Speedster carpets: photo request

[Jon Warshawsky]

From the attached (poor quality camera phone) photo of Speedster #82191 prior to restoration, it looks like my car came with tan carpets w/black border. It was a racing car, so I doubt anyone bothered to replace the carpets over the years.

I also suspect it was a white car originally (thanks to info from Steve Heinrichs), with black seats w/white piping. The steering wheel has surivived with a grey finish, that may well be the original color.

Do any of you Speedster owners here have a photo of a car with these interior colors? (i.e., black seats/white piping, tan carpets/black border)?

In my mind, it looks like it wouldn't go all that well together. I'm leaning toward going with grey, which seems to have been available for early white Speedster. But, it seems like that was how it left the factory, so I'd be interested in seeing how it would look.

Thanks in advance.

[Bruce Baker]

From the attached photo of Speedster #82191 prior to restoration, it looks like my car came with tan carpets w/black border.
I also suspect it was a white car originally (thanks to info from Steve Heinrichs), with black seats w/white piping. The steering wheel has surivived with a grey finish, that may well be the original color.

Do any of you Speedster owners here have a photo of a car with these interior colors? (i.e., black seats/white piping, tan carpets/black border)?

In my mind, it looks like it wouldn't go all that well together. I'm leaning toward going with grey, which seems to have been available for early white Speedster. But, it seems like that was how it left the factory, so I'd be interested in seeing how it would look.

Thanks in advance.

In my limited personal experience with ORIGINAL Speedsters, the piping of the seats was usually white on black and red (the 'common' Speedster interiors) and a contrast on opposite combinations, regardless of carpet binding. The binding was usually (an always relative and inclusive word with these statements) reflective of the upholstery color, regardless of carpet color. Black seats and panels meant black vinyl binding on tan, 'oatmeal,' whatever.
Here is a shot of an originally black Speedster that had a black interior with tan carpet and black binding. It's current owner debated the need to stay totally original, realized he'd be driving it in the summer heat, top down, and instead chose a 'saddle' tan interior, thus the tan binding on the carpet. The piping was then black on the seats for contrast.

[Jon Warshawsky]

Thanks Bruce. I like the contrasting piping on the seats and will probably go with the original black w/white piping.

On the carpets, the black border on tan seems like it would look "busy", which is why I was thinking of going grey w/black binding with the carpets. The owner of the black car in your photo found a neat way out of the whole issue...

[Chuck House]

Early Speedsters had gray carpet with black interior, however it was really a gray/brown color which isn't available today (it is grayer than tan and more brownish than the available gray today). I believe there is a photo in Heinrich's book. I have this in my speedster and as it ages, it gets decidedly brown looking, but if you can find a spot which has been protected well, you can see the gray also. I would go with the gray carpet now as opposed to tan. The colors of your car sounds exactly like mine, i.e. black vinyl, white piping, gray/brown carpet with black binding, gray steering wheel and knobs and the exterior is white.

[Jon Warshawsky]

Early Speedsters had gray carpet with black interior, however it was really a gray/brown color which isn't available today (it is grayer than tan and more brownish than the available gray today). I believe there is a photo in Heinrich's book. I have this in my speedster and as it ages, it gets decidedly brown looking, but if you can find a spot which has been protected well, you can see the gray also. I would go with the gray carpet now as opposed to tan. The colors of your car sounds exactly like mine, i.e. black vinyl, white piping, gray/brown carpet with black binding, gray steering wheel and knobs and the exterior is white.

Yes, a pure tan would have looked out of place with the grey steering wheel/knobs.

I see the photo in the Heinrichs book on p. 157. on the sample card.

Maybe the "G-7" grey shown on the Autos International materials samples would be closest. It's hard to conclude anything looking at it on a PC screen, but it looks like it may have flecks of tan.

[Tom Scott]

Here are some photos of original T1, 1957, Speedster carpet colors. The red carpet is from a white exterior, 82561, and the tan is from 83124, aqua marine metallic exterior.

Tom Scott