Not so, John. I don't know the source of your information, but I lived through that time and our family bought a new car in 1946. It is true that the only paint colors that were readily available were military leftovers, and some manufacturers may not have had a wide range of those, but there definitely were colors other than black.

Our new Studebaker Champion four-door sedan came in desert tan, had actual chrome trim (but the hubcaps were painted), and fake white sidewall tires. The entire production run for Studebaker for that year had red wheels. We had to wait several months for delivery of the car. If I remember correctly, we were number 22 on the waiting list from the local dealer.

Dad picked it up on a Friday and on Saturday we headed from Fort Wayne to Lafayette to visit my brother who was a Freshman at Purdue. It was such a thrill to be able to drive faster than the 35mph National speed limit that was imposed during the war.

The dorms were completely full so the university had turned the old Duncan Meter plant (now a bowling alley on the west side of the old Lafayette Square shopping center) into a dormitory. The whole windowless factory floor was filled with bunk beds. Each student had to keep all their personal belongings in a footlocker at the end of their bunk. Etc., etc., etc....

Your message in The Boneyard sounds like it was influenced by the anecdotal story told of Henry Ford who is reported to have said: "You can have any color you want as long as it's black".