[DavidG]

We all know that relying on paint colors from photographs is a tricky business at best, given all of the variables that may impact color in a photo. For example, in the photos of the two station wagons shown above, both photos would appear to have been taken at midday in sunlight. If all other things were equal, one likely would conclude that the two browns are not the same and that perhaps the first photo is indeed one of the Emperor browns (likely medium, the '33 color), which lack the umber tone of Winterleaf brown - light, which is evident in the color in the second photo.

According to the period Acme White Lead and Color Works' (Detroit, Mich.) formulas on the back of their large color chips, Winterleaf brown - light consisted of 16 parts "basic tinting umber", 4 1/2 parts "white", 1/2 part "basic tinting yellow", 1/2 part "basic tinting orange", and 1/4 part "basic tinting black" (total 21 3/4 parts). By way of comparison, their formula for Emperor brown - light consisted of 16 parts "basic tinting black", 13 parts "white", 5 3/4 parts "basic tinting orange", and 1/2 part "basic tinting orange" (total 35 1/4 parts). Clearly these two paint colors were distinctly different from one another.

When Ford replaced the Winterleaf browns with the Emperor browns in September, 1932, their instructions to the assembly plants was to continue to use the Winterleaf browns until the quantity of paint left in inventory was consistent with the remaining requirements for use on station wagons. There must have been a fair amount on hand beyond the requirements for '32 station wagons as Ford U.S. was still offering the color on '33 export models. This helps explain why surviving original examples of the Emperor browns on '32s are so scarce. It also suggests that all '32 station wagons were originally painted in winterleaf brown - light, except those sold to large fleet accounts which could specify any color they wanted as long as the type of paint met Ford's engineering specifications.