With a two colour box saloon (see my avatar) should the top of the bonnet be the same colour as the roof or should it be the same colour as the lower panels?

Or could either be chosen at the time?

Just curious of course...

The simple answer is, yes, you could choose how your car was painted. Basically, the buyer of a new Austin had three choices: the standard colour schemes which were held in stock, your choice of non-stock schemes in standard Austin colours at no extra cost but subject to a delay in supply, and finally free choice of colour at extra cost (and presumably an even longer delay).

But that doesn't answer your question as to standard stock Austin colour schemes. I believe RNs and early RPs had body-colour bonnets, and later RPs (1934 season, ie late 1933 on) had black bonnet tops, but I don't claim to know it all, so I am prepared to hear other opinions ...

Mike, My RN. Saloon (March`32)Has Black top and coloured sides on the bonnet

RN de lux & I think RP de lux saloons had the top of the bonnet & scuttle which carries over onto the dash the colour of the car. The black top carried down the outside of the A post & followed the pressing round into the waist moulding along the bonnet, easy on the RP not so easy on the RN which didn't have the pressing on the scuttle.

Have a look at around 2:11....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuysE7IZW3g

Excellent! I now understand how the colour scheme works externally. To clarify, the bonnet colour would run through onto the dashboard but the panel with switches etc would stay black?

Time to learn how to paint coach lines by hand. Might need to take some beta blockers first.

I think the car shown in the film is an RN.

I use a Beugler Pinstriping Tool which I have been kindly loaned by a friend a couple of times.

I used it on Sunday to pinstripe a four seat tourer I am completing a full restoration on, very pleased with the results.

Location: just north of Cambridge

Location: Stretham, just south of Ely.

Agreed. The film clip in Ruairidh's link clearly shows the masked line on an RN saloon in the Longbridge paint shop. At least some RPs definitely had black bonnet tops.

Here is a picture of the feature on my 1931 RN. This appears to be something like.


Now to learn how to pinstripe, it looks so easy in Rs film.

Location: Near M1 Motorway Jtn 28

Or leave it as it is, Brian; I'm pretty sure this RN doesn't have pinstriping:

Mike Costigan

Or leave it as it is, Brian; I'm pretty sure this RN doesn't have pinstriping:

Location: Near M1 Motorway Jtn 28

That's how the de lux RNs were Brian, Dave Martin, who started the RN register many years ago, cut the top corner of the scuttle off a wrecked RN in a scrapyard as a sample of the colour scheme.

Thanks for that Dave,does the sample, or a picture of it, survive?
Brian

Location: Near M1 Motorway Jtn 28

Yes Brian, when David passed the RN register to me I was given the sample. I have wondered if the A7CA archive would like it.

Yes please Dave. The Archive would love to have that section of the RN scuttle. It came from a tip near Harlech about 30 plus years ago. Someone had tipped a very rotten RN body down a bank off the road and I noticed it when walking past. I jumped over the wall and managed to break off the scuttle which showed the original paint join perfectly.

You are more than welcome to it Dave, when is your next open day and I'll drop it off.

Thats excellent news Dave; any chance of putting up a picture of it on here?
Brian

Location: Near M1 Motorway Jtn 28

Hi Dave
The next Archive Open Day at Lubenham is on Sunday 2nd April. Look forward to seeing you again.

Location: Gard, France 30960. Used to be Languedoc-Roussillon but now it's Occitanie

David Mann has asked me to post a picture of the RN scuttle remnant he has:

There you are Brian, you can just make out the line, thanks Ruairidh.

Thanks Dave and Ruairidh, Its nice to know that at least one part of my is as it should be!
Brian

Location: Near M1 Motorway Jtn 28

Is there anything else the archive wants Dave? I have a 6 volt 12 watt Lucas Graves bulb which looks decades old and loads of timber sections removed from various RN as patterns.