BMW 1 Series Touch Up Paint (44 OEM Colors)

The Color Breakdown

BMW didn't hold back with the 1 Series, giving us a massive library of 44 recorded colors. It's a bit of a "50 Shades of Grey" situation with classics like Titan Silver Metallic, Space Gray, and Skyscraper Grey, but they definitely "went for it" with the bolder choices. If you're rocking Valencia Orange Metallic or the bold Marrakesh Brown, you've got a car that refuses to blend into the supermarket parking lot. Whether it's the crisp Alpine White III or the deep Carbon Black Metallic, these colors were designed to catch the light-and unfortunately, the occasional rogue pebble.

What to Watch For

Before you start, you need your "DNA sequence." Open the driver's door and look for a black sticker on the jamb, or pop the hood and check the driver's side strut tower (that metal hump over the wheel). You're looking for a three-digit code. The 1 Series is famous for "soft" clear coats, which means it's a bit of a magnet for stone chips on the hood and front bumper. If you see little white "porcelain" dots, don't panic-that's just the primer showing through where a rock decided to introduce itself. The paint can also be a little brittle around the door handles, so keep an eye out for small flakes starting there.

Driveway Repair Tip

Since so many 1 Series colors are high-end metallics or pearls-like Mineral White Metallic or Midnight Blue II-your biggest job is the "The Great Shake." Those tiny metallic flakes like to nap at the bottom of the bottle; shake that paint for at least 60 seconds to wake them up so they match your car's sparkle. When you're ready to apply, put down the "giant" brush that comes in the cap. Instead, use a toothpick or a tiny artist's brush to dab a small amount of paint into the center of the chip. Think of it like icing a tiny cupcake-less is more, and you want the paint to flow out to the edges on its own rather than forcing a big blob onto the car.