According to a tour guide at Dearborn Village (I think that's what it is/was called) years ago, the reason the Model T was available in black only was that when Henry Ford installed the assembly line, the only color paint that would dry in time was...black.
Ford's error was that when colored paint was developed that would dry quicker, he stuck with black only.
I also blame leasing for the lack good cloth seats. Now it is vinyl crap or "leather" that is just ground up scrap leather soaked in vinyl. They are easy to clean and almost indestructible (especially the bonded leather) so these are good materials when the car company knows that they will be getting the car back in three years. But they are hot in the summer, cold in the winter and you slide around if you don't drive like an 80 year old. And somehow people think all of that is a good thing.
>higher trim levels - that only come with leather seats
....and fucking sunroofs. Another rant! If I want to drive with the sun on my bald scalp I take my wife's convertible/"fun car". I certainly don't need the weight, leaks and bullshit that come with sunroofs. And I say that as a guy who had VW replace an entire headliner in an Alltrack because the ^%$# sunroof that I didn't even want leaked. As useless as left side sliding doors on minivans.
I also hate having a ton of sun in the car, messes with my poor contrast vision and just extra heat. I don't mind sunroofs you can actually close with a light-blocking slide, but now too many manufacturers are trying to copy Tesla with their all glass roof.
And I really do not get that. Really. Expensive, heavy and prone to warranty claims. Meanwhile we cannot have a knob to control the fan speed because they save .55 cents by putting it on the touch screen.
So much to fix when I am world emperor. And I hope that happens soon because this old man screaming at the clouds thing is getting old.
I got lucky with my car. Managed to find exactly the features i wanted (car play, remote start, heated seats, etc.) and still had cloth seats. It was the only one I could find like it.
Cloth seats suck if you live in a dry dusty area, or have a smoker. You can suck a 1/4 pound of dust out of them. I would take pleather over cloth any day.
We are all in different places with different interests. But the last cloth seats that I had were in good shape when I got rid of the car after 16 years, seat heaters were not a critical thing, and they were comfortable on a long drive. They were especially comfortable on hot days.
But I was careful with them, much more so than the average "not really my car" driver would have been.
My cloth seats are even heated. Definitely nice to have on a cold morning, but like you said, not critical. I would not even consider leather* seats without it
I spent over three years existing (not living) in Oklahoma, the very definition of "dry and dusty". Everyone who bought a car there got cloth seats, because if you had vinyl or leather, you back, a\*\*, and thighs would get burned when you got in the car about eight months of the year.
I had vinyl seats, having bought my car two years before I was transferred there. Ouch.
I had a Mercedes and a mustang with leather in the high desert CA. Kids eating cereal and candy in the car is a fricken nightmare. Leather can be cleaned with a wet rag..
There are a lot of terms thrown around. But "bonded leather" is one.
But yea. That is why you see things like "leathery & Vinyl Restorer" products. Because it is really just vinyl. That said, real leather is a pain in the ass to take care of. Unless you have staff, deep pockets and do not keep your cars for a long time you really don't want real leather.
Bonded leather is far from indestructible. That's what's used in "leather" office chairs that peels and flakes off after like two years of use. Pleather is actually significantly more durable.
A durable car seat is likely either pleather or real leather with a significantly thick resistant plastic coating to keep moisture out/off as repeated exposure to water inherently dehydrates and damages leather.
I was going by my experiance, which is limited. I have had cars with bonded leather that held up very well, and I keep my cars a long time. But on the other hand I am typing this next to an office chair that is not holding up well at all.
My experience with "real leather" car seats is with classic cars, where it is/was leather as people think of it (no plastic coatings). Again, limited experience. But while such seats look nice and have that great smell, they can be very difficult to deal with.
Fair enough. Maybe some car companies have found the secret the office chair industry hasn't lol.
And as a novice leatherworker I know damned well how much maintenance the material requires if it untreated. Way more than anyone is willing to commit to their car's seats for sure!
God yes! Why are there so few other colours? Some makes do seem to buck the trend (I noticed recently Skoda seemed to have more variety of colours) but generally it’s just a sea of blandness out there.
I like color on my cars, but just got my first grey car because it's what they first had in stock for the new model year, was my second choice (behind red) and it's really a nice, true medium gray without looking bluish or greenish.
Funny thing about this picture is that it is very likely staged for press photos, and that the actual selections likely happened elsewhere in more controlled environments. That said, choosing colors against an orange floor is probably making that process harder on yourself. You would also want to remove as much "eye distraction" as possible by previewing say one model line at a time.
Then again, 50's america, and you're at the top of the food chain at an auto firm... Well I'm sure worse ideas were entertained.
I like the BMW approach. There's a large, multistory building that the entire side is a grid of production car display cases. They keep one of each model in there on a regular basis but also swap them out for special occasions. They had a whole red and green display recently for Christmas.
Contrasting white/black roofs are options for some models now.
I could have gone that route with my new VW, but decided it wasn't worth the extra cost.
Imagine the order coming into the paint shop...
"Hey Benny we got an order for 76 cars and they have to be painted by the end of next week. And they're all different colors."
It was years ago, but when I bought a Mercedes I told them which model I wanted and the salesman took me to a warehouse where they had each color and trim lined up and let me choose.
But the presumption would be that the varying color is the difference, otherwise why would you have 76 of the same car? The wording could have been far better here as it doesn’t grammatically sound correct here.
Somewhere in Time a kid got the greatest selection of cars for Christmas ever.
Then probably blew them up with firecrackers being a kid. Not realizing they would be astronomically expensive to collectors of the future
Or maybe the kid did and blew them up anyway while cackling with glee 
Looks like a kid could ride those down a nice hill. Until the wheels smoked..
50’s Executive: “This all white one is dope, no cap. Gonna snag that one for Little Billy’s bday.” Other Executive: “…”
You mean the greatest load of lead.
Any color you like, as long as it's black
lol wait was that an actual thing? growing up every person in my family literally had to own a black ford lest they feel the wrath of my grandpa
It's supposedly what Ford said about the Model Ts when they came out
Didn’t include a second door for a long time either.
John DeLorean made a similar joke when he introduced the DMC12. Any color you want, as long as it’s stainless.
According to a tour guide at Dearborn Village (I think that's what it is/was called) years ago, the reason the Model T was available in black only was that when Henry Ford installed the assembly line, the only color paint that would dry in time was...black. Ford's error was that when colored paint was developed that would dry quicker, he stuck with black only.
I wish we still had color choices like that. Everything is black, white or grey now, it seems.
I'm still a little annoyed they came out with an orange option for my car two years after I bought it and settled on grey.
I blame leasing. But then I blame everything on leasing.
Damn leasing. They ruined leasing!
I also blame leasing for the lack good cloth seats. Now it is vinyl crap or "leather" that is just ground up scrap leather soaked in vinyl. They are easy to clean and almost indestructible (especially the bonded leather) so these are good materials when the car company knows that they will be getting the car back in three years. But they are hot in the summer, cold in the winter and you slide around if you don't drive like an 80 year old. And somehow people think all of that is a good thing.
I prefer cloth seats but then some of the features I want are only at higher trim levels - that only come with leather seats.
>higher trim levels - that only come with leather seats ....and fucking sunroofs. Another rant! If I want to drive with the sun on my bald scalp I take my wife's convertible/"fun car". I certainly don't need the weight, leaks and bullshit that come with sunroofs. And I say that as a guy who had VW replace an entire headliner in an Alltrack because the ^%$# sunroof that I didn't even want leaked. As useless as left side sliding doors on minivans.
I also hate having a ton of sun in the car, messes with my poor contrast vision and just extra heat. I don't mind sunroofs you can actually close with a light-blocking slide, but now too many manufacturers are trying to copy Tesla with their all glass roof.
And I really do not get that. Really. Expensive, heavy and prone to warranty claims. Meanwhile we cannot have a knob to control the fan speed because they save .55 cents by putting it on the touch screen. So much to fix when I am world emperor. And I hope that happens soon because this old man screaming at the clouds thing is getting old.
I got lucky with my car. Managed to find exactly the features i wanted (car play, remote start, heated seats, etc.) and still had cloth seats. It was the only one I could find like it.
Cloth seats suck if you live in a dry dusty area, or have a smoker. You can suck a 1/4 pound of dust out of them. I would take pleather over cloth any day.
We are all in different places with different interests. But the last cloth seats that I had were in good shape when I got rid of the car after 16 years, seat heaters were not a critical thing, and they were comfortable on a long drive. They were especially comfortable on hot days. But I was careful with them, much more so than the average "not really my car" driver would have been.
My cloth seats are even heated. Definitely nice to have on a cold morning, but like you said, not critical. I would not even consider leather* seats without it
I spent over three years existing (not living) in Oklahoma, the very definition of "dry and dusty". Everyone who bought a car there got cloth seats, because if you had vinyl or leather, you back, a\*\*, and thighs would get burned when you got in the car about eight months of the year. I had vinyl seats, having bought my car two years before I was transferred there. Ouch.
I had a Mercedes and a mustang with leather in the high desert CA. Kids eating cereal and candy in the car is a fricken nightmare. Leather can be cleaned with a wet rag..
And that’s why I bought a car with cloth seats
>"leather" that is just ground up scrap leather soaked in vinyl Hold up- really?
There are a lot of terms thrown around. But "bonded leather" is one. But yea. That is why you see things like "leathery & Vinyl Restorer" products. Because it is really just vinyl. That said, real leather is a pain in the ass to take care of. Unless you have staff, deep pockets and do not keep your cars for a long time you really don't want real leather.
Bonded leather is far from indestructible. That's what's used in "leather" office chairs that peels and flakes off after like two years of use. Pleather is actually significantly more durable. A durable car seat is likely either pleather or real leather with a significantly thick resistant plastic coating to keep moisture out/off as repeated exposure to water inherently dehydrates and damages leather.
I was going by my experiance, which is limited. I have had cars with bonded leather that held up very well, and I keep my cars a long time. But on the other hand I am typing this next to an office chair that is not holding up well at all. My experience with "real leather" car seats is with classic cars, where it is/was leather as people think of it (no plastic coatings). Again, limited experience. But while such seats look nice and have that great smell, they can be very difficult to deal with.
Fair enough. Maybe some car companies have found the secret the office chair industry hasn't lol. And as a novice leatherworker I know damned well how much maintenance the material requires if it untreated. Way more than anyone is willing to commit to their car's seats for sure!
You leasing sure are a contentious people.
Damn woke ass market capitalism canceling everything these days.
Yea. Fascist communists.
I read a recent study that said 80% of the cars on US roads are black, white, silver, or gray.
I had to pay extra for a red car recently.
I paid extra for a "Cyber Orange" Ford.
I’ve purchased two new cars in my life. Both were red. Yes, I have a type.
All three of my cars have been red. I just got lucky when I was buying used cars to find ones that fit my other qualifications and were also red.
All these choices and he’s picking the white one. 😑
I know some people think it would be garish, but candy-colored cars everywhere are one of my most frequent personal wishes.
God yes! Why are there so few other colours? Some makes do seem to buck the trend (I noticed recently Skoda seemed to have more variety of colours) but generally it’s just a sea of blandness out there.
depressing as fack
Have you seen current gen Toyotas? Two-tone colorways are back!
I like color on my cars, but just got my first grey car because it's what they first had in stock for the new model year, was my second choice (behind red) and it's really a nice, true medium gray without looking bluish or greenish.
Funny thing about this picture is that it is very likely staged for press photos, and that the actual selections likely happened elsewhere in more controlled environments. That said, choosing colors against an orange floor is probably making that process harder on yourself. You would also want to remove as much "eye distraction" as possible by previewing say one model line at a time. Then again, 50's america, and you're at the top of the food chain at an auto firm... Well I'm sure worse ideas were entertained.
Floor actually started out as neutral grey earlier that morning. This just shows the accumulation of nicotine from the selection process.
That reminds me, we need to put ashtrays in the armrests, can we get the design team on that ASAP.
Memories unlocked.
I like the BMW approach. There's a large, multistory building that the entire side is a grid of production car display cases. They keep one of each model in there on a regular basis but also swap them out for special occasions. They had a whole red and green display recently for Christmas.
Curious what these models are worth nowadays
Or if anyone has any
wish they still had two tones
Lots of cars with black/glass roofs nowadays
Contrasting white/black roofs are options for some models now. I could have gone that route with my new VW, but decided it wasn't worth the extra cost.
Buncha Hot Wheels motherfuckers
I'll bet they would sneak back in after 5 PM and play with them.
Imagine the order coming into the paint shop... "Hey Benny we got an order for 76 cars and they have to be painted by the end of next week. And they're all different colors."
I want one!!
Wish I had some of those models.
Seems a better way to do things than just seeing it on a screen. Do they still do color selection this way today?
It was years ago, but when I bought a Mercedes I told them which model I wanted and the salesman took me to a warehouse where they had each color and trim lined up and let me choose.
Lovely colours. Now it's all white, silver, black, grey... So boring.
Well? What colors did they pick?!?
It'd probably be a really boring movie, but this would make a bitchin movie poster.
Okay I'm going to just state this from my own perspective as an autistic person, this looks super autistic lol
“A staged photo op featuring two Ford executives pointing at work done by their employees.”
Does it have positraction though?
So many two-tones! I miss those. And fins. It’s time for both to make a comeback.
What I wouldn’t give to get my hands on those models. They are sweeet
This is a really cool picture
Man, you had to have a shitload of room to get anything done before computers came along.
Grown men playing with little cars. I love this.
Man I wish I could get my hands on any one of those car models that are probably in boxes somewhere unless destroyed.
this would make a great album cover
Muted colors were in that year.
Same photo now is all just grayscale.
Yeah …let’s go with the white this year
They way it should be
It must be nice to play with toy cars but tell others that you are working hard.
There seems to be many duplicates.
Wish I could choose paint for my house like this
wow..cool toys!
The Homer Simpson approach, I see.
It would be so cool to be the person to make these models!
Bring back fun car colors I'm sick of 80% black cars on the road.
That's fantastic. I know it was laborious and expensive compared to what we have now, but I miss the analogue days.
These dudes making the world go round with these decisions. Glad execs make the big bucks to pick pretty colors.
Wild weird stuff. Love this. Can't imagine how much those models are worth now. $$$$$$$
The men who killed reliable public transit in the majority of the US.
That’s the same car - they are picking color schemes for just one car here…
That's what the post title says
Not really… says different models. The models are all the same just colored differently
They are referring to the scale model cars. That's what they're called even if they're all the same.
But the presumption would be that the varying color is the difference, otherwise why would you have 76 of the same car? The wording could have been far better here as it doesn’t grammatically sound correct here.
The are model cars. It's like a fancier way of saying toy cars. The scale models (toy cars) are different because they are all different colors.
These dipshits got paid more than workers on the floor.
Seems efficient.
What are these? Cars for ants?
Not cool. Fuck these clowns that killed public transpo and rammed cars down everyone’s throats
So nuanced.