BAHAMA YELLOW – COLOUR OF CHOICE FOR SMOOTH CARS (MOSTLY)

Bahama Yellow has its place in the history of motoring, especially in the sixties and early seventies. Maybe it was considered swinging. It is undoubtedly groovy, verging on ‘far-out’ or even ‘outasight’. It seems to have made its first appearance on motor manufacturers’ colour palettes in the mid-sixties. It differs slightly in shade from ‘New York Taxi’ yellow (and indeed ‘Banana Yellow’). The colour’s association with speed, cool, expense and hip hasn’t prevented its later use for less sleek private cars and taxis in eastern Europe…

STOP PRESS I’m adding a new 2015 entry at the top of the page in honour of the fact that this vehicle is now on Abaco, with thanks to Ellsworth Watkins for use permission. This is such a great looking car – and the correct Bahama Yellow shade as well – that it deserves to be admired first… 

CORVETTE

PORSCHE 912

1968 Model (The Motoring Journal)

In the mid-60s Bahama Yellow was very far from the favourite colour choice , perhaps making it more elite… On the other hand, the colour palette shown here isn’t very tempting – if those were the true colours on offer, I might have considered a different car altogether…

ASTON MARTIN DBS – JAMES BOND’S FAVOURITE ‘WHEELS’

A DBS with Sir Roger Moore KBE, 007 carefully examining his fingernails for ‘bugs’  in his “Persuaders”  days, before his eyebrows got themselves an agent and took up an independent acting career. Sharp suit, Rog! A bit on the… er… fashionably tight side, maybe?

ASTON MARTIN AS A PRICEY DIECAST MODEL

DODGE PLYMOUTH 340 ROAD RUNNER 

Is it just me, or did this model (1969) have a serious design defect in the hood / trunk catch department? 

This one has regrettably done a ‘Tiger Woods’ with a fire hydrant…

While this one never really got going at all…

LOTUS EUROPA TWIN-CAM (1972)

Described in ads (Car and Classics; Pistonheads) as Bahama Yellow. It’s not really though is it? It’s a sort of lemon/ citrus yellow. At best. 

CORVETTE BARRACUDA

(yes, I realise it’s a toy, but it will do for present illustrative purposes)

Aha! At last I’ve found a real one – 1971 Model (MCG Motors). Still looks like a toy, though…

POLONEZ  c1980

Credits: as annotated or general ad / promotion /unattributed images

NEW ENTRY NOV 2013 I stopped today at a “petrol station” (in England, where no one says “diesel station”. Or “gas…”. Or even the all-embracing “fuel…”). Next to me was a sort of sporty-ish looking Bahama Yellow car. I neither knew nor cared what make it was, but I had to photograph it (iPh*ne). It turned out on inspection to be the unmemorably-named ‘Ford ST’, apparently a new model (though this one looked as though it had been round the block a few times, and possibly made contact with the block in the process). I found some gleaming stock images too. This question is, would someone (not me, obviously) look ‘cool’ in this car? It looks quite fun to drive; but then, so does a tractor.

FORD ST (2013)

RH note: I am not a car expert. I can remember only the colour / shape of our cars from day to day: estate, dark blue; small, ‘arrest-me’ red. I couldn’t care less about the models or indeed registrations (until I have to tax them. Then I go outside and take a look). Please don’t email me with well-meant histories of classic cars of the ’60s… this post is just a motor ignoramus’s survey for ‘fun’ (toxic concept…)