[Mgs] Alamo Beige MGA

[David Breneman]

--- On Fri, 7/31/09, David F. Darby <ddarby at centurytel.net> wrote:

> IMHO, of all the unfortunate colors that BMC concocted (and
> there were a
> host of them) Alamo Beige is the most exponentially
> nauseating, unfortunate
> one of all. If you really like it, go for it, but again,
> just an opinion, I
> would choose any color from the BMC palette except that
> one.

You're got to keep in mind the historical context.  In
the 1950s, synthetic dyes were finally coming into their
own.  After decades of dark, non-aggressive colors,
suddenly any shade under the sun could be reproduced
in bright, relatively fade-free tones that seemed to
radiate from the paint or ink, not draw light into it.
This bright colorfulness is a foundation of 1950s
design.   Why were turquoise shades so popular in the
50s?  Because for the first time, they could be *done*.
Not the pale turquoise of the deco era, but the bright
in-your-face turquoise associated with colors like
glacier blue.  The MGA is a historic car.  It reflects
the design idioms of its age.  Bright, unusual colors
are part of that.  Alamo beige was one of those new,
experimental colors.  Even dove gray is a "bright"
gray.  That's part of the MGA's historical significance.