The History of Automotive Paint
Around the 1890s, the automobile industry emerged after the production of the first successful gasoline-powered vehicle. During this time, the first vehicles were painted by hand with a paint brush. Today's automobiles have clear coats to protect the finish. Glossy base coat enamels remain popular.
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Color Choices
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The color palette for cars at first was limited to dark natural-colored paints. These paints were India enamels (not to be confused with the country), left over from stagecoaches and old-fashioned carriages. The most common colors were black, brown and dark green.
Benefits of India Enamel
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If the driver of the vehicle happened to chip his paint, it was repaired easily. He could grab a paint brush and a bucket of paint and have the chip fixed in a few minutes.
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Disadvantages of India Enamel
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Not only was the color palette limited, but the paint faded rather quickly if left in the sun. Because the cars were actually driven, it was difficult to avoid sun-fade.
Nitrocellulose Enamels
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In 1923, nitrocellulose enamels were created. These enamels dried much faster than the India enamel and could be sprayed on instead of brushed. The colors offered on the nitrocellulose palette were more varied than the bland India enamel.
Alkyd Enamel
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Glossy paint finishes came around in the mid 1930s with the invention of alkyd enamel. Alkyd enamel was much more durable than the previous paints and dried faster. And the glossy finish attracted customers to the vehicles.
1960s Acrylic Enamel
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Acrylic enamel, unlike its predecessor Alkyd, did not have to be buffed. Still, the paint produced an outstanding shine and stood up to the elements and the test of time.
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