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59 interior

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Bob_s

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first of many questions i suppose..is there any #'s anywhere that tell you the original color of the interior? car is white and seats look original and are red but need to be replaced. thanks
 
thanks rich..so i'm to assume that either red or black was used from the factory and all #'s on the car would be the same with both? also i have the factory hardtop and the previous owner started stripping it. he said it was black but from reading that link they were all white..is that also corect in your experience?
 
Red or Black, here is red.
 

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i was going to black if it was the correct interior but looking at that one i need to think a little more on it..i'll leave it up to the wife..that is one nice bugeye
 
That makes me wanna change my midget interior to red... man that looks good
 
If you really want to know what color interior your car left the factory with you should consider ordering a heritage certificate from the British Heritage Motor Trust. They can go through the factory records and tell you how your car left the line and where it went.
https://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/shop/heritage-certificates/index.html

Another quick way to eliminate the Black option would be to check you serial number against the number listed on the link I sent earlier. According to note 4, Black was only available on cars manufactures after April 1959 and Serial number AN5-9603. So if you car has a serial number earlier than AN5-13543 your interior <span style="text-decoration: underline">SHOULD</span> only have been Red.
 
#an5l 38322, but..it's kind of red now..wife likes red..red looks fantastic on jack laird's car..red it is..thanks for the heritage link
 
They're both nice. Tunebug has a black interior from original, and I quite like it. Of course, Jack's Ms Agatha is quite nice in red as well. Can't go wrong either way.
 
If I read the Midget and Sprite Club referench above, it said

<span style="font-weight: bold">"Black seats and trim became an alternative to red from AN5 - 9603 (January 1959)"</span>

Doesn't that mean that it was an option, not the only color?

thanks,
Scott in CA.

My VIN is 30409 and with a 1960 year model. It is OEW and I'm going with Laird"s colors. I like the red SO MUCH, that I am going with a red Tonneau, even though I know it is non-standard.
Scott in CA
 
Red is awesome. I really like red on Dove Gray.
Like this
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]"If you really want to know what color interior your car left the factory with you should consider ordering a heritage certificate from the British Heritage Motor Trust. They can go through the factory records and tell you how your car left the line and where it went." [/QUOTE]


The interior color is also written on the back of the dashboard in white or yellow paint marker along with other info like radio, tac, etc.


That Dove Gray is lovely.
 
Here's a great video that we've all seen before but is good for the soul.

Refresh your soul
 
AN5L/38322 was produced in April-May 1960. Black was not an option per se. After January some OEW's were produced with Cherry Red interiors and some with Black interiors. Both would have had white piping.
 
Mine, AN5L/38024 as far as I know, and I am apparently the second owner, was original with Leaf green exteriour, black seats and green trim (instrument panel, aluminium cockpit surround, door pocket panels, interiour kick panels, rubber mat).

I just think it's interesting that all interiour parts were green except the seats and the door inside rubber covers which were black. I unfortunately didn't ever have the boot panels. They were apparently discarded when the car was renovated after a rather extensive rear-end collision.
 
The original interior color for the Midget was not the wine red offered today, It was a bright, cherry red and is currently unavailable. All the distributors sell the wine red sets like the AH had (same color as Jack's).
 
Same for Sprites. Bright Red replaced Cherry Red in February 1962. The interiors sold by AH Spares is a very close match to the Cherry Red.
 
Have you tried one Ray? I talked to them on the phone and had a material patch sent last year, and it is closer to the wine red that VB and Moss sell. Maybe they changed vendors. I have had examples from all three plus a couple of vendors on ebay and none of them match the red on my interior (which is original other than the carpet and the seat covers, which were changed in 73. Right color, wrong pattern). Picture below to show how different the color is from what is available today.
 

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if this was built in april/may of 60 does anyone know when the model yr changed back then? maybe i have a 60 and need to verify the vin#. i used the 38322 off the mass. title which states 1959. also jack's car is not cherry it's wine?
 
Bryan

I did the same thing. I had several good pieces from my 59 Bugeye that had never seen the light of day (back side of the dash, under the seat, etc.). I got samples from about eight or nine sources. AH Spares was the closest match I could find. I have a NOS door check strap in Bright Red that I bought for comparison. Big difference from Cherry Red.
 
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