20 cars that tell us why 2-tone paintwork needs to make a comeback

Around a quarter (24.35 per cent) of all new cars sold in 2020 left the showroom with grey paintwork, ahead of black (19.90 per cent) and white (17.37 per cent). Indeed, grey has been the UK’s favourite new car colour for three years in a row. Grey? Really? Don’t we see enough of that shade above our heads?

Only 0.42 per cent of cars were painted yellow, while green accounted for 0.89 per cent of the new cars sold. We need to add some colour to our roads and car parks, which is why the two-tone paint job needs to make a comeback. Here are 20 two-tone greats to provide some inspiration:

American cars were offered with two-tone paintwork as early as the late 1930s and 1940s, but the paint job is more commonly associated with the 1950s. The bright colour schemes, combined with fins and chrome, captured the euphoria and optimism of post-war Americana.

An example is this Cadillac Coupé de Ville. Today, the idea of painting the roof a different colour to the body is more associated with crossovers and luxury vehicles, rather than run-of-the-mill family hatchbacks, saloons and estates.

Early generations of the Chevrolet Bel Air are widely associated with flamboyant styling and fancy two-tone paintwork. This third-generation Bel Air shows how it should be done. Note the way the chrome ‘spear’ separates the blue from white, and the intricate details on the back door.

Two-tone finishes have their drawbacks. They cost more, production is slower, and it’s more difficult to repair in the event of an accident or restoration.

In the context of 2021, this 1957 Buick Special looks glamorous, exotic and expensive. Back then, it was essentially Buick’s entry-level four-door saloon, so it shows what could be achieved if you were brave enough to give your family car a two-tone paint job.

This car would have cost $2660 in 1957, the equivalent of around $25,000 in 2021. Now imagine a Vauxhall Astra Griffin with a two-tone paint job. For reference, Buick sold 60,000 Specials in 1957. That’s the power of paint, probably.

The Corvette C1 delivers the proof that two-tone paint works as well on a two-seater sports car as it does on a large family ‘sedan’. This 1959 Corvette C1 showcases the four-headlight design, introduced for the 1958 model year, and the car’s famous sculpted side scoops.

By the 1960s, the popularity of two-tone paint was fading. This is highlighted by the 1961 model year Corvette, which saw the removal of whitewall tyres and two-tone paint. Tastes were changing – those changes would also involve the vanishing of the once omnipresent tail fin.

Although two-tone paint was born in the USA, there’s plenty of evidence of its influence on car culture on this side of the Atlantic. No surprise, then, that a British car built for the American market was available with a two-tone paint job.

The Metropolitan was the idea of Nash president George Mason, who identified a market for a small and inexpensive - often ‘second’ - car for the US market. He turned to Austin, which built the Metropolitan at its Longbridge plant in Birmingham. It’s like a fun-size slice of Americana.

The Austin-Healey 3000 looks resplendent with a two-tone paint job. Ice Blue over Ivory White is arguably the most evocative of all the ‘Big Healey’ colour schemes.

Launched in 1959, the 3000 was Austin-Healey’s flagship throughout the 1960s, with power sourced from a 2912cc six-cylinder engine.

At its launch, the Triumph Herald, available as a saloon or coupé, was offered in a range of optional duotone colours. Customers could select from the following colours paired with Sebring White: Coffee, Monaco Blue, Lichfield Green, Black, Powder Blue, Signal Red, Phantom Grey and Pale Yellow. Other options were added later.

‘Do men drive better than women?’ asked the brochure. Different times…

Ford of America influenced the styling of many of its British market cars throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Few cars demonstrate this as well as the first- and second-generation Consul, Zephyr and Zodiac.

Lashings of chrome, whitewall tyres and duotone colour schemes added a touch of America to Britain’s suburbs. Imagine a Ford Mondeo with two-tone paint. It’s what the Vignale trim has been crying out for.

Lotus drew inspiration from its 1970s Elan Sprint for a special edition Exige, which marked 40 years since the start of Lotus production in Hethel in 1967. The Exige Sprint featured a two-tone design with white on the lower section of the body and a choice of yellow or blue on the upper portion.

The two colours were separated by a gold stripe bearing the ‘Exige Sprint’ name. Only 40 were built, each one with a price tag of £42,550.

Nothing screams the 1970s quite like the Ford Fiesta Sandpiper. Unveiled in 1979, this special edition, of which 2500 were built, was based on the Fiesta 1.1L. It came with Ghia-style seats upholstered in chocolate and tan fabrics.

But the big news was the Roman Bronze and Cordoba Beige exterior colour combo, although customers could also buy the car with a single Roman Bronze finish. Why would you, when brown and beige was an option?

From the bright and flamboyant colours of the 1950s, the two-tone paint job seemed to be taking a different path in the 1970s and early ‘80s. The ‘elegant, exciting and impressively equipped’ Vauxhall Astra EXP was available in Black and Antique Gold or Hazel Brown and Antique Gold.

Alternatively, the EXP S was finished in Carmine Red over Black, although this meant sacrificing the gold steel wheels of the standard EXP in favour of 14in alloy wheels. Gold steel wheels: still want that Clio Williams or Impreza?

In 1982, the Fiat X1/9 became the Bertone X1/9, with the entire production process moving to Bertone’s factory. Two-tone paint was introduced in the same year to improve the car’s visual appeal, while enhanced rust-proofing technologies improved the car’s chances of survival.

The X1/9 is often referred to as a ‘baby Ferrari’. Although red is the colour most associated with Ferrari, the company has a history of two-tone paint jobs. A decade ago, the company issued a press release saying two-tone liveries were growing in popularity. Its current SF21 Formula One car features a two-tone red livery.

In its later life, the Mk3 Ford Capri was kept alive by the British and a series of special editions. The 2.8i didn’t need a lot of help, but the two-tone versions certainly looked the part. Perhaps this is best expressed by the 1986 run-out special 280 Brooklands (pictured). Just 1038 were built and well-preserved examples are now worth a packet – think £60,000.

There were others, like the Capri Calypso, which was offered in a choice of two-tone colours. From the brochure: ‘The first time you see the Capri Calypso you’ll recognise a real sportsman. Not just because of its lines (unmistakably a Capri), but also because of its distinctive two-tone colours.’

Two-two paint enjoyed a renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s, largely because of the rise in popularity of lifestyle SUVs. A second colour, either on the body or the plastic panelling, is a way of adding interest to a boxy shape, while breaking up an expanse of bodywork.

Suzuki was quick to grab a pair of paint brushes when it launched the original Vitara, one of the first of the modern breed of crossovers. Later, Proton offered two-tone paint on some versions of the Jumbuck pick-up.

The Citroën Saxo Furio, VTR and VTS models were available with painted bumpers, side skirts and wheel arch extensions. Quartz over Hurricane Grey is a terrific combination, and well worth seeking out if you can find one.

The Furio was powered by a 1.4-litre engine, making it ideal for young drivers who wanted the styling of the VTR/VTS, but couldn’t afford the insurance. Both the VTR and VTS models were powered by the same 1.6-litre engine, albeit in 16-valve guise in the flagship VTS.

Ford liked two-tone paint so much it launched a special edition in its honour. The Ka Two-Tone was available with four colours, all with silver bumpers and mirror housings. Select from Panther Black, Ocean, Sea Grey and Blazer Blue.

They were perfect for motorists who fancied the ‘just stepped out of the bodyshop’ look. Only 1000 were available.

Citroën launched the 2CV Spot in 1976 to celebrate five million 2CV and 2CV-based cars built since 1948. Designed by Serge Gevin, the Spot featured two-tone orange and white paint, with wheels finished in the same shade of white as the body. The Spot was so successful, Citroën rolled it out in other European markets.

The Charleston was another two-tone 2CV, launched as a special edition, before being added to the catalogue as a core model. It was the best-selling 2CV in the 1980s.

In 2012, Rolls-Royce unveiled a new two-tone colour option for the Ghost. Company chief Torsten Müller-Ötvös said: ‘I am delighted that we are now able to offer two-tone options for Ghost as well as for Phantom, features that once again extend the palette upon which a Rolls-Royce masterpiece can be painted.’

Two-tone paint is also available on the Wraith and Dawn. There have been some… ‘interesting’ creations.

The availability of two-tone paint on Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Maybach models, not to mention some compact crossovers, would suggest that the paint option is alive and well. Maybe so, but we’d like to see it on more mainstream models. Not that there’s anything remotely mainstream about this S-Class.

Available as an option, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class can be enhanced by a two-tone paint finish with dividing line. This is applied by hand, with the entire process taking up to a week. We suspect it doesn’t take that long to finish the roof on a Seat Arona.

Unable to make up your mind on which colours to choose? Not sure which colour combo works best? Just choose all of them.

The VW Polo Harlequin: because two tones are never enough. And these cars have one of the biggest cult-followings of all the two-tones today.