1960-66 GMC Paint Chips

[1960HDGMC]

Hello, I thought it might help to have a thread where we can pool all the paint chips out there for our year trucks. Since some colors were carryovers from earlier year models, we can include those chips for reference. Since I have research for my truck, I mostly have 60-61 information, but I will upload what I have. Thanks,GM

[1960HDGMC]

In researching the colors for the first year of the 6066 GMC trucks, I found that five colors were carryovers from 1959. Some of these colors go back to 1954. The carryover colors are:

Chrome Yellow 54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63 *52,53 different code#

Flame Red 54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63

Delta Green 55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63

Omaha Orange 57,58,59,60,61,62,63 *54,55,56 different code#

Cape Blue 59,60,61


The top four may have carried on past 1963, but my reference was from that year. Cape Blue was the only short lived carryover color. It lasted three years total, two years in 6066 era.

The six new for 1960 GMC colors are:

Mesa Tan 60,61

Lunar Yellow 60,61

Strata Blue 60,61,62,63

Pearl Gray 60,61,62,63

Crystal Green 60,61,62,63

Olympic White 60,61,62,63 *Base color for 1960-61 factory Two-Tone Paint

Only three colors were not available in Two-Tone Combination, Olympic White (DUH), Omaha Orange and Chrome Yellow. I suspect that Chrome Yellow was exclusive to school bus use, but I can not be certain. Only Omaha Orange seems like a candidate for Two-Tone of the three. It may have been a commercial truck color also. Maybe Dream Sicles and Pop-Ups were all the rage in 1960, and GMC did not want to offer a "Dream Sicle" truck. But you could order a "Banana Puddin" truck, which looks great by the way.

Of all the new colors, only the first two were two year only colors. The other four may have carried on, but my reference was from 1963. All 1960 colors carried over to 1961. There were no new colors for 1961. In fact, I am not aware of any changes of any type for 1961. Other than a higher serial number, I do not know what makes a 1961 different from a 1960.

The only out rider I am having a time pinning down is "1960 GMC Ebony Black #9000" It is often mentioned in chips pages, but it is missing or has an "X" thru it. Maybe they planned to offer it and pulled it at the last minute. I believe Ebony Black was offered by GMC at some time, but I think it might have been a special order color in 1960. Black is such a standard today, but so is air conditioning. I bet they pulled it because of this fact. I have only seen one factory black 1960 GMC. Are there others?

If I have left some color out ,or got something wrong, please chime in. This is what I have gathered, and it is prone to human error. Thanks for any help, GM

[1960HDGMC]

For 1962, GMC offered three new colors:

Harvest Yellow replaced Lunar Yellow

Palomino Tan replaced Mesa Tan

Terrace Blue replaced Cape Blue

There were twelve colors offered, nine carryovers (including Olympic White, still serving as Two-Tone Base Color) and three new replacement colors. Omaha Orange and Chrome yellow are still the only two colors not offered as a Two-Tone option with Olympic White. Outrider Alert-no Ebony Black mentioned in most chip sets, yet I have seen ads and real trucks that appear to be factory black. Help.

1962 saw the "hog snout" hood replaced with a new design. Very similar to the Chevy truck hood, the biggest difference was in the park light design. This was the last year of the "Knee Knocker" cab design with the wrap-around windshield. The Two-Tone paint scheme also changed in 1962. The bed above the body crease got white paint, but unlike 60 and 61, the cab and front clip do not have white from the body crease up.
That's about all I have, as my research centered around my 1960 GMC. I hope someone out there has more info to continue this discussion from the "Post Knee Knocker Years" (1963 up to 1966). GM

[1960HDGMC]

Here is a chip set for 1963 and 1964 GMC. It appears that all colors carried over from 1962 with no colors dropped or added. That would change in 1964. GM

[1960HDGMC]

Here are the 1964 -66 GMC Chipsets. Six colors were dropped ,while eight colors were added. These were the new colors offered in 1964:

Dark Blue replaced Varsity Blue

Light Green replaced Crystal Green

Yellow replaced Chrome Yellow

Light Blue replaced Strata Blue

Light Gray replaced Pearl Gray

Ivory replaced Olympic White

Red Flame Red kept

Bone White added


In 1964 GMC buyers now had there choice of two Whites and Two Reds. There were 12 total color choices for 1964. GM

[1960HDGMC]

For 1965 GMC only changed the names of two colors:


Yellow (Dark) new name for Yellow

Light Red new name for Red


All 13 colors carried over from 1964, with no new colors added. GM

[1960HDGMC]

For 1966, GMC made no changes to the color choices. All 13 colors carried over from 1965,for this final year of production of this series of GMC trucks. I hope you are as tired of reading as I am of typing and reading these color charts. GM

P.S. The only two colors that were available all seven years of this series of GMC trucks were, Flame Red and Omaha Orange.

[1960HDGMC]

Originally Posted by 1960HDGMC

Hello, I thought it might help to have a thread where we can pool all the paint chips out there for our year trucks. Since some colors were carryovers from earlier year models, we can include those chips for reference. Since I have research for my truck, I mostly have 60-61 information, but I will upload what I have. Thanks,GM

I located a 1959 GMC Color Chip set. It shows the five carryover colors that made it onto 1960 GMC trucks. GMC was famous for carryover parts, and paint was not off limits either. IF it worked and looked good, GMC said "Don't fix it". GM

[1960HDGMC]

1960 GMC Colors Update! I just received a packet full of info on the 1960colors. The bulletin shows that Black Was available in 1960. This Color Chip set is the official one from GMC, so it must be accurate. I am sure some of this stuff will help somebody answer some questions they may have. GM

[gmccollector]

GM , just read through this. Excellent post . Heres a question for you . How does a person find out what colors a GMC was originally ? Chevrolet stamped it on the Tag on the kick panel , GMC did not. So far all I see as color evidence on GMCs are chalk marks that aren't always there after all these years . Has anyone found GMC build sheets ? Or anything documenting their colors on paper or ??