1996 Mercedes-Benz Touch Up Paint (19 OEM Colors)

The 1996 Mercedes-Benz Vibe

1996 was the year Mercedes-Benz decided to trade in the "brick" look for the "four-eyed" gaze of the W210 E-Class and the bulletproof elegance of the W140 S-Class. It was an era where the German heavyweights were transitioning from classic tanks to high-tech cruisers. We've focused our collection on the survivors of this period-the colors that defined the executive parking lots of the mid-90s. We're talking about the timeless Brilliant Silver Metallic that made every C-Class look like it was moving while standing still, and the moody, sophisticated Black Opal Pearl that shifted its personality depending on which way the sun hit the Autobahn.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to The Peeling Era. While a 1996 Mercedes is mechanically built to outlast your grandson, the paint tech of the mid-90s had a specific Achilles' heel: delamination. By '96, almost everything leaving the factory had a clear coat, and that clear layer is likely reaching its expiration date if it's spent too much time under the sun. You'll know the trouble is starting when the finish looks "cloudy" or starts shedding like a bad sunburn on the roof and trunk. Once that clear coat fails, the base color underneath is defenseless. If you're seeing white, flaky edges around your stone chips, you're in a race against time before the clear lifts entirely.

Restoration Tip

In this era, your best friend is prevention. Seal your chips immediately. Because of how the clear coat was bonded in '96, a single rock chip is an invitation for moisture and air to get under the top layer and start a "lift" that can spread across a whole panel. When you find a chip in that Midnight Blue or Polar White, don't wait. Clean the area thoroughly and apply your touch-up color followed by a solid clear layer to "lock" the edges of the factory paint down. It's not just about the color; it's about creating a seal to stop the delamination from turning your hood into a peeling mess.