.
Bob Schuman, CLC#254
2017 CT6-unsatisfactory (repurchased by GM)
2023 XT5