The 10 Best Factory Color Combos Ever: Plum Crazy, Lemon Twist and Denim Seats

The right paint can make an ordinary car unforgettable. The right paint plus the right interior can make it a legend. Here are ten combinations that carmakers actually offered from the factory, with real paint names and codes. Aftermarket repaints don't count.

About the color chips: most of these combos don't have a freely licensed photo showing the exact paint and interior together, so we show a pair of color swatches instead. The chips are screen approximations to give you the idea, not restoration references. The photo at the top really is a black and gold Trans Am Special Edition with a tan interior.

1. 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air: Tropical Turquoise over India Ivory

Exterior: Tropical Turquoise with India Ivory roof (811-D)Interior: Black/turquoise cloth and vinyl (trim 666)

What it was: A factory two-tone, code 811, with the "D" suffix for the Bel Air pattern. India Ivory covered the roof and pillars, and Tropical Turquoise did the rest. A Bel Air sedan could pair it with trim 666, black and turquoise cloth and vinyl.

Why it works: It's a malt shop in car form. The ivory roof makes the turquoise pop, and the matching interior keeps the theme going inside.

Fun fact: Chevy's paint code tells you the trim level. The same 811 two-tone got a different suffix letter depending on the model, and "D" marks the Bel Air pattern.

2. Volkswagen Type 2 Deluxe Microbus: Sealing Wax Red and Chestnut Brown (1950–1958)

Exterior: L53 Sealing Wax Red lower, L73 Chestnut Brown upperInterior: Black (to Feb 1955) or light brown (from Mar 1955)

What it was: The factory two-tone for the Deluxe Microbus, the bus later nicknamed the Samba: L53 Sealing Wax Red on the bottom and L73 Chestnut Brown on top. Upholstery was black until February 1955, then light brown.

Why it works: Warm, rich and a little bit ecclesiastical. It makes a box on wheels look like vintage luggage.

Fun fact: "Sealing wax red" is named after the stuff used to seal letters. Only VW would name a color after stationery.

3. Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing: Silver over red leather (1954–1957)

Exterior: DB 180 Silver Grey MetallicInterior: 1079 red leather

What it was: DB 180 Silver Grey Metallic paint with 1079 red leather. At least one 1955 car was ordered new this way, with red leather listed as a special order, and RM Sotheby's calls it the model's signature color scheme.

Why it works: Silver for the racing heritage, red for the drama when those gullwing doors go up. It's like a tuxedo with a red lining.

Fun fact: That 1955 car's build sheet included an option for one extra kilogram of paint. See the 300 SL Quirk Database entry.

4. 1970 Dodge Challenger: Plum Crazy with white interior

Exterior: FC7 Plum CrazyInterior: White

What it was: FC7 Plum Crazy with a white interior, which was available on 1970 Challengers.

Why it works: Purple paint with white seats is a lot, and that's the point. A 1970s muscle car should look like it's about to sing.

Fun fact: The color has its own registry pages. Fans track FC7 cars by paint code, like vintage wine.

5. 1970 Plymouth Superbird: Lemon Twist with black vinyl roof

Exterior: FY1 Lemon TwistInterior: Black vinyl roof (on every Superbird)

What it was: FY1 Lemon Twist was one of the Superbird's factory colors, and every Superbird got a black vinyl roof, no matter the paint, to save labor on the special bodywork. Lemon Twist was the most popular color in registry samples, at roughly 23%.

Why it works: A 24-inch-tall rear wing, a pointed nose and bright yellow paint. Subtlety was never on the table.

Fun fact: The famous "Petty Blue" Superbirds weren't officially Petty Blue. Chrysler coded them 999, its special-order code, and called the color Corporate Blue.

6. AMC Gremlin Levi's: any bright paint with fake-denim seats (1973–1978)

Exterior: Trans-Am Red (D7)Interior: Levi's denim-look blue nylon

What it was: The Levi's Custom Interior option, launched for 1973, had seats that looked like indigo jeans, with copper rivets for buttons, orange stitching, real Levi's tabs and snap-off pockets. In 1973, the $96 option sat on a $2,098 Gremlin. Our pick for paint is Trans-Am Red, one of the 1973 Gremlin X colors.

Why it works: Because it's ridiculous, and AMC committed completely. AMC said it was for buyers who "enjoy dressing to match their car."

Fun fact: It's not real denim. Cotton failed flame-retardancy rules, so AMC used a nylon from Milliken, and designers washed real Levi's at home to get the broken-in look right. The option later showed up on other AMC models, including a one-year run on the 1977 AMC Pacer.

7. 1977 Pontiac Trans Am Special Edition: Starlight Black and gold

Exterior: Starlight Black with gold accentsInterior: Buckskin (one of several offered)

What it was: The Y82 Special Edition package. Starlight Black paint was mandatory, with gold pinstripes, a gold engine-turned dash plate and a gold steering wheel bezel. The interior color was up to the buyer, and real cars came in black, red, blue, buckskin and even white.

Why it works: Black and gold is the most 1970s combination there is. The photo above shows it with a tan interior, and it's gorgeous.

Fun fact: Smokey and the Bandit made it famous, and Pontiac couldn't argue. Clones are common enough that the Bandit Trans Am Club says your safest bet is a window-sticker document from the Pontiac Historical Society.

8. 1991–1993 Acura NSX: Formula Red with Ivory leather

Exterior: Formula Red (R-77)Interior: Ivory leather

What it was: Formula Red, code R-77, was offered from the NSX's 1991 launch. In the US, the Ivory interior was available only from 1991 to 1993.

Why it works: Red and cream is the classic Italian supercar look, done by Honda engineers who made sure it would actually start every morning.

Fun fact: The color was later renamed "New Formula Red" for the 1999 Zanardi Edition and 2000, but NSX FAQ says the two are virtually identical.

9. 1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata M Edition: Montego Blue Mica with tan leather

Exterior: Montego Blue Mica (M8)Interior: Tan leather, tan top

What it was: The first M Edition: Montego Blue Mica (M8) with tan leather, a tan boot and a tan top. About 3,000 were built, with a Nardi wood shift knob.

Why it works: Deep blue and tan is a yacht-club combo on a fun little roadster. It's the Miata in a blazer.

Fun fact: Montego Blue went on to become a regular Miata color from 1995, so people still mistake ordinary 1995–97 blue-and-tan cars for M Editions.

10. BMW E36 M3 Evolution Imola Individual (UK, 1998): Imola Red, inside and out

Exterior: Imola Red (405)Interior: Imola Red Nappa with Anthracite Amaretta

What it was: A UK-only edition of 50 cars, all in Imola Red (405) with Imola Red Nappa leather and anthracite Amaretta suede bolsters.

Why it works: Red inside and out is a bold move, and it's the most confident BMW color combo ever offered.

Fun fact: We'd usually stick to US cars, but this one was too good to skip. It's a UK special with a quantity you can count on a spreadsheet.

What we dropped

We couldn't find solid factory documentation for the exact paint-and-interior pairing on these, so they're left out for now: the Porsche 911 in Riviera Blue or Viper Green, Ferrari Rosso Corsa with tan, the orange Miura, the E30 M3 in Dakar Yellow, the Mariner Blue Miata (a real 1990–93 color, but we couldn't pin down its interior), Shelby Mustangs, the Ford Bronco and Toyota FJ40 two-tones, the E-Type in British Racing Green, the Volvo P1800, the Ford GT Gulf heritage edition, the white Countach with red, the Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz and the Mini. Know the codes? Tell us on the tip line.

Love a bold car more than a bold paint job? See the Quirk Database or our bedroom-poster cars.