The Bonnie and Clyde Death Car
Color Controversy
by Bob Fischer

Since most sources list the color of the 1934 Ford, in which Bonnie and Clyde were killed, as being a "Desert Tan" in color, I am presenting evidence here that will demonstrate that this is not true. My research leads me to the conclusion that this common error had its beginnings in the description of the car included on the cover sheet of the documents relating to the autopsies performed on the pair in Arcadia, Louisiana, on May 23, 1934. The document, illustrated below, indicates that from information received from posse member, Deputy Sheriff Prentiss Oakley, the color of the car was a "Desert Sand". A check of Ford Motor Company documents of the period show that no such color was available for passenger cars in the year 1934. A "Desert Sand" color option was not available from Ford until the spring of 1936. (Ford also debuted a color called "Cordoba Tan" in 1936 to further add to the confusion.)

An examination of the car as currently displayed at Whiskey Pete's Casino in Primm, Nevada*, reveals that not only has the original paint job been preserved, but also the color is, in fact, what Ford designated in their dealer catalogs as Cordoba Gray. This is abundantly clear in spite of the inevitable fading with the passage of time. The photo below shows a scan of an original paint sample of this color from a 1934 dealer's sample book. As can be seen the color is a gray and olive blend.

Courtesy of Sandy Jones, The John Dillinger Historical Society


The photos below were taken of the car at Whiskey Pete's a number of years ago, prior to its being placed behind the current glass partition, and effectively capture the strong gray hue of the color of the car when seen in lower light.

The next photo is a more recent shot of the car in its newer display location that definitively demonstrates, in the better lighting, that the color is identical to the paint sample above.

Photo courtesy of Sandy Jones,The John Dillinger Historical Society


As a final note I have included the following vintage 1930's flyer, advertising the appearance of the death car. Note that the information at the bottom of the flyer includes the description of the car as "grey" in color.

Photo courtesy of Sandy Jones,The John Dillinger Historical Society


Sources and Acknowledgements

Sandy Jones, The John Dillinger Historical Society

The Ford Motor Company

Whiskey Pete's Casino

Lorin Sorensen: "The Classy Ford V8" 1990

*As of September 2000 the car is now on display at
Primm Valley Resort & Casino in the Fashion Outlet Mall Connector
across I-15 from Whiskey Pete's.

All contents and photos, unless otherwise noted, copyright � 1998, Bob Fischer, Outlaw Archives

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