1980 Citroen Touch Up Paint (2 OEM Colors)

The 1980 Citroen Vibe

Welcome to 1980-the year Citroen decided to trade in the flower-power leftovers of the seventies for something a bit more sophistique. While the rest of the world was busy making boxes, the French were still perfecting the curves of the CX and giving the legendary 2CV a high-society makeover with the "Charleston" edition. Our database for this year is a love letter to the only colors that truly defined the era: Rouge de Garance and Rouge Delage. These aren't just reds; they're the shades of French prestige, whether you were floating on hydraulic suspension or bouncing through a vineyard.

Paint Health Check

If you're looking at a factory-original 1980 Citroen, you're standing in the Single Stage Era. Back then, we didn't hide the pigment under a plastic-wrap layer of clear coat; the color was the protection. The good news? It doesn't "peel" or delaminate like the junk from the late nineties. The bad news? It breathes. Without a clear shield, these deep reds are prone to "chalking"-that lovely oxidation process where the sun eats the pigment and leaves you with a car that looks like it's been dusted with flour. If your Rouge Delage is looking more like a dusty pink, that's not "patina"-it's a cry for help.

Restoration Tip

Because this is single-stage paint, you have a secret weapon: you can actually "resurface" the color. Unlike modern thin factory enamels, you've got enough meat on the bone to buff away the oxidation and find the vibrant red hiding underneath. Use a light polishing compound to take off the "chalk," but listen close: it needs wax or it dies. Once you've restored that shine, you have to seal it. Without a dedicated wax or sealant to block the UV rays, that French pigment will start turning back into a chalkboard before your next oil change. Keep it greasy, keep it glossy.