1973 BMC Touch Up Paint (11 OEM Colors)

The 1973 BMC Vibe

1973 was the year British Leyland was trying to hold it all together while the rest of the world was going wild for bell-bottoms and fuel shortages. Whether you were tossing a Mini around a London corner or trying to look dignified in an MGB with those new rubber bumpers, you were doing it in some of the most "seventies" colors ever conceived. Our database has tracked down 11 survivors from this era-the heavy hitters that defined the B-roads. We're talking about the unapologetic punch of Blaze Red and Bronze Yellow, and of course, the quintessential Harvest Gold, which is basically the official color of 1973. It was a time of transition: the psychedelic leftovers of the '60s meeting the earthy, muddy grit of the new decade.

Paint Health Check

If you're looking at an original '73 finish, you're dealing with the Single Stage Era. Back then, they didn't hide the pigment under a protective plastic shell of clear coat; the color was the protection. The problem? It's a sitting duck for "The Chalk." If your Damask Red looks more like a dusty pink brick or your Mallard Green has lost its forest-floor depth, that's oxidation. The sun literally bakes the top layer of pigment into a chalky residue. This paint doesn't peel or delaminate like the junk from the '90s-it just slowly dies a dusty death. If you rub your finger on the wing and it comes away the color of the car, your paint is literally screaming for help.

Restoration Tip

The beauty of 1973 single-stage paint is that it's honest-you can usually bring it back from the grave if there's enough "meat" left on the panel. You need to perform a "paint exfoliation." Use a fine polishing compound to gently rub away that dead, oxidized skin until the vibrant Teal Blue or Black Tulip underneath finally sees daylight again. But here is the Salty Painter's golden rule: It needs wax or it dies. Without a clear coat, that fresh pigment has zero UV defense. Once you've polished it, you must seal it with a heavy-duty wax or sealant immediately. Treat it like a living thing, and it'll keep that 1973 swagger; neglect it, and it'll be back to a chalkboard by next summer.