"What-Should-Be-Green-And-What-Should-Be-White" Page

Generally, the entire body is Ermine White, and the Sherwood Green covers the entire rear valance, wrapping around the sides between the body-side creases, and tapering to a point on each front fender. Sherwood Green paint is also found on the complete fuel filler neck, on what is exposed outside of the bodywork, and inside the trunk/boot. Below are some specific detail photographs and accompanying text. The car being photographed is BA74FT59332, a 1966 model, from the month of April, and appears courtesy of Rich Louderback, of Walkersville, Maryland. The green striping is very worn, and very original.
By the way, if you have a Lotus Cortina with original worn-out striping, and are willing to take a few pictures of these similar details, I would love to include them on this page. Thanks!

The top and bottom of the stripe follow the side creases. Note the top of the line is all-but-gone, but the bottom edge exhibits a hard remnant of color. Possibly the paint was thicker there? Did it run down and collect against the masking tape? The stripe then ends as a point, measured at 2 3/8 inches from the edge of the headlight bucket. (look closely...) On this particular car, only the left stripe point remains, as the right front has body damage, and subsequent sanding and priming have eliminated the original stripe point.

The striping does NOT wrap around the leading edge of the door skin. Nor does it wrap around the back-side of the trailing edge of the front fender. By the way, I am still not certain if green paint is found underneath the exterior door handles- in other words, if the door handles were not installed, when the green striping was applied in the Lotus factory. I will try and find out... I do know that the green extends underneath the tail-lights, and also underneath the fuel filler neck gasket. These items were installed AFTER the green paint was applied. I suspect the same is true for the door handles... but I just don't know right now.

No green on the inside jamb of the doors...

The green DOES wrap around a portion of the inside of the door jamb, on the "B" Pillar, but only where the skin of the rear quarter panel wraps to the inner pillar.

Note the "obtuse" point at the meeting of the straight downward-angled line from the rear quarter, meeting the horizontal line from the rear valance registration plate indentation, all coming together at the body seam, of the rear quarter sheet metal meeting the rear valance sheet metal. Also, note that the green does NOT extend downward to the lower rear valance sheet metal horizontal lip (that extends outwards from the car body towards the rear bumper). The green on the rear valance ends at the registration plate indentation lower crease.

The lower rear valance is completely white. Again, note the obtuse point of the meeting of the 2 green lines, at the body seam of the rear quarter and the rear valance.

Note that the green is applied to the underside of the "overhang" lip of the rear quarter, where the rear quarter sheet metal wraps around to the trunk/boot lid, over the tail-light. The green paint is almost completely worn off the "overhang" here, but if you look closely, you can make it out. The right side (shown below) was not as worn.

The green is applied to the sheet metal portion of the rear valance, but NOT to the sheet metal of the rear quarter, under the trunk/boot lid. this area has been protected from the elements by the boot/trunk lid- and it is easy to see where the green follows the sheet metal line of the rear valance. It also is applied to the rear valance portion that wraps forward in towards the trunk/boot opening.

Note that the INNER downward lip of the rear valance, inside of the boot/trunk, is NOT painted green. And the entire inside sheet metal surfaces of the trunk/boot are white. By the way, the fuel tank shown in this photo was an extra tank, resting on the floor of the trunk/boot. It is obviously not installed...

It is a little difficult to see in this photo, but the fuel tank filler inlet pipe is painted green.

Again, note that the green is applied to the underside of the "overhang" of the rear quarter, where it wraps around to the boot/trunk lid, over the right rear tail-light assembly. Also, note the curve of the green, just behind and above the Lotus emblem. That curve simply follows the crease in the rear quarter.

It is a little hard to see in this lighting, but this again shows that the green is applied to the sheet metal portion of the rear valance, but NOT to the sheet metal of the rear quarter, under the trunk/boot lid. Also, this photo shows that the green is applied to the lip of the rear valance that wraps in towards the boot/trunk opening.

The green is applied to the rear quarter, in a STRAIGHT LINE, down TOWARDS the lower valance horizontal sheet mtal lip, but does NOT reach that sheet metal lip. It stops, and meets the line of green that extends from the lower portion of the registration plate indent in the rear valance, not shown in this photo. But go back a few photos, and note the "obtuse" point at the meeting of the downward sloping line from the rear quarter, meeting the line from the registration plate indentation, all coming together at the body seam, of the rear quarter sheet metal meeting the rear valance. The lower rear valance is completely white. As is the horizontal sheet metal lip that extends towards the rear bumper, away from the car body.

The right side door jamb "b" pillar, showing the green on the rear quarter sheet metal, where it wraps onto the "b" pillar sheet metal.

The leading edge of the door, and the trailing edge of the front fender only have green on the outside surfaces. There is NO green paint wrapping around onto the backside of the door skin, on the front edge, or onto the backside of the front fender trailing edge. While the backside of these panels does not show in this photo, take my word for it. No green there.

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	The top and bottom of the stripe follow the side creases. Note the top of the line is all-but-gone, but the bottom edge exhibits a hard remnant of color. Possibly the paint was thicker there? Did it run down and collect against the masking tape? The stripe then ends as a point, measured at 2 3/8 inches from the edge of the headlight bucket. (look closely...) On this particular car, only the left stripe point remains, as the right front has body damage, and subsequent sanding and priming have eliminated the original stripe point.
	The striping does NOT wrap around the leading edge of the door skin. Nor does it wrap around the back-side of the trailing edge of the front fender. By the way, I am still not certain if green paint is found underneath the exterior door handles- in other words, if the door handles were not installed, when the green striping was applied in the Lotus factory. I will try and find out... I do know that the green extends underneath the tail-lights, and also underneath the fuel filler neck gasket. These items were installed AFTER the green paint was applied. I suspect the same is true for the door handles... but I just don't know right now.
	No green on the inside jamb of the doors...
	The green DOES wrap around a portion of the inside of the door jamb, on the "B" Pillar, but only where the skin of the rear quarter panel wraps to the inner pillar.
	Note the "obtuse" point at the meeting of the straight downward-angled line from the rear quarter, meeting the horizontal line from the rear valance registration plate indentation, all coming together at the body seam, of the rear quarter sheet metal meeting the rear valance sheet metal. Also, note that the green does NOT extend downward to the lower rear valance sheet metal horizontal lip (that extends outwards from the car body towards the rear bumper). The green on the rear valance ends at the registration plate indentation lower crease.
	The lower rear valance is completely white. Again, note the obtuse point of the meeting of the 2 green lines, at the body seam of the rear quarter and the rear valance.
	Note that the green is applied to the underside of the "overhang" lip of the rear quarter, where the rear quarter sheet metal wraps around to the trunk/boot lid, over the tail-light. The green paint is almost completely worn off the "overhang" here, but if you look closely, you can make it out. The right side (shown below) was not as worn.
	The green is applied to the sheet metal portion of the rear valance, but NOT to the sheet metal of the rear quarter, under the trunk/boot lid. this area has been protected from the elements by the boot/trunk lid- and it is easy to see where the green follows the sheet metal line of the rear valance. It also is applied to the rear valance portion that wraps forward in towards the trunk/boot opening.
	Note that the INNER downward lip of the rear valance, inside of the boot/trunk, is NOT painted green. And the entire inside sheet metal surfaces of the trunk/boot are white. By the way, the fuel tank shown in this photo was an extra tank, resting on the floor of the trunk/boot. It is obviously not installed...
	It is a little difficult to see in this photo, but the fuel tank filler inlet pipe is painted green.
	Again, note that the green is applied to the underside of the "overhang" of the rear quarter, where it wraps around to the boot/trunk lid, over the right rear tail-light assembly. Also, note the curve of the green, just behind and above the Lotus emblem. That curve simply follows the crease in the rear quarter.
	It is a little hard to see in this lighting, but this again shows that the green is applied to the sheet metal portion of the rear valance, but NOT to the sheet metal of the rear quarter, under the trunk/boot lid. Also, this photo shows that the green is applied to the lip of the rear valance that wraps in towards the boot/trunk opening.
	The green is applied to the rear quarter, in a STRAIGHT LINE, down TOWARDS the lower valance horizontal sheet mtal lip, but does NOT reach that sheet metal lip. It stops, and meets the line of green that extends from the lower portion of the registration plate indent in the rear valance, not shown in this photo. But go back a few photos, and note the "obtuse" point at the meeting of the downward sloping line from the rear quarter, meeting the line from the registration plate indentation, all coming together at the body seam, of the rear quarter sheet metal meeting the rear valance. The lower rear valance is completely white. As is the horizontal sheet metal lip that extends towards the rear bumper, away from the car body.
	The right side door jamb "b" pillar, showing the green on the rear quarter sheet metal, where it wraps onto the "b" pillar sheet metal.
	The leading edge of the door, and the trailing edge of the front fender only have green on the outside surfaces. There is NO green paint wrapping around onto the backside of the door skin, on the front edge, or onto the backside of the front fender trailing edge. While the backside of these panels does not show in this photo, take my word for it. No green there.