Here is a great example of a true 1968 Ford Mustang GT Convertible.
one of the 500 cars for the rainbow of color promotion with a special paint # built in San Jose Cali
Repainted in the original flower power red powered by a J code 302 4 barrel v8 with a C-4 auto
HAVE THE MARTI REPORT FOR IT
power convertible top
visibility group
console
disc brakes
tilt away wheel
am 8 track
interior decor group
This is a summary of the information we’ve been able to gather on the Mustang sales promotion that ran between 1968 and possibly 1969 in the western United States called the Rainbow of Colors which allowed new Mustang owners to order a car in one of several special factory colors with wild names. The promotion was heavily advertised in the Los Angeles, San Jose, Honolulu, Salt Lake City areas from February through June of 1968 but its colors and options may have continued well into 1969. We’ve found owners of several Rainbow of Colors Mustangs, found several local dealer newspaper advertisements, and have been looking up paint codes to find out more. So here is a summary of what we have found so far.
All Rainbow of Colors promotional Mustangs were special order built in the San Jose plant; and as verified by newspaper sale advertisements, ordered in the Los Angeles, San Jose, Salt Lake City areas. We have also found an owner who purchased one in Honolulu. The earliest advertisement for the promotion we could find is a Ford advertisement on February 14th, 1968. This advertisement calls the promotion a Rainbow S
ale which features 10 special colors, on 500 limited edition Mustangs, in the West. It doesn’t list the 10 colors, but a few years later PPG Ditzler put out a supplemental 1967-69 Ford paint bulletin listing 13 colors for a Rainbow of Colors special. After collecting several dealer created Rainbow Sale advertisements from February through June of 1968, we see that specific color names and options are listed. It appears in many cases, the cars were Sprint optioned hardtops ordered by the dealer in groups of 10 special colors and setup along side their standard color Mustangs as part of a “Rainbow” sale. It also appears from the newspaper advertisements that sale went by many names Rainbow of Colors, Special Rainbow Colors, Rainbow Series, Rainbow Roundup, Special Rainbow Finish, Rainbow Mustang Sale, or just Rainbows. We believe there is also color printed advertising material out there, we are trying to get copies of them.
Below is an early advertisement from Galpin Ford of North Hills, Los Angeles in the February 16th, 1968, edition of the The Valley News and Green Sheet. It says Colors you never dreamed you would see on an automobile are being unveiled today during a spectacular Rainbow Sale at Galpin Ford Square. Orange Ice, Hot Pink, Swiss Chocolate, and Razzle-Dazzle Yellow are just a few of the dozens of exclusive colors you will find on new ’68 Fords at Galpin. And the promotion was not limited to just Mustangs, it included the Galxie 500 and Falcon 2-door. A later sale advertised by Galpin Ford on February 24th, 1968 included the color Yummy Yellow and the Fairlane and Cortina Model C. A different ad from Henry S Day Ford of Salt Lake City uses the color names Powerful Purple, Chartreuse, Passionate Pink, Coral, Sunlit Gold, and Acapulco Blue. Another ad from Flandro Ford Ford of Pocatello, Idaho lists the colors of Stone Yellow, Turned-on Orange, Gremlin Green, Flower Orchid, Beatnik Blue, and Poppy Pink.
Wild new colors for wild new Mustangs, says one newspaper advertisement from Utah. Here is a selection of some of the later advertisements we have found:
So look for Vehicle Identification numbers starting with 8R or 9R with a door data tag DSO code of 71 for Los Angeles or 72 for San Jose or 73 for Salt Lake City and a four digit special order number following. So far we believe highly that the the following DSO and special order numbers are Rainbow of Colors promotional Mustangs. We are starting to think the 1969 listings are other promotions. An interesting one is the set of 1969 Mach 1 Mustangs from Russ Davis Ford. In 1969 Russ Davis Ford promoted racing teams including Gas Ronda. It is possible that the 1969, bright, colorful, special order, Mach 1 Mustangs from Russ Davis where part of a racing promotion.
