Volvo 960 Touch Up Paint (18 OEM Colors)

The Color Breakdown

Volvo was surprisingly adventurous with the 960, offering a library of 18 different colors. While they certainly leaned into the "classy executive" palette with shades like Silver Sand Metallic and Dark Gray Metallic, they also really went for it with some boutique choices. If you're driving one in Blackberry Wine Pearl, Aubergine Metallic, or the vibrant Nautic Blue Pearl, you've got one of the more expressive bricks on the road. It wasn't just 50 shades of grey; it was a sophisticated lineup for a car that looks like it belongs in front of a mid-90s embassy.

What to Watch For

Finding your paint code on the 960 is a bit of a scavenger hunt. Instead of the door jamb, pop the hood and look at the radiator support (the metal frame running across the front of the engine bay). You're looking for a small metal plate with a three-digit number, like "412" or "417." Regarding the paint itself, these cars were built right as environmental regulations were changing paint formulas, which means the clear coat-especially on the roof, hood, and trunk-tends to get tired. If you see white, flaky edges around a chip, it's a sign that the sun has been working overtime. Keep an eye on those horizontal surfaces; catching a chip early prevents that "peeling" effect from spreading across the panel.

Driveway Repair Tip

Since so many of these colors are "Pearls" or "Metallics," they require a little extra rhythm. Before you touch the car, shake your touch-up bottle for at least 60 full seconds. You need to wake up those tiny metallic flakes that have settled at the bottom; otherwise, your "Champagne" might look more like "Flat Beige." When you apply the paint, think of it like building a sandwich: thin, light layers are your friend. If you try to fill a deep chip with one big "blob" of paint, the metallic flakes won't lay flat and the color will look off. Give it three minutes between thin dabs, and you'll find that matching these complex tones just requires a little patience.