1989 Aston-Martin Touch Up Paint (3 OEM Colors)

The 1989 Aston-Martin Vibe

Welcome to 1989, the year Aston Martin decided to bridge the gap between the brawny, old-school V8 Vantage and the futuristic (well, for then) Virage. It was a time of hand-rolled aluminum panels and a paint booth that smelled like proper solvent and ambition. While the rest of the world was driving around in plastic econoboxes, Newport Pagnell was still turning out heavy-hitting steel and alloy icons. We've focused our attention on the survivors of this era, the ones wearing the heavyweights of the palette: British Racing Green, Bright Red, and the sophisticated Stornoway Silver. Back then, a red Aston wasn't just a car; it was a statement that you'd officially won the decade.

Paint Health Check

The Legend might be bulletproof, but the clear coat technology of 1989 was still finding its legs. This puts your Aston square in the middle of The Peeling Era. By the late '80s, the transition to basecoat/clearcoat systems was standard for high-end metallics and even many solids. The "Reality" is that while those layers of Stornoway Silver look miles deep, the bond between the color and the clear is the weak link. If your Aston has spent too much time baking in the sun or braving the elements without a garage, you're likely staring at Delamination. Once that clear coat starts to go milky or flakes off like a bad sunburn, you aren't just looking at a "polish and wax" job-you're looking at a total failure of the stack.

Restoration Tip

If you still have original paint, your mantra is "Seal and Shield." Those hand-built aluminum bodies are gorgeous, but they don't play nice with moisture once the paint is compromised. Seal every stone chip immediately. On these 1989 models, a tiny nick in the clear coat is an open invitation for water and contaminants to wedge themselves between the layers. Once that happens, the clear coat will lift and spread faster than a rumor at a car show. Clean the chip, dab in your color, and get it sealed before the air has a chance to turn a small fix into a full respray.