The color of my A-400 (Steve Ryan) is Stone Brown and Stone Gray with Tacoma wheels. Is it correct?  Not according to latest Judging Standards (REV.1997). In the earlier release of the Judging Standards this combination was listed. I had a 1931 Deluxe Roadster that I sold a few years back that was painted these colors and thought it was the best color combination Ford had in 1931.

I built the car for me to drive and my family injoyment.  When I saw that the color scheme was listed and then dropped, I inquired to members of the JSC, which I am a member of, to why the change. The basic reply was that when the A-400 was first released, the common belief was that they were painted the standard colors of the 1931 Deluxe open cars. During the re-write of revision-2, the known 'service letters' which had serfaced did not list my color combinations, therefore without documentation the colors were dropped in the revision.

I had to make a decision on what color to paint. This was weighed against the 'Standards', which I have the utmost respect for and against what I wanted. It was a tough decision that could ultimatelly devalue my restoration. The perfered color combination won. I would also like to say that I remember reading somewhere that to bost sagging sales in 1931, Ford anounced that they would paint any car, any of the current colors being offered at that time--wow, I love loope-holes.

The bottom line is that it is your car and unless you are going to show it in Fine Point Judging, which is a VERY rewarding endevor, build it to what pleases you. Steve Ryan