Yesterday, my cubemate Derek Shiekhi observed how several modern cars have handled two-toning, to mixed reviews. In a previous era, two-toning was more uniform and consistent.
As far as I can tell, two-toning picked up in popularity in the 1940s, with the greenhouse being painted a contrasting color. Not until the advent of postwar redesigns did two-toning become more widespread, with the roof being painted a different color. Using trim helped add even more contrast, with several brands (notably Packard in 1955) even offering three-tone schemes. But as the 1950s ended (like all decades, they bled into the next one), manufacturers reverted to just a contrasting roof. Glance at a 1963 Ford and it would not be unusual to see a contrasting roof—you’ve probably seen one with a white or black top countless times but never blinked. Of course, other contrasting colors were available.
To these eyes, it appears that two-toning began to be less and less popular as we entered the 1970s, which is also the decade that luxury (or pseudo-luxury) cars began to flaunt fancy two-tone paint schemes. The painted roof seemed so quaint by that time, but the 1970s was an era of excess style, the last moment we were footloose and fancy-free before America became more complicated and (dare I say) over-regulated.
When my mom was shopping for wagons and honed in on a 1979 Pontiac LeMans Safari (no doubt due to my influence after being exposed to the charms of Pontiac thanks to our neighbors, whose family owned a Pontiac dealership in Elmer, New Jersey), she certainly didn’t want the fake wood paneling of the Grand LeMans, and was disappointed she could not get the two-toning she had seen on a Grand Prix. Looking at a Pontiac brochure, I see that LeMans two-tone paint was option W50, though I cannot determine from this alone whether it was available on the wagon or if the salesman led us astray.
Certainly, there are factory limitations to how paint can be applied to a mass-produced car, but paint is something that can be used as a styling instrument, much like headlight lighting today—witness the above Delahaye.
If you think classic cars don’t need a vinyl top to offer a contrasting roof, then you may dig the Two-Tone Muscle Cars (and more!) group on Facebook. While black or white tops seem to be most common, it can be exciting to see other color combinations that can’t be offered with the limited color availability of vinyl tops.
