Original Factory Colors

Classic Ford Model T Paint Colors & Factory Codes (1908–1927)

Every original factory paint color offered on the classic Ford Model T (1908–1927), 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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1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927

Colors by Family

beige black blue brown gray green red

For its first few years the Ford Model T was anything but monochrome. Early 1908–1909 cars left the factory in a small range of colors—touring cars in a deep red often called Carmine, runabouts and town cars in gray, and various bodies in green. By the middle of 1909 Ford simplified things, standardizing on Brewster Green, a green so dark it reads almost black. In late 1910 that gave way to a near-black Midnight Blue, which carried the cars through about 1913. Despite Henry Ford's famous line, real color genuinely existed in these earliest years.

Then came the black-only era. From roughly 1914 through 1925 the Model T was offered essentially in black and nothing else—the period that earned the quip "any color so long as it's black." The reason was mass production, not aesthetics: Ford's moving assembly line needed a finish that was cheap, durable and could be brushed, dipped or sprayed on different parts at different plants and still match at final assembly. Several distinct black japan and baked-enamel formulas were used for bodies, fenders and chassis, each suited to its application. Color finally returned for 1926 and 1927—first as enamels like Channel Green and Windsor Maroon, then as a broader Pyroxylin (nitrocellulose lacquer) palette including Highland Green, Royal Maroon, Fawn Gray, Gunmetal Blue, Phoenix Brown and more—just before the T gave way to the Model A.

Sources:
mtfca.com (Model T Ford Club of America — 1926-27 encyclopedia, factory color lists)
slashgear.com (why the Model T was black-only, japan-black enamel and mass production)

Carmine Red

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1908–1909

Earliest Model T touring cars were offered in red, the shade often referred to as Carmine. Used before Ford standardized on a single color in mid-1909.

French Gray

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1908–1909

Early runabouts and town cars were offered in gray. One of the handful of colors available before the mid-1909 standardization.

Brewster Green

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1909–1911

A very dark, almost-black green. Became the standard color for all Model Ts from about mid-1909, replacing the earlier mix of red, green and gray.

Midnight Blue

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1911–1913

During late 1910 / early 1911 the dark green gave way to a dark, almost-black midnight blue, used on cars through about 1913 before the black-only era.

Black (Japan / Enamel)

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1914–1925

The famous black-only era. From roughly 1914 to 1925 the Model T was offered essentially in black only, applied with several different black japan and baked-enamel formulas depending on the part and plant. Bodies, fenders and chassis components used different black mixes suited to brushing, dipping or spraying.

Channel Green

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1926

One of the early-1926 enamel colors that signaled the return of factory color after the black-only era, offered alongside black and Windsor Maroon.

Windsor Maroon

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1926

An early-1926 enamel color offered with the return of color, before Ford shifted later-1926 production to faster Pyroxylin (nitrocellulose) lacquer colors.

Highland Green

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1926–1927

A later-1926 / 1927 Pyroxylin color. Highland Green was among the three colors offered on closed (sedan/coupe) cars for the 1927 models.

Royal Maroon

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1926–1927

A later-1926 / 1927 Pyroxylin color, one of the three colors offered on closed cars for the 1927 models.

Fawn Gray

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1926–1927

A later-1926 / 1927 Pyroxylin color, one of the three colors offered on closed cars for the 1927 models.

Gunmetal Blue

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1926–1927

A later-1926 / 1927 Pyroxylin color. Gunmetal Blue was one of the choices offered on open cars (touring/roadster) for the 1927 models.

Phoenix Brown

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1926–1927

A later-1926 / 1927 Pyroxylin color. Phoenix Brown was one of the choices offered on open cars (touring/roadster) for the 1927 models.

Commercial Green

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1926–1927

A later-1926 / 1927 Pyroxylin color used on commercial bodies. Roadster pickups ordered from the factory with the bed installed came in Ford Commercial Green.

Drake Green

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1926–1927

A later-1926 / 1927 Pyroxylin color from the expanded palette introduced after the black-only era.

Moleskin

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1926–1927

A later-1926 / 1927 Pyroxylin color, a soft grayish-tan from the expanded palette introduced after the black-only era.

🔧 Restoration Tips: Finding & Matching Your Original Color

• Match the color to the exact production date, not just the model year. An early-1909 car could be Carmine red or gray, a mid-1909 to 1910 car Brewster Green, a 1911–1913 car Midnight Blue, a 1914–1925 car black only, and a 1926–1927 car one of the returned colors—so confirm where your serial number falls before choosing paint.
• Respect the original application method. Ford brushed, dipped and baked (japanned) parts rather than spraying a uniform coat; the 1926–1927 cars introduced sprayed Pyroxylin lacquer. For a correct restoration, mimic the finish and sheen of the era rather than a modern high-gloss clear coat.
• Remember there was no single "Ford black." The black-only years used several different black japan and enamel formulas across bodies, fenders, wheels and chassis components—some glossier, some more matte—so a fully baked-on, uniform showroom shine is not period-correct.
• Cross-check colors and codes against the Model T Ford Club of America (MTFCA). Genuine factory paint codes in the modern sense did not exist for most of the T's life, so the authoritative reference is the color name and date range documented by MTFCA and its encyclopedia rather than an invented 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.