The 'E' Type Forum

Hi, whilst looking through my Series 2 parts list I came across the following on page B17.

The chrome surrounds, eyebrow etc and bead along the bonnet ( BD35668,70,94,69,71,95) are all as expected listed as having a chrome finish.
However a little further down the page the same parts albeit with different part numbers are listed as painted 'for Australia only'.
That seems strange to me.
Does anyone know why chrome items were not fitted to Australian cars?
Steve

Mercedes did frost the late Pagoda chrome parts, security measure not to blind someone, regulations afaik.

Same here ?

Carsten

Here in Australia, I have never seen painted headlight trims on any Etype.

Yes indeed the chrome strip and headlight eyebrows were painted for the Australian market. My car is one of at least 107 cars with this unique feature. I’m told that they were painted body colour in response to pending legislation around glare hazards for the driver. It appear that this wasn’t necessary as subsequent batches of cars came with the usual chrome. It’s likely most of these cars have now had the chrome reapplied including mine. I contemplated painting them body colour as per factory but in the end I decided this was actually a factory mistake so have had them chromed. They also look so much better chrome.
See my car here. http://www.xkedata.com/gallery/zoom/?id=256173
The next car, 1R20827 also had painted brows prior to restoration.
I have a copy of “Sports Car World” from March 1971 that features a red S2 on the front cover. This was the press car and had obviously been given a good hammering by the various journalist and featured painted surrounds. There was also a primrose S2 in a Shannon’s insurance add with all its bits painted.