Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Norton bulletin board Polychromatic Blue Model 88

This gem appeared on fleabay, said to be a 1957 Model 88.

Polychromatic Blue was a colour color option for Nortons all through the 1950s,
although you don't often see it. The poly grey is more common, and black and chrome was another option.
Wonder if it was sold like this, or has been painted on since then ?
Note that 1950s polychromatic blue is a MUCH lighter shade than say was the manxman of the 1960s.

A blue 99 on fleabay.
I'd say these 2 owners didn't go to the same paint supplier...



OK, so its not poly blue, but this gem of a 99 appeared on fleabay, restored to a very high standard.
They are calling it a 1956 - and with laydown box and all the features you would expect.

That is lovely indeed!

Another poly blue 88 on fleabay. Said to be 1959 - no details supplied.
Very tidy indeed.
Brand new paint by the look of it ...



I couldn't help noticing this 55 Triumph, in a darker shade of Polychromatic Blue
Not sure what they called that shade ?

https://scontent.fbne5-1.fna.fbcdn....50SJ9UXkHOmzU2xpvIZ584iQ&oe=61BD35DB

Somewhere about then, they also started using a 'Shell Blue',
which wasn't too different to Nortons' PolyBlue of the 1950s. ?

Also came across this poly blue tank on a P11
Now that would have to be unusual ??
Tank looks pretty clean, on a mildly beaten up bike ...

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/N~kAAOSwwTphuwYA/s-l1600.jpg

And perhaps we should throw in these immaculate polychromatic grey dommies,
as a finish that many a Norton was done in.
To demonstrate how different the interpretation of poly grey is these days...!
The latter is my choice, although a lighter shade is oft seen.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154639031662?hash=item2401345d6e:g:VYcAAOSwpI9hKjrJ
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/BhwAAOSwRG1hPgQA/s-l1600.jpg

To repeat, polychromatic paints are not "metallic" paints as such, the particles are extremely fine.
And something like powdered glass, mica or 'pearl' type paints are required to emulate them.

As for when Nortons started using polychromatic paint colours, the only thing I can find is this notice
in a little booklet published in Oz circa 1950, as a guide to all marques and models.



Interesting that they use a photo of a black and silver/chrome bike to illustrate this article !

I have not been able to find anything in the UK bike magazines, although my collection is a bit patchy in this era.
Nor have I seen mentioned in print anyplace when this may have been for Nortons introduction to coloured paint..
Its easy to find for Sunbeam, Royal Enfield and Douglas who all used it earlier.
Triumph was about the same time ?

I found an ad for Disney's Motors in Melbourne (Melbourne Herald 26 April 1950, p.25) which says "See the polychromatic blue and Gunmetal twins". Disney's were on stand no. 9 of the Motor Cycle Court at the 1950 International Motor Show (presumably in Melbourne).

Brycars P/L were advertising the "Sun" - "The Rolls Royce of autocycles" . I wonder if they made a top-of-the-line Grand Alpine Sports?

Thanks SS, thats quite a good find.
Possibly the earliest mention even.

When you fossick around in there, there is mention of polychromatic and metallic sheen and iridiscent and gunmetal,
so it would seem even the naming hadn't sorted itself out yet.

Its odd, not one example of these early coloured Norton dommies seems to have survived intact.
Either owners rode them into dust, or they were painted over. ?
Plenty of bits seem to have had the latter done to them, you find many bits overpainted in black.
Or stray coloured bits liberated from their bike.

https://i.postimg.cc/BnCXFkXs/PB-damper-knobs.jpg

Dec 1950 advert.
Blue or Grey were all the go ...




Polychromatic Grey would become a common finish for all the 1950s, and the Polychromatic Blue would be optional



And anothery, a featherbed dommie 88 Deluxe out in Ohio.
Sez 1953, but has 1954 features.

If thats not about the same shade as my dommie samples, I'll eat my err hat.

The blue 99 2nd post here - which image has disappeared - is back on the market.
"In striking blue livery"



Polychromatic blue paint was a Norton colour option all through much of the 1950s, but you don't see them too often ...
Presumably to match Triumph's use of this colour.

Our inconsolable wizard of metalwork Ross Thompson was an owner of such polychromatic blue Norton Dominator. Was any of this bikes coming from Ontario , Canada?

I've got him, RIP, as a slimline Deluxe, 1960s obviously.



With a rather slender looking (?) version of the slim cigar type mufflers of the early 1960s,
that were unobtanium ? for some years.

A different era of paints for Norton - red, blue, green, dove grey
And also Manxman blue. And silver and black.

Maybe its time to diverge a tad, and show what other makers were doing.

BSA had a poly green in the late 1950s, with the Shooting Star



Douglas and Royal Enfield and Sunbeams had blues and greys and greens likewise.

And Nortons had the Manxman 650 in the early 1960s, a darker shade of blue than previously.
And that red seat ! Wonder who's idea that was ...




Note that these paints were a single stage enamel. No basecoat, No clearcoat on top.
Modern paints may vary ...

Camera flash has really brought out the iridescence in the Manxman's polychromatic blue paint.

And a rather handsome looking dommie in a light poly grey.
Older resto, said to be a 1959 Model 88
Interesting muffler detail ?
And rather obvious oil tank tap, Commando TLS front brake.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/amgAAOSwM05h4n3Y/s-l1600.jpg

A Douglas of the mid 1950s. Not commonly seen these days.
https://www.douglasmotorcycles.net/aa-files/2022/2022-03-16-DouglasMk5-5r.jpg

Their blue of the late 1940s was a fairly strong seller.
https://douglasmcc677011571.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/mk4-1950-1280x732.jpg

Bit darker than Nortons used.