1959 356A Garnish rail color, front signal lens

[Ai-Ling Lee]

Hi everyone,

We are very excited to be getting our first 356A, it’s 1959. Wondering about two things how the factory originally had it.

What is the garnish rail color? The interior is Tan color. Should it be a deeper tone? Or a tone to match as close as possible to the Tan color upholstery? Please see some examples posted.

Secondly, the car appears to be Euro delivery for a US resident. So car gauges are US, and lights too.

What should a 1959 front signal lens type be? Turn type like from a T5? Or a tall beehive glass? US spec we’ll go clear color. Please see some examples photos posted.

Love to hear thoughts how the factory had it. Most garnish rails articles we’ve seen are for red interior. Curious how it would be for Tan.

Thank you!

[Martin Benade]

A 59 would have it like your second picture with the twist off lens

[Jules Dielen]

Bayonet style lenses indeed. Garnish rail most likely the same color as the door panels but often they used darker colors for light interiors to reduce glare. Tan interiors often got black dash tops.

[Dave Erickson]

Jules, what colors did the factory use for sunvisors in 1959? Mostly I have seen ivory like yours, but I have also seen black advertised.

[Brad Ripley]

What is the chassis number of your car? to determine the type of blinkers lights.

[Ai-Ling Lee]

VIN 108528. Car is a coupe, sunroof.

Thanks for all the info!
Interesting about the black dash top.
Wonder if there’s photo examples of how deep a color the garnish rails are if the interior is tan.

As for the turn style front signal lens, would it be glass or plastic for original?

[Vic Skirmants]

Front signal lens; plastic.
I have NEVER seen a black sunvisor in a 356 from the factory.

[Jules Dielen]

Standard sun visors are tan to match the headliner from mid 1957 on. I am sure they would make them any color you want as long as you paid for it.

[Steve Douglas]

Your car was built in late July? What body color is your car?
After February of '59 dash tops were to be "non-reflective", meaning a darker color. Most tan interior cars were dark brown, black, or if the body was a dark color then they dash top could be somewhat matching. The garnish rails were painted a similar color to match the dash tops. I have seen two tan interior original Fjord Green cars where the dash tops and rails were Brown, and several Ruby Red, '59s with red dash top and a slightly darker garnish rails. Darker colored interiors sort of matched the upholstery to the dash and rails, such as black/charcoal, red, brown, green, dark blue, dark grey. Light grey and Tan I think were the only "reflective" colors used in the As.
As far as the front lens style, there seems to have been both used in the last of the A cars, two screw style were found on three original cars built in late June and July, with tourist delivery, twist ons style was used on US delivered cars.

[Ai-Ling Lee]

Car was built 22.7.59.
Ext originally white but we are changing to Fjord green.
Interior Kardex had no info. Now is tan color, not the dark brown though.

Front signal lens, when you say 2 screws style is that the tall beehive lens?

[Steve Douglas]

Yes the tall beehive style, as seen on a few original US specced tourist delivered cars, in the 1084xx to the end.

[Ai-Ling Lee]

Thanks all. Anyone have photos of original Tan interior with painted garnish rail colors?

[Jim Clement]

would the garnish rails not be the same colour as the exterior of the car ?

[Dave Erickson]

Front signal lens; plastic.
I have NEVER seen a black sunvisor in a 356 from the factory.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165807571382

Must not be original...

[Jules Dielen]

Front signal lens; plastic.
I have NEVER seen a black sunvisor in a 356 from the factory.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165807571382

Must not be original...

Most likely painted at one point in time. You can see the ivory peeking through where the missing screws are.

I ended up painting a pair of sun visors tan after I gave up on cleaning them. Looked half way decent actually.