When restoring a Messerschmitt, many members will want to reproduce the original colour. This can usually be found by removing the windscreen or dome frame. If you suspect the lifting section may not be the original, further clues can be found by removing the wings and scraping away the paint normally not exposed to light. Few Messerschmitts have been through the kind of extensive restorations tackled in the last ten years and so many of these clues will remain. If you really do not want to restore the car to the original colour, or it has been assembled form parts of others, you should choose an original colour from those listed on the charts. Owners of pre-1957 cars will need to do extensive research as these are not included in the FMR chart. The excellent colour photographs in Jens Kron’s Scneewitchensarg book, (available from Partsmart), provide a valuable source of reference. Remember, the colour photographs provide only a clue to the colour because colour photographs from that era are not too reliable. It is also a fact that paint suppliers in that time did not have the sophisticated colour matching techniques that exist today. Therefore, shades can vary within the production run.

The paint codes and colours given have been matched to those on the FMR colour chart. As you can imagine, some colours (e.g. reds, whites, metallic blues, etc.) have a wide available range. Turquoise and rose are examples where there is less choice. This means we can achieve an excellent match on some colours but not on others. Where colours do not match exactly, the specific variation from standard is described. It should be remembered that these differences are relatively small and are difficult to detect.

If you choose one of these colours, make sure you give the body shop or paint supplier, all the relevant information given in the table. This is important as some car manufacturers such as Ford, re-use paint codes for different model years. The final code consisting of one letter and a four-digit number, is a Dupont colour mixing code and can be cross-referenced by other paint manufacturers. This will be particularly important if you choose Rose which has no references, but goes by the Isuzu name.

If you choose one of the colours that does not have a matching production colour, but would like to achieve a closer match, you should buy the Partsmart colour chart. Take the chart, together with the information from this article to your bodyshop or paint supplier. They can then mix the given colour adding an appropriate tint to match the colour on the Partsmart colour chart. However, it should be noted that the differences are very small and only you can decide if it is worth the extra cost, time, and trouble.

Finally, some comments on the selection of paints: Avoid using the cheapest paints if the finish is to last. The Messerschmitt does not usually require more than two litres of top-coat paint and therefore you can afford to buy the best. Glasurit’, Dupont’, and Churchill’s’ paints have all produced good results but all were ‘two pack’ and unsuitable for home spraying. Two pack paints contain known carcinogens such as Toluene and Xylene. There are also toxic substances, which build up in the bloodstream with prolonged use causing a slow and painful death! Special breathing apparatus and facemask must be used during spraying. Do not risk your health by using them, leave it to the professionals. The durable finish of two pack paints is worth the extra cost. It remains slightly soft and is more resistant to scratches, cracking, and atmospheric pollution.

If you are painting your Messerschmitt yourself, use one system for both primer and top coats. Some paints are incompatible and can react with each other with alarming consequences. Home spraying usually means using cellulose based paints and these require great care in preparation and multiple coats to achieve a good finish.

Many modern cars use a clearcoat or lacquer paint system. The pigmented layer of paint, whether a solid colour, metallic or pearlescent, is covered with a layer of clear paint to provide a higher gloss and a “deeper” look. It also offers a high degree of protection form fading due to pollution and sun exposure. This is why few metallic finish Messerschmitts survived the sixties without a re-spray ‘ usually in a non metallic colour. Any painted surface, even clearcoat, is vulnerable to scratches and oxidation. In the past, abrasive rubbing compound could be used to polish out these imperfections. Clearcoat is generally thinner but this depends on the amount applied. Using abrasives is more difficult and removing too much paint will leave the pigment layer exposed, necessitating a respray with more clearcoat. The recommended procedure for oxidation and haze is to use a chemical cleaner or cleaner wax. Light scratches can be buffed out with very mild polishing compound. Do not use rubbing compound on a clearcoat finish. Scratches that go through the clearcoat layer cannot be polished out, respray the entire panel.

A respray with thorough corrosion protection usually requires a total strip of the car. All trim is removed and the car should ideally be stripped of all parts. Removing the trim will save a substantial amount of money in bodyshop hourly rates. Advise the bodyshop where the trim holes are and ask them to avoid completely filling the holes. They can be opened up afterwards with a small drill while avoiding exposing the metal. The metal panels can then be sand blasted, (make sure you use a company experienced in blast cleaning cars ‘ industrial blasters will turn your car into metal lacework!) This will allow a thorough preparation using etch primer and other metal treatments. If you want to keep it original, the interior parts were painted in grey primer with just a light coat of mat black. However, there were many variations in this finish. It is much easier to paint everything the same colour but do not forget the exposed areas under the rear seat backrest need to be black to avoid a clash with the upholstery colour.

1958 to 1964

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Messerschmitt Original Colours Manufacturers reference / shade Dupont CODE
Polarweiss (polar white) Citroen – Peugeot 97-98 EWM Blanc Cygne F4892
Platingrau (platinum grey) Mazda 86-89 GY Cecile Grey H9005
Lichtblau (light blue) Fiat 85-86 485 Azzurro Chiaro N8684
Sonnengelb (sun yellow) VW/Audi 88-89 LY1A Ginstergelb H9053
Türkisgrün (Turkish Green) Nissan 85-86 450 Turquoise H8692
(Nissan colour is slightly more grey)

Rose Isuzu 89-90 Peach W9032
(FMR colour is slightly more brown)

Korallenrot (Coral Red) Fiat 95 590 Arancio F1416
Monzarot (Monza Red) Fiat 88-89 140 Rosso Corsa G9086

Metallic Colours
Aerosilber (Aero Silver) Skoda 90-94 9105 Saphirsilver met. L9997
Stratosilber (stratosilver) Citroen-Peugeot 97-98 KRV Vert Romarin met. F4964
Irisblau (Irisblue) VW/Audi 89-90 LAST/Y5 Mediumblau m. L9250
Stahlblau (steel blue) Ford 91-92 T.Deauville blue met. H9680
Graphit (graphite) Ferrari 89-95 906C Nero Mica met. F1785

When restoring a Messerschmitt, many members will want to reproduce the original colour. This can usually be found by removing the windscreen or dome frame. If you suspect the lifting section may not be the original, further clues can be found by removing the wings and scraping away the paint normally not exposed to light particularly the body tube under the aluminium kick plate by the door latch. All KR200s from this time have the cut-out for the radio and the blanking plate normally has some good paint unaffected by exposure to light and corrosion. Few Messerschmitts have been through the kind of extensive restorations tackled in the last ten years and so many of these clues will remain. If you really do not want to restore the car to the original colour, or it has been assembled form parts of others, you should choose an original colour from those listed on the charts. Owners of pre-1957 cars will need to do extensive research as these are not included in the FMR chart available from Partsmart. The excellent colour photographs in Jens Kron’s ‘Schneewitchensarg’ book, (now out of print), provide a valuable source of reference. Remember, the colour photographs provide only a clue to the colour because colour photographs from that era are not too reliable. It is also a fact that paint suppliers in that time did not have the sophisticated colour matching techniques that exist today. Therefore, shades can vary within the production run.

If you choose one of these colours, make sure you give the body shop or paint supplier, all the relevant information given in the table. This is important as some car manufacturers such as Ford, re-use paint codes for different model years. The final code consisting of one letter and a four-digit number, is a Dupont colour mixing code and can be cross-referenced by other paint manufacturers.

If you choose one of the colours but would like to achieve a closer match, you should take the information from this article to your bodyshop or paint supplier. They can then mix the given colour adding an appropriate tint to match the colour to your requirements. However, it should be noted that the differences are very small and only you can decide if it is worth the extra cost, time, and trouble.

Finally, some comments on the selection of paints: Avoid using the cheapest paints if the finish is to last. The Messerschmitt does not usually require more than two litres of top-coat paint and therefore you can afford to buy the best. Glasurit, Dupont, and Churchills paints have all produced good results but all were two pack and unsuitable for home spraying. Two pack paints contain known carcinogens such as Toluene and Xylene. There are also toxic substances, which build up in the bloodstream with prolonged use causing a slow and painful death! Special breathing apparatus and facemask must be used during spraying. Do not risk your health by using them, leave it to the professionals. The durable finish of two pack paints is worth the extra cost. It remains slightly soft and is more resistant to scratches, cracking, and atmospheric pollution.