1996 Bentley Touch Up Paint (1 OEM Colors)

The 1996 Bentley Vibe

Welcome to 1996-the year the Turbo R and the Continental R were the undisputed kings of the road, and "reasonable" was a word used only by people who didn't drive six-and-a-half-liter turbocharged bricks. This was the peak of the pre-takeover era at Crewe, where the cars were still hand-built by men who probably had sawdust in their tea. While the rest of the world was experimenting with teal and champagne, the only color that truly mattered for a gentleman's express was Racing Green. It wasn't just a color; it was a statement that you owned a driveway long enough to require its own zip code.

Paint Health Check

By 1996, Bentley had moved fully into the high-solids basecoat/clearcoat era. It looks deep enough to drown in when it's fresh, but we've entered the "Peeling Era." Even a hand-sprayed legend isn't immune to delamination. You might notice the clear coat starting to look a bit cloudy around the edges of the hood or the roof of that Azure. If you see what looks like a dry skin graft peeling off your fender, that's the clear coat giving up the ghost. Once the bond between the base and the clear fails, the environment starts eating your pigment for breakfast.

Restoration Tip

The secret to keeping a '96 Bentley from looking like a neglected project is to seal every chip immediately. Because these were sprayed with significant film builds, a rock chip creates a "ledge" where moisture and air can get trapped. Once that happens, the clear coat will start to lift and "creep" away from the chip, turning a 2mm fix into a 2-foot headache. Don't wait for the weekend-if you see a nick in that Racing Green, get some paint on it and seal it before the clear decides to vacate the premises.