Object Number: AMHT-2018-101
Object Type: Artefact
Object Description: DB7 colour range swatch book of exterior paint samples
This month’s ‘Object in Focus’ comes under one of my favourite subjects here at the museum; paint and trim samples. Oh, and it also nicely ties in with our new DB7 temporary exhibition that commemorates the 30th anniversary of the car’s production. How serendipitous.
These marvellously tactile paint sample swatches date from 1998, and were specifically for the DB7 at the time. The book contains 17 different paint samples, each backed with suede so it’s almost like having a pack of oversized furry playing cards in your hand!
The colours are as follows: British Racing Green, Chiltern Green, Pentland Green, Camborne Green, Buckinghamshire Green, Mendip Blue, Antrim Blue, Hebridean Blue, Caledonian Purple, Guernsey Red, Strathmore Red, Lindisfarne Gold, Tay Gold, Solent Silver, Pendle Black, Cannock Black and Aran White.
These are certainly not the only colours that were available for the DB7 at the time. On its launch in 1994, there were eight new ‘standard’ colours named after upland areas in the UK. These were Chiltern Green, Mendip Blue, Quantock Blue, Cheviot Red, Malvern Silver, Cotswold Gold, Pennine Grey and Brecon Black. Despite each sounding rather grand, some of these colours were not overly popular so were dropped from the range relatively quickly, but Chiltern Green and Mendip Blue are still seen here in our colour swatch book. The additional colours also follow the trend of being named after areas in the UK.
Interestingly, from other documents in the AMHT archive, we know that in July 1998, green was the preferred colour choice of new DB7 owners with 35% selecting these hues, followed by 25% favouring the blues and 12% opting for the silvers.
Personally, I’m struggling to pick my favourite one from this swatch book, as they all look a great choice. Perhaps Hebridean Blue……no wait, Strathmore Red…..or maybe even Tay Gold. Decisions, decisions!
