It’s winter in Australia. Frosty mornings, fog, chilly days, with maxima around 8-12C (Quit laughing, Canadians!). I miss seeing the leaves on the fruit trees in the orchard. The citrus trees are always green, as is the cypress windbreak up the back, and the pincushion hakea (H. Laurena) hedge out front, and the stand of sugar gums at the end of the street.
I’ve opened the gate to the back paddock for the chooks, ducks and geese to forage, and it’s taken them two weeks to get most of it down to bare dirt. We’re in what they’re calling a green drought at the moment. Rainfall is low, just enough to settle the dust, as we say. Enough to keep things green, but not enough for proper growth of crops. Just yesterday (first week of August) I saw some canola coming out in flower a bit early that was not even knee height – more usually it’d be around waist height here.
’41 Chevrolet.
When I was a child, and I was asked my favourite colour, I’d say Green. We’re talking about pre-Environmental days here. Not that there was no environment then, of course, but that people weren’t much concerned about it. Coming from poorer people who’d grown up on the land, I knew not to deliberately mess things up, but we’d burn rubbish in the backyard incinerator, and didn’t spare a thought for what the garage did with their waste oil.
’71 Ford F100
Green made me feel good. It was a colour I associated with being outside, with space to run around. Grass, bushes, and yes, weeds too. And the occasional tree. When we visited my grandparents’ place in the country, I saw other greens. Crops – how did Dad know what was what? Trees – not just those plain plane trees that lined the streets of Elwood, but huge trees stretching into the sky. Everything seemed to be a gum tree. Occasionally there’d be a decorative palm, or an orchard of fruit trees.
Green made me think of Countryside, and Space, and Peace. Nature, and Quietness. Birdsong. Houses that didn’t touch. Space in between here and there. Room to move, to run around. Green made me feel good. Still does. I used to live on the edge of town, looking across open paddocks down to the creek. It’s all built over now, but I’m still surrounded by my green.
So let’s have a look at some green models today. You’ve seen some already. I can’t show every green model I’ve built; there would be too many. This will be more random, loosely chronological (For brevity I’ll keep it to an assortment from the seventies) but not themed aside from colour, to showcase many different shades of green.
This Cuda is one of those models I rarely show. The body is awful: Revell modified a Challenger to look like a Cuda rather than doing one properly. I know the Mopar guys are shaking their heads – different wheelbase, all unique outer panels… yep. I learnt a valuable lesson here: when the reviewers you’ve trusted for years pan a kit, saying the basic proportions are off, listen! Revell has since done a Cuda properly; this is the old, bad one. But it’s green.
All sorts of stuff can be green. Here’s a Kremer-Porsche 935K3. Plenty of coloured stripes as well, but it’s basically green. Bad luck on a race car, says someone? Not for the guys at Kremer.
Nissan Cedric from the early seventies. Yes, they used to make two-door hardtops, but I don’t think they ever exported this style (though we did get a few of the next C230 series here). You hear of seventies collector cars being triple-black, but is triple-green a thing? If I was doing this again, I’d use a darker, more definite green for the roof; this is a bit awkward.
Toyota also made hardtops, but kept this pretty Cressida (Mark II in JDM-parlance) at home.
I think this Dodge sedan is a ’76 or ’77. It was a police car kit (year unspecified), but I made it an undercover car. Green sedan, who’d look twice? Yes, I know the wheels are too wide, but I had nothing more suitable to use at the time.
Early seventies Mitsubishi Galant in an early seventies Mopar shade. Works for me!
You were wondering when I was going to sneak a Skyline in? Here it is. The classic Kenmeri, the 1973-77 C110 series, or 240K down under.
I saw one of these Corolla Levins in a Japanese magazine once, in a sort of metallic dark green. I came up with my own variation: Tamiya’s Khaki Drab with a pearl clear topcoat. Actually, I use a surprising number of their military shades with a clearcoat for my builds.
This BMW M1 is an old Italian ESCI kit. Supposedly there was a street version, but I only ever found the race car kit so I converted it. I’ll admit the yellow trim is a bit, er, questionable – but I was in my twenties. Early twenties, your honour…. I had to make do with brush-on enamels back then.
Somehow British Racing Green seemed the obvious colour for a Morgan. I’m not going to get involved in the complexities of what a ‘true’ BRG is. This does it for me.
And back to the US for a Monte Carlo, lowrider version. The typical magazine-type lowrider murals and graphics are a bit much for my taste, so I just went with a nice shade of my favourite colour.
A bit brighter for this Trans Am. The big birdie wasn’t a thing yet, so I let the colour do the talking. This one’s a home-brew (a dash of this, a bit of that…) that I probably couldn’t replicate.
That’s it for this time. See you next time with something very American. Just putting the finishing touches on it right now.
Back in the day I built a 1/25 scale 1974 Firebird Formula and painted it the same color as Mr. Wilding’s Trans Am. I cannot remember if that was a near factory color or not but variations on that shade of green were not uncommon for American cars of that period.
I suppose since I share the same first name as the redoubtable Mr. James (Jim) Garner I should have painted the Firebird gold. 🙂
As William says below, GM had a factory colour like that in the mid seventies, so maybe that was what you used on your ’74? If you had the can it would be an easy way to get the look. Much easier than what I did!
JIm, the trouble with painting a model in the colour of a certain famous star’s car is that people will often tend to dismiss it as ‘another so-and-so car’ and not look any further. So given a kit of a certain well-known car from TV or movie, I’ll usually paint it my own choice of colour.
Here’s a triple green Chrysler New Yorker Brougham.
Also, it’s a hardtop.
That’s a great-looking color on the New Yorker Brougham.
Impressive!
I have seen some of the Mopar folks refer to that as a triple pickle. 🙂
It looks like you might be missing a photo: There’s a stray note in the text for “bronco2.” I couldn’t see it on the server, so it might be worth another look-see.
That was my doing. Sorry. The photo is up now.
I like green, generally darker more “natural” shades, whether for clothes or for cars. But I’ve only owned one green car, my ‘73 Vega which was similar to the Monte Carlo model here. Toyota actually offered a green somewhat like the Corolla model, on the Tacoma for just one or two years. But it was gone before the 3rd Gen Tacoma came out and I bought my own Taco. Very hard to find second-hand.
I seem to have really hit a nerve with this ‘green’ theme today!
It can be so hard to find secondhand cars in interesting colours. When I bought the blue Mazda 3 fifteen years ago, there was screen after screen of white/black/silver ones online. And they all look just the same. Nothing worth giving a second glance.
That’s like when I was up at the shops this morning; I could see from a distance there were no interesting colours, so to me that automatically means no interesting cars. So nothing new at the cohort from me today!
Always pleases me to see a new post from you, Mr. W. First, thanks for sharing the pic of your hedgerow; what a nice way to personalize things. Just a few take-aways here: I’ve never heard of or seen a Toyota Levin, but now I think they’re pretty cool (as you’ve portrayed it, anyway). I was oblivious to any controversy (I implied this from what you wrote) regarding British Racing Green. Just assumed it was a generalized term, subject to taste. My head is now at least out of the sand. Your version on the Morgan seems spot-on to me. Also, the color on that Trans Am is flat awesome. Another fun, impressive display. Best wishes, and thanks!
The Corolla Levin Peter has modeled there was essentially an early ’70s Toyota Corolla SR5 coupe (which we did get in the U.S.) with a more powerful DOHC version of the 1.6-liter 2T engine (which we did not get). They’ve become somewhat legendary in Japan.
BTW, Toyota called that color Indianapolis Olive.
Thank you for a bit of education, Aaron.
Thanks Aaron. I’m always glad when someone can step in to answer a question or clarify a point when I’m asleep.
Thanks F-85. We’re on a hilltop, and have strong winds that come in across the western plains, so that hedge forms something of a windbreak for us. Fences get blown down. The folk who built next door learnt from us, and also planted a tall hedge, though they planted photinias. Hope the current folk don’t suffer from hay fever.
As Aaron pointed out the Levin is a Corolla coupe variant which didn’t get exported. We didn’t get an SR5 or even a decently-sporting engine to back up the looks, only the 1.2 litre 3K. For years Toyota had pretty much a sterile image because of the pedestrian nature of what they sold down here.
British Racing Green? Well, knowing the CC commentariat I thought somebody might say it was too dark or too bright or too something. Some vintage car types can get amazingly pedantic about such things. Much as I like colour, I’m really not into that kind of nitpicking – or rivet-counting, as we modellers say. 🙂
Thank you for sharing these, all quite pretty .
The Chevy pickup is actually a 1946, the park lamps in 1941 were different .
My favorite color has always been blue in the medium to darker shades .
Insurance actuarial tables taught me that green, being a ‘natural color’ tends to collect more collisions .
-Nate
Thanks Nate. Revell calls the pickup a 1941 so I just assumed they were right. The difference is minor – but, I gather, not to people who really know their way around this generation of pickup.
Blue – now there’s an idea. I’m stunned at how many comments there have been to today’s almost-accidental feature, so perhaps I should do some more colour-themed stories. There’s an idea…..
>> We’re talking about pre-Environmental days here.
Interviewer: So what do you do to protect the environment in cases like this?
Senator Collins: Well, the ship was towed outside the environment.
Interviewer: Into another environment?
Senator Collins: No, no, no, it was towed beyond the environment. It’s not in the environment.
Interviewer: Yeah, but from one environment to another environment.
Senator Collins: No, it’s beyond the environment, it’s not in an environment. It has been towed beyond the environment.
Ah yes, that famous comedy clip. I nearly included it, but felt I’d been going on long enough. For any who don’t get the reference, here’s some dry Aussie humour,
Thank god John Clarke existed!
Refreshing to see a view of the southern hemisphere winter. While we are deep into the dog days of summer up here in North America, and much of the eastern U.S. is lush and green right now, but I can certainly see how a few green shoots would be welcome Down Under right about now.
We don’t see many green cars these days, though Chrysler/Stellantis had an attractive shade of green available on Chrysler 300s and Dodge Challengers a few years ago (F8 Green, I think). So this post with its many green hues is welcome.
I like the Firebird best of all. In about 1976-77, GM offered a metallic lime green, often paired with a white interior with green carpets and dashboards. It was most attractive on Colonnade coupes, but, if memory serves, it was also available on F-bodies, Vegas, and X-bodies, too.
William, I’ve just got back from the shops. After an early shower the sky is as blue as can be, but the temperature is a brisk 5C (41F) at 11am. You really feel that on my open roadster (aka mobility scooter!). We’re going for a top of 9C (48F), so I think it’ll be an ‘inside day’ until I find the forecast is wrong (as often happens).
It’s always struck me as almost perverse that, at a time when we’re encouraged to be ‘green’, it’s near-impossible to find that colour. Maybe Nate’s comment above about actuarial tables has something to do with that.
Now that you mention GM’s mid-seventies metallic lime, I have seen US cars in that colour scheme. A visual knockout, but not for everybody, for sure.
Car number 4 in my collection. A 1999 Lancia Lybra.
I hope to expand the series further.
Now that’s different. Front windows partway down is a neat touch.
Nice collection, Peter. The Challenger turned into a ‘Cuda has a real life equivalent. I can’t find the picture, but I’ve shared it here before, but there was a company here in the states that would turn a modern era Challenger into a ‘Cuda with a few appearance doo-dads. You could probably make yours into a Hemi-Cuda if you wanted!
You said you probably can’t duplicate that really bright green on your Trans Am in the final photo, but some place around here managed to duplicate that color in a wrap.
I wished I would’ve gotten a picture when I saw it, but I once saw a Tesla Model 3 done up in that color.
I think wraps for Tesla’s cars are popular around here for a few reasons:
1) Elon charges WAY TOO MUCH for any other color (sorry colour ;o) but Black or White.
2) It’s a way to personalize your Tesla so that it doesn’t blend in. Even the few overpriced optional colors on Tesla’s color palatte are pretty mundane choices.
3) The Cybertruck is just so ugly. About 50% of them are either aftermarket painted or wrapped around here (Baltimore, MD, BTW). Either a) they’re trying to hide the off-putting looks, b) want to personalize what they see as beautiful, or c) (and my personal favorite), they don’t want their car to look like a DeLorean.
Actually, I found the picture of it parked next to my Civic…
Thanks Rick. I didn’t mean nobody could duplicate that colour, but that I didn’t note down what I used to come up with it – what primer, what base, what sequence of which top coats and clears. Tamiya has since brought out something similar, but I painted the Trans Am before that.
I wondered why all the Teslas I’ve seen seemed so boring to look at. I guess it’s cheap on the production side of things to limit choices, but then Teslas aren’t exactly cheap. I believe the Cybertruck is unregisterable in my country, something to do with sharp edges. I can understand that. From down here it seems very much a classic ‘CEO’s vanity project’: what the boss wants to build rather then the market wants to buy- rather like the Vega’s engine.
Ive owned several green cars, a friend told me it is a bad luck colour she bought a new Barina in 2000, and told the dealer, Motors in Hobart town any colour except green,
Ive been trying to remember my worst green car, it was a XY Falcon sedan,
None of the others had many issues and my 74 MK2 Corona would have been a close match to the Cressida when Toyota painted it new.
I remember years of green droughts in OZ, or it floods, the happy medium is what you want.
Theres an actual lime green Challenger around here it parks on the street where the guy works that one doesnt look quite right.
It’s funny that superstition about green being somehow unlucky. Makes me wonder what gave rise to it in the first place.
Thanks, Peter ! I miss the bright colours of the 1970s, especially the bright “jungle” greens. When I decided to look for a Fiat X1/9 two years ago, my first choice was the featured green of that decade, as depicted. But the best car I found was … red.
The one I bought
Thanks Peter. I did build an X1/9 in that colour, but traded it a few decades back. Yes, the seventies were a great time for car colours. You’s think the safety folk would be all over bright colours for promoting visibility – “be seen, be safe” – but, nope. They look good in red though, and yours is an interesting shade, not the usual “Italian Red”.
Great greens, Peter.
I really love green cars, but for some reason, I’ve never owned one. I think that’s because I seldom am in a position to pick the colors on the cars that I wind up owning. The few times I have been able to choose the color (I think that would be the one and only time I’ve ever ordered a car), green wasn’t an option.
Thus your models allow me to live vicariously.
In this set, I particularly admire the Land Rover. The color scheme you chose reminds me of my 1964 Matchbox Dodge Tow Truck. Pale yellow and green would be pretty unusal…but I really like it.
Thanks Jeff. I never owned a green car either: just brown, gold, and blue (twice). All bought used, except the gold one which was a hand-me-down. The somewhat troublesome family car I had the use of when I started driving was green, that may have subconsciously turned me against green. Maybe. Or not.
I had that Matchbox tow truck too. Those were the BP ‘corporate colours’ back then. I thought I was trying to emulate a Land Rover colour scheme when I painted that, but I may well have had the towtruck in the back of my mind.
I like greens too, but as Bryce says, many think they’re bad luck. You’ve certainly brought us a wide range of them. Thinking on it I think I’ve done five models so far in green from the very dark Vauxhall Cypress Green to a bright Rootes Limelight green. Your post makes a nice end to the week! Thanks Peter.
And thank you.
The green four door Dodge Monaco ia a 1978. 1977 had wider bodyside moldings, even in police trim, and 1975-76 had round headlights.
I knew somebody would know. Thanks! It figures they’d update the tool to the last model of that generation, then reissue that.
The green four door Dodge Monaco ia a 1978. 1977 had wider bodyside moldings, even in police trim, and 1975-76 had round headlights.
Green cars are ace. I’ve owned two, and driven a third (my sister’s) extensively. Why not look like the hedges in winter? Better than looking like the dull silver of the sky, as most cars now do.
Actually, green can be dodgy. A light-ish, sparkly metallic green is nice: the teal-ish, dark green on so many early ’90’s cars is just glum. British Racing green just starts arguments from jobsworth types, and my sister’s car was a ’72 or so Datsun 180B in eyeball-boiling lime green, and worse, was a super-unbreakable but still a very turd-related machine, so there’s that.
You know, Pete, we don’t live in a cold climate – our cold 45-50 degrees is cool summer days for plenty. We just build our houses really, really badly! We’ve built under-insulated, badly-oriented non-double-glazed rubbish immitations of the Old Country (England) ever since white settlement, and if we didn’t, the vast majority of us in the populated coastal south could almost do without heating OR aircon!
Ah Justy, wondering if you might chime in today.
I think I know the 180B colour you mean; as I recall it wasn’t especially popular, and for good reason.
I’m kind of with you on our houses. Certainly the old prewar houses were built in the style of the old country, but usually with added verandas if the owners rated comfort over looks. Generalisation: Australia was still in survivor mode, and any shelter was better than none. But after the war I think we looked more towards America with double- or triple-fronted brick veneers, which at least got some attempt at insulation. A sheet of foil tacked to the frame behind the bricks.
Even today when I look around my town at the new housing estates the developers are throwing up I see such obvious climate faux-pas (what’s the plural? Fauxs-pas? Faux-pases? One is bad enough!) as nearly flat roofs (no space for insulating air to circulate), black tin roofs (absorb the heat instead of radiating it), brick boxes set in an island of concrete (heat-sink), dinky little house-lets built so close together the roofs nearly touch (how are you supposed to get airflow through?). I could go on. But I think we’re in agreement; people agree with looking green and sounding green, but tend to be hypocritical when it comes to what they pay to build. That’s probably not just Aussies though.
Here’s a light sparkly green for you. I was saving this for another story, but you sound like you could do with some colour therapy.