CCM Maroon Paint

I am restoring a 1933 CCM Crescent, but the paint need to be redone as someone seems to have added some blue to the original brown/maroon colour. It still has its pin strips.

Can anyone tell me the code for the brown/maroon colour match that CCM was so famous for?

1 Comments

Maroon was a very popular colour for CCM bicycles from the 1920's up to the early 1950's. However, the exact colour of maroon varies almost by the year. Some maroons were almost like a cherry red, while others were like a deep burgundy. In 1933, I think that the maroon colour used by CCM tended to be darker. It is very difficult to make an exact match for early paint colours using modern materials and techniques. This is due to the fact that many of the pigments used in older paints are no longer available. Lead, which was common in older paints, has also been removed. Colours used in the old days had a lot more life to them then their modern counterparts, which are made using synthetic pigments. High quality oil-based enamels are still used in Europe, particularly in Holland, and can be bought in Canada at selected dealers. Another super high quality enamel is One Shot, which is used for pin striping and in graphic arts. One Shot can be found at specialty dealers across Canada (check their website). One Shot can be applied with a good quality brush to give outstanding results and they offer a Maroon which is good for CCM bikes. Auto Body Shop Supplies may claim that thay can match any colour, which is highly unlikely given the changes in pigments. They also like to deal in base coat / clear coat paints. Some regular paint stores may still offer an oil (alkyd) enamel paint with a glossy finish. They can also do their best to come up with some sort of a "match".

John Williamson