1968 Audi Background Info
The 1968 Audi Vibe
1968 was the year Audi finally stopped looking in the rearview mirror and started staring down the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. This was the era of the Super 90 and the birth of the legendary Audi 100. The color palette we've preserved from this year-all 11 of 'em-is a masterclass in mid-century German restraint. You weren't getting "look-at-me" neon; you were getting sophisticated tones like Chinchilla, Savanna Beige, and Deep Sea Green. Whether it was a base 60 or a top-tier Super 90, these cars were meant to look like they belonged in front of an opera house, even if they were just parked at a rainy gas station in Ingolstadt.
Paint Health Check
We are deep in the Single Stage Era here. Back in '68, the paint was honest-thick, pigment-heavy lacquer or enamel that didn't hide behind a plastic clear coat. The good news? It has a depth and "soul" that modern robot-sprayed cars can't touch. The bad news? This paint is a living thing, and it's been breathing for over half a century. If your 1968 Audi looks like a chalkboard, that's "Oxidation." Without a clear layer to protect it, the sun literally cooks the pigment until it turns into a dry, white powder. The steel underneath wasn't galvanized back then either, so if that paint skin breaks, the rust won't just sit there-it'll start eating.
Restoration Tip
Because this is single-stage paint, you can actually "resurrect" it in a way you can't with modern cars. If the color is dull, you can carefully buff away the dead top layer of oxidation to reveal the fresh pigment underneath. But listen to me: it needs wax or it dies. Once you've polished that Royal Red or Cobalt Blue back to a shine, you've left the "pores" of the paint wide open. You must seal it with a high-quality carnauba wax or a sealant immediately. Think of it like skin-if you don't moisturize it after a deep scrub, it's going to crack and burn. Keep it waxed, and that 1968 glow will last another fifty years.