53 Commander hardtop paint options

[tim333]

I just purchased an all black 53 Commander hardtop. I’ve see two tone paint where the bottom color was light with a darker top. Was an Ivory Mist top option offered over a black body? Thanks

[Pancho]

Boy I’d be tempted to keep it all black. I’ve seen the ivory over the red but I don’t recall seeing ivory over black. My 53 is sitting in the paint booth as I write this. But it’s not an original factory color. I thought about two tone but I felt the constrasting colors would compete with the design. My two cents. The 53 hardtop is truly a beautiful car to look at.

[thunderations]

I tend to agree that a different top color looks awkward on that 53/54 C/K body style. Two and 3 tones looked good on the 55's with the butterknife side trim that made a definite place to break colors.

[53k]

I just purchased an all black 53 Commander hardtop. I’ve see two tone paint where the bottom color was light with a darker top. Was an Ivory Mist top option offered over a black body? Thanks

Personally I prefer the single color '53s (though I still think the two-tones are still one of the best looking cars bar none). Sadly I finally gave up my 53k after owning it for 49 years. It is in the original Chippewa Green (repainted twice in its life).

[S2Deluxe]

Was an Ivory Mist top option offered over a black body? Thanks

It does sound like something that, could have been possible? Forgive me, if this is a little off topic here, but the question got me thinking? If you also painted the doors Ivory Mist, and put a cherry on top? You could make a cop car out of it. It seems to me that, I may have even seen a picture of one that was done this way, Back in the Day? Was there actually a '53 Starliner purchased and used, by a Police department, anywhere?

Mark

[Hallabutt]

I too prefer the single color paint scheme on these cars. I think that two toning broke up their beautiful lines. First thankfully two toning was an option, so single colored schemes did exist, and second there is nothing that you could do to screw up their beautiful lines. In the day I honestly don't remember black being used very much on Studebakers. I tend to remember black as a color used on larger cars like Cadillac or Lincoln, and of course funeral vehicles. Colors seem to follow industry wide lines. As I remember it would be around 1955/56 before black would emerge from the shadows.

As an aside I miss color on cars! In a sea of black, white and silver/gray the occasional red car stands out. I've always been one who has said if the styling and car is right then the color is secondary. Anyone feel like I do that bright colors on cars go hand in hand with how people feel about their society, or in other words how happy they are? Conversely dark, or lackluster hues of any color, follow perceived hard times.

[Pancho]

Sorry you had to let your 53 go, Paul. My 53 was originally the same color as yours. Had a color change by previous owner. I’m changing it again. Tim, you can print a photo of your car and just cut out the sections from the photo you are thinking of printing white. Then slide a piece of white paper under the photo. Tada! You’ll see what your car would look like painted in the two tone.

[StudeRich]

I don't know if it's caused by Hard times or not, but there sure are a lot of Dull looking Cars around here; Gray, Silver, White and Black, not mention all the MUDDY Blue or Green ones.

[rockne10]

Black was not offered as a body OR roof color on two-tone cars in 1953, but that's not to say an owner can't do that if desired. And Studebaker was known to make exceptions under many circumstances. Mine is solid Manchester Maroon.

[StudeRich]

That's ODD!

A VERY Many 1954 Starlight Coupes and Starliner Hardtops had Black Roofs!
Red and Yellow were the most common Bottom Colors built with Black Roofs.

[studegary]

I agree that black did not come as a two-tone color for 1953 C/Ks. An all black car was not only available, but looked good. Bob Bourke's own 1954 Commander Starliner was/is all black. I personally like the roof a second color on Starliners. There is a natural "break" point that some cars do not have (yet offer two-tones). The two-tone look is also in keeping with the 1950s.

[studegary]

I too prefer the single color paint scheme on these cars. I think that two toning broke up their beautiful lines. First thankfully two toning was an option, so single colored schemes did exist, and second there is nothing that you could do to screw up their beautiful lines. In the day I honestly don't remember black being used very much on Studebakers. I tend to remember black as a color used on larger cars like Cadillac or Lincoln, and of course funeral vehicles. Colors seem to follow industry wide lines. As I remember it would be around 1955/56 before black would emerge from the shadows.

As an aside I miss color on cars! In a sea of black, white and silver/gray the occasional red car stands out. I've always been one who has said if the styling and car is right then the color is secondary. Anyone feel like I do that bright colors on cars go hand in hand with how people feel about their society, or in other words how happy they are? Conversely dark, or lackluster hues of any color, follow perceived hard times.

Just recently, I have commented that if all of the silver, gray, white and black cars were taken off the road, there would be a lot less traffic. One of the reasons for the large number of cars in these colors is that some manufacturers charge extra for other colors and dealer tend not to stock them.

[Gary1953]

My '53 Commander is Olympic Gray over Tahoe Green and I think the two tone looks very '50's.

[studegary]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]77736[/ATTACH]My '53 Commander is Olympic Gray over Tahoe Green and I think the two tone looks very '50's.

The 1953 Commander Starliner that I "restored" was Olympic Gray over Tahoe Green since new. To me, the Gray always looked like white that was going bad. When I repainted the car, I made it Shasta White over Tahoe Green.

[tim333]

Thanks for the chart Rock.