Classic Ford F-250 Paint Colors & Factory Codes (1953–1972)
Every original factory paint color offered on the classic Ford F-250 (1953–1972), with official manufacturer paint codes, hex approximations, and rarity notes. Use the paint code to order a color-matched sample from a restoration supplier.
The classic Ford F-250 of 1953 through 1972 was first and foremost a heavy-duty work truck, and its factory paint catalog reflects that brief. Built on the same lines as the lighter F-100, the three-quarter-ton F-250 drew from the identical F-series paint charts each year, so the same letter and number codes apply across the range. That meant a heavy diet of practical fleet whites such as Colonial White, Corinthian White and Wimbledon White, and bright high-visibility utility shades like Goldenrod Yellow and Chrome Yellow for municipal, farm and commercial buyers. Bold reds were always part of the mix too, from the early Vermilion through Rangoon Red and Candy Apple Red, alongside long-running greens like Holly Green and Boxwood Green.
The palette tracked four distinct styling eras. The 1953-56 first generation introduced softer 1950s hues such as Meadowmist Green and Goldenglow Yellow; the 1957-60 trucks adopted flatter, more modern fleet colors; the 1961-66 generation broadened the chart with deeper metallics and brighter reds; and the 1967-72 generation peaked with the largest selection, by which time two-tone schemes were widely ordered, typically a darker body color over a white roof and upper cab. A Boxwood Green over Wimbledon White two-tone is one of the most recognizable combinations of the final era.
Sources:
cjponyparts.com (Ford F-100/F-series factory paint codes 1948-1984)
paintref.com (Ford Truck paint cross-reference by year)
🔧 Restoration Tips: Finding & Matching Your Original Color
- • Find the original paint code on the door-jamb or cab data plate before ordering paint; F-250 uses the same single-letter or number F-series codes as the F-100, so cross-reference the truck chart for that exact model year rather than the passenger-car chart.
- • Many F-250s were ordered as two-tone work trucks. Confirm whether your truck originally wore a white roof and upper-cab band before refinishing, as a correct two-tone layout strongly affects authenticity and value.
- • Fleet whites and utility yellows fade and chalk heavily after decades of outdoor work use. Have the chosen base color spectro-matched to a protected sample (under trim, inside the glovebox lip) rather than the sun-baked exterior.
- • Earlier 1953-59 truck color records are less consistently documented than later years; if a code is ambiguous, verify against an original swatch chip or a known-original truck before committing to a respray.