SPECTRAFLAME COLORS & SHADES

There are several specific colors Mattel used during the Spectraflame era but what collectors have come to find over the years is that there are color families. Why? Simply because there are many shades of the same color which can vary from casting to casting, from year to year and from country of origin to country of origin. This can be attributed to many different factors but the main reason seems to be that no two batches of paint were mixed the same way. Also, there were different suppliers at various stages of production, each having their own formula for each color. Then take into account the preparation of each casting prior to being painted and you have even more chances for inconsistencies. For instance, if a casting is highly polished, then it tends to be very bright and colorful. If a casting is not polished well or the metal has a dark finish, the color would tend to be dim and dull.

Let’s use the color aqua as an example. You can find a dark aqua, a very blue looking aqua, a very green looking aqua and even a very light or icy looking aqua. The color is still aqua; it’s just a particular shade within the aqua family. These types of variances apply to all the Spectraflame colors. Mattel did use some enamel paints during the Spectraflame era however they are not prone to the vast variances as are the Spectraflame colors.

Also, it is important to note that UV rays can affect paint color over time. A good example of this is the result of taking a car painted in true green and exposing it to direct sunlight. Over time, the green faded to an icy aqua-blue color. The theory for this occurrence is that this particular mixture of green paint was prone to UV fading. Not all paint colors and not all of the same color paint is susceptible. Nevertheless, always take care when storing and displaying your Spectraflame beauties.

Below are the more commonly found colors both in Spectraflame and enamel. The terms in parentheses are alternate names collectors use when describing the corresponding color.