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BMW - The Joy of Colors

07/07/2026

Farben BMW im Jahr 1974

Anyone walking through the lot at a BMW dealership today will see mostly gray, gray-black, black, and white cars. True colors are rare, and when they do appear, they're typically found on M models or other more vibrant variants.

Things used to be quite different. People often ordered a BMW 1602 in red, yellow, or green. The color selection back then was just as colorful. Larger models like the 520i, 2800, or 3.0 SI could also be ordered in such colors, though even back then, slightly more subdued shades were likely preferred for these models.

Farben und Polster bei BMW 1974

In any case, we love bold colors, which is why we've just republished the 1974 BMW color chart . Metallic colors already accounted for nearly half of the offerings (8 out of 18 colors).

The color names were also great, like Inca, Golf (!), Verona, Malaga, Riviera, and Fjord.

Yes, those were the days. Click here to view the color chart in the Zwischengas archive.

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No grey, no silver, no black, but lots of bright colors 50 years ago

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No grey, no silver, no black, but lots of bright colors 50 years ago

No grey, no silver, no black, but lots of bright colors 50 years ago

Of plums and red wine (car connoisseur quiz)

Of plums and red wine (car connoisseur quiz)

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Sun yellow or marathon blue métallic for the 914?

Choice of color when buying a Porsche 356 C Cabriolet in 1963

Choice of color when buying a Porsche 356 C Cabriolet in 1963

And that's how rich the color selection was for the BMW 700 Coupé

And that's how rich the color selection was for the BMW 700 Coupé

Alfa Romeo 164 - Limousine beauty over the course of time

Alfa Romeo 164 - Limousine beauty over the course of time

BMW Z1 - from concept car to fun and long-term automobile

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In the slipstream of the Mercedes 280: BMW 2800 and Opel Diplomat E in comparison

In the slipstream of the Mercedes 280: BMW 2800 and Opel Diplomat E in comparison

Porsche 928 from 1977 - a milestone on the road to Porsche diversity

Porsche 928 from 1977 - a milestone on the road to Porsche diversity

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The half-strengths - BMW 2002, Audi 80 GT, Escort RS 2000 and Ascona 19 SR in a (historical) comparison test