At the Geneva Motor Show in March 2018, David Brown Automotive showcased two special car editions: the new Speedback Silverstone Edition and the Mini Remastered. PPG was heavily involved in developing great paint finishes for the cars, which included a selection of retro colors and exclusive finishes.
Speedback Silverstone Edition - built for the 21st century
Following the success of the Speedback GT, David Brown Automotive have now launched the Speedback Silverstone Edition.
Taking inspiration from Silverstone's race heritage and aeronautical past, Speedback Silverstone Edition is a fully engineered performance grand tourer, taking inspiration from icons of the Sixties and encompassing an array of beautifully handcrafted finishes. This special edition is limited to just 10 cars and was one of the highlights from the Motor Show.
This was without doubt one of the stars of the Geneva Motor Show and to see it for the first time was fantastic. The colors perfectly complimented the aggressive elegance and styling that the Speedback Silverstone Edition required. The car was finished in an exclusive ‘Fly by Night’ highly metallic gunmetal grey, with a very subtle fading center race stripe which we developed together with the David Brown Automotive design team.
David Rossiter, PPG UK Senior Color Lab Manager
Introducing Mini Remastered
Speedback GT and Speedback Silverstone Edition were not the only cars exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show by the brand. David Brown Automotive also showcased Mini Remastered, a reimagined classic icon.
Mini Remastered is completely hand built using traditional coachbuilding techniques at David Brown Automotive's new Silverstone-based HQ in the UK. The classic British icon, remastered for the 21st Century, blends modern technology and connectivity with bespoke techniques.
The car takes inspiration from the original British motoring icon, the original, pre-2000 Mini. The car is then rebuilt using bespoke design, modern connectivity, luxury materials and handcraftsmanship. Each car is passionately built from the ground-up, taking around 1,000 man hours to create.
Mini Remastered Paint Range by PPG
Each Mini Remastered undergoes an extensive hand-applied paint process that takes four weeks to carry out. This ensures that every car is not only flawlessly finished but protected for a lifetime. This is where the David Brown Automotive team placed their trust in our company to create a unique range of colors that reflect the exclusivity of the car.
We recognize the excellent quality and paint development abilities of PPG and it is a real pleasure to be working with them again in the creation of an entirely unique range of colors that fit perfectly the personality of the model.
Michelle Gay, Sales & Marketing Director at David Brown Automotive
Photo credit: davidbrownautomotive.com
This exciting task was undertaken by our color laboratory in Stowmarket, UK. We have collaborated with David Brown Automotive’s design team to create a luxury color scheme. The color styling process began with small model cars which were painted with different color samples and special effects. These colors were then sent off for further development before eventually being approved and joining the unique range.
In total, PPG have now exclusively developed over 70 colors for David Brown Automotive at the Color Matching Centre of Excellence facility in Stowmarket. This ranges from classic and traditional colors to ones which use the very latest pigment technology.
We introduced new colors to help tailor to customers individual color choices. Using our products throughout the process ensures the quality of finish is of the very highest standard. With the success of both Speedback and Mini Remastered, we wonder what’s next for this exciting partnership.
David Rossiter, PPG UK Senior Color Lab Manager