Original Factory Colors

Classic Ford Model A Paint Colors & Factory Codes (1928–1931)

Every original factory paint color offered on the classic Ford Model A (1928–1931), with official manufacturer paint codes, hex approximations, and rarity notes. Use the paint code to order a color-matched sample from a restoration supplier.

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1928 1929 1930 1931

Colors by Family

beige black blue brown gray green red yellow

Unlike the Model T it replaced, the 1928-1931 Ford Model A was offered in a genuine factory color palette rather than the famous "any color so long as it is black." Ford and its body suppliers used named lacquer colors from suppliers such as DuPont, and the available colors varied by body style and model year. Open cars like the Phaeton and Roadster, closed cars like the Tudor and Fordor sedans, and the Town Cars each had their own approved color and two-tone combinations, which shifted noticeably between 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931.

The result was a surprisingly broad range of blues (Niagara, Andalusite, Gunmetal, Riviera), greens (Brewster, Kewanee, Elkpoint), browns and beiges (Seal Brown, Thorne Brown, Rose Beige, Chicle Drab), plus Ford Maroon and accent yellows. The Model A Ford Club of America (MAFCA) Paint & Finish Guide is the recognized authority that documents these original colors with matched chips and per-body-style combinations. Because Ford used named lacquer colors rather than two-digit codes, the codes shown here are the DuPont reference numbers documented by MAFCA where they exist.

Sources:
mafca.com (Model A Paint Codes, DuPont/PPG cross-reference)
mafca.com (Technical Q&A: Paint by year and body style)

★ Rare / Desirable Colors

★ Rare

Blue Rock Green

DuPont GS656

#3d4f48

1931

Blue-tinged green specific to 1931; an uncommon late-production body color.

★ Rare

Bronson Yellow

DuPont C8067

#caa23a

1929–1931

Bright yellow used 1929-31, mainly on commercial bodies and as a wheel/accent color; rare as a full body color.

★ Rare

Bramble Brown

#5c4334

1929

1929 brown used with Thorne Brown on specific closed body two-tones; documented in the MAFCA guide but without a settled DuPont code.

Standard Colors

Niagara Blue

DuPont BS047

#3a4d63

1928–1929

Early light/dark blue used on open cars (Phaeton, Roadster) and as a body color on closed cars in 1928-29.

Gunmetal Blue

DuPont DS151

#3b424a

1928

A dark blue-gray offered primarily in 1928 on coupes, Tudors and open cars, frequently paired with black fenders.

Andalusite Blue

DuPont G8592

#2f4858

1928–1930

Deep blue body color used on closed cars such as the Leatherback/Briggs Sedan (60B) for 1928-30.

Duchess Blue

DuPont GS733

#41566b

1928–1929

Medium blue used on 1928-29 closed bodies, often as the upper-body color in two-tone schemes.

Chelsea Blue

DuPont GS724

#34597a

1929

1929 blue striping/secondary color seen paired with Bonnie Gray on closed cars.

Riviera Blue

DuPont BS215

#365a7a

1931

Bright 1931 blue used on Deluxe open cars and as a 1931 body color.

Lombard Blue

DuPont DS192

#2c3e55

1931

Dark 1931 blue body color for closed cars.

Washington Blue

DuPont G8381

#27384c

1931

Very dark blue introduced for 1931 and carried into early V8 production.

Valley Green

DuPont GS380

#4a5a3c

1928–1929

1928-29 green body color used on Fordor and other closed cars.

Vagabond Green

DuPont GS575

#5c6b45

1929

1929 green often paired with Rock Moss Green striping on open and closed cars.

Rock Moss Green

DuPont L8621

#6b7250

1929

1929 secondary/striping green used with Vagabond Green.

Balsam Green

DuPont GS286

#3f5440

1929

1929 deep green body color on closed cars.

Kewanee Green

DuPont DS118

#46583f

1929–1931

Green body color offered 1929-31 across several closed body styles.

Brewster Green

DuPont DS128

#27402c

1929–1931

Dark traditional Brewster Green used 1929-31, popular on Deluxe closed cars.

Elkpoint Green

DuPont DS127

#5a6347

1929–1931

Olive-toned green offered 1929-31.

Seal Brown

DuPont DS080

#3b2f28

1928–1930

Very dark brown body color 1928-30, frequently the lower-body color in two-tones.

Thorne Brown

DuPont L8815

#4a382b

1929–1931

Mid-brown used 1929-31; paired with black or Bramble Brown on Town Cars and closed bodies.

Moleskin Brown

DuPont DS079

#6b5d4a

1929–1930

Light gray-brown body color used 1929-30.

Stone Brown

DuPont TS239

#7a6a52

1928–1929

Tan/stone brown body color for 1928-29.

Rose Beige

DuPont DS086

#b8a489

1928–1929

Light rose-tan offered on 1928-29 Fordor and open cars, often paired with Seal Brown.

Chicle Drab

DuPont B8854

#8a8268

1930–1931

Tan/olive drab body color used 1930-31 across several closed styles.

Ford Maroon

DuPont DS056

#5a2730

1929–1930

Deep maroon used 1929-30 on Town Cars and Deluxe closed bodies; popular wheel and striping color.

Stone Gray

DuPont DS024

#6f6f68

1931

Deep stone gray body color introduced for 1931.

Bonnie Gray

#9a9a93

1929

1929 light gray body color paired with Chelsea Blue striping on closed cars; DuPont/PPG cross-reference not consistently documented.

Black

#111111

1928–1931

Standard fender color throughout production and an all-black option on many body styles, especially common in 1931.

🔧 Restoration Tips: Finding & Matching Your Original Color

• Use the MAFCA Paint & Finish Guide as your primary reference: it contains matched color chips and documents which colors and two-tone combinations were correct for each body style and year.
• Verify the color against your specific body style and model year before painting. The same Model A name (for example Niagara Blue or Thorne Brown) was not offered on every body style or every year, and two-tone schemes were body-specific.
• Original Model A finishes were nitrocellulose lacquer, which is more matte and slightly more translucent than modern basecoat-clearcoat; cross-referencing the DuPont chip numbers helps a modern shop mix an accurate match.
• Match to the documented named Acme/DuPont colors rather than guessing. Where no factory code is settled (such as Bonnie Gray or Bramble Brown), match directly to a guide chip instead of inventing a paint code.

About these colors: Color names, factory paint codes, and production years are cross-referenced from established marque references and owner registries. Hex codes are approximate digital representations of factory paint — vintage automotive paint was never defined as a hex value, and original enamel fades over time. True paint colors depend on age, sun exposure, refinishing history, and production batch variation. For an accurate match, always mix by the factory paint code — not by the on-screen swatch — and verify against an original paint chip or a professional color-matched sample before purchasing paint for a restoration.