le mans blue(s)--pun intended

[sudsy]

So I thought I'd established that my paint code was AR348 (Le Mans Blue).

Went an got an aerosol tin mixed up, but when I got it home, it was the "other Le mans blue"..(the darker one which by all account is purple-ier..
Bit of a back story here: My whole car had been repainted in "Le mans Blue" except the original colour as can be seen inside the boot behind the carpets is the "other darker Le mans"..

Short of taking a panel to a panel beater and getting them to match the paint is there any brains-trust on this mystery.

I'm attaching examples of the two shades that are both called Le mans blue.. And yes you can argue that lighting etc is influencing the result, but I from my recollection my lighter blue is the more common colour especially on some 2000 105's /Belinas as well as early Alfetta sedans.

Bearing in mind these images were found by googling Alfa Romeo Le Mans Blue-and many of the images are labeled as such.

[sudsy]

more variations

The classic Polizia is the shade I'm after.

Couldn't find an example of the darker shade Alfetta except maybe this engine bay..

What ever the case, they are not even close..

So all of that is academic....Does anyone know the paint code for the lighter Le mans blue please ..

[sudsy]

my car

[bonno]

Hi Sudsy
Find attached link to paint code website for all paint codes, together with copy of colour chart for AR348 attached also available on website.
https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/colour_codes_alfa_romeo

[sudsy]

Thank you Bonno

BUT>>>>>

I still think the Azzuro (light/sky Blue) is missing ..

[sudsy]

Dont think its just my car with a dodgy paint shade

Different lighting but heres an overseas example.. Still no where close to the AR348.

Its no great panic, I'll just get some paint mixed by a panel shop.

I'm just curious..

[sudsy]

top one a match I'd say.

The bottom shot (almost identical shade as my 116) no where near the Le Mans AR348
No more comparisons...well maybe no more!!

[sudsy]

ok just one more for fun..

Same model almost identical lighting..
So summary... mine IS an Alfa colour. There are many other examples, largely within 105's and early sedans and limited early GT/GTV 116's.
The darker AR348 was "discontinued" in 1975.. Despite there being evidence to the contrary ie my boot's interior!! (1979)

With great respect to the resources at hand, I dont think we have the full picture.. Even Supercheap's data base had a paint discontinuation date of 1977. Not that they are a great oracle,,,BUT they matched my boot paint perfectly..

By all accounts the colour is remarkably close to Polizia Blue, not a vintage listing BUT was/is the colour on Italian police cars way back to the early 70's

[bonno]

One thing is for sure it is not Le Mans blue AR348. Have a look at this site and go thru the various colour charts by the Year and Alfa Romeo. You might find the colour code to match your cars colour, that is if it is an Alfa Romeo colour in the first place.
http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/chipdisplay.cgi?year=1975&manuf=Alfa-Romeo&smodel=Montreal&info=yes&page=6

[sudsy]

One thing is for sure it is not Le Mans blue AR348. Have a look at this site and go thru the various colour charts by the Year and Alfa Romeo. You might find the colour code to match your cars colour, that is if it is an Alfa Romeo colour in the first place.
http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/chipdisplay.cgi?year=1975&manuf=Alfa-Romeo&smodel=Montreal&info=yes&page=6

Thanks ..Ill peruse it..

[sudsy]

Thanks again Bonno

I think I may have found it based from those charts and a Montreal with the same colour..


Its a terribly faded swatch but when I googled the number this Montreal popped up..

The alternative is Celeste GC59

[aggie57]

As an owner of three Le Mans Blue cars over the years, the one I have now I've had for 36 years, my take on this is that this colour is a)incredibly hard to photograph accurately, and b) prone to fading and 'chalking'. 

You'll see the same car photographed on different days and/or in different light and it can look quite different.  So photo's are to be mistrusted. 

There was also the issue that the colour was used over several years and in both Milan and Naples.  So there's more variables.  But of course a decent paint shop experienced with Alfa's can navigate through these issues for you and produce a good result. 

Oh - one of my AR348 cars was a '77 built Alfetta sedan.  It was near as dammit the same colour as my '73 GTV.  So not sure where that 'changed in '75' comes from. 

[Craig_m67]

Best to get it paint matched with a spectrometer at a good paint shop, they can then mix exactly what is needed using whatever paint system (and brands) you want.  Individual paint systems and brands will have slightly different mixes.

I've seen the Le Mans blue discussion on the internets for decades, there are just too many variations over the years (fading, repaints, etc)

It's a beautiful colour - I'm going to use Misano blu met for my next resto.


Celeste is nothing like lemans, it's a very light washed out grey blue.  The police car blue (panther) is similarly a seperate paint code as is the dark blue (finance) for them.

[ItalCarGuy]

Montreals had their own special colours.  http://montreal.alfa-male.com/2014/10/31/70s-kaleidoscope/

The Montreal blue is AR326 Blu Medio (Mid Blue)

[sudsy]

So yes I got the paint mixed today, its spot on..

That Montreal's colour looks (from a distance/in the photo) ideal and at very least highly similar to my shade.
Interestingly, on first glance, it too was not even in that Montreal colour chart..