Why Are Bentleys So Difficult to Colour Match?

Bentleys are notoriously known across the industry for being difficult to colour match. At Bentley Bodyshop Manchester, we are the leading independent Bentley bodyshop specialists in the North West, and we’ve spent years repairing and refinishing Flying Spurs, Continental GTs, Bentaygas, and Mulliner editions. Over time, we’ve perfected the process of achieving flawless colour matches — even on the most complex Bentley finishes.

Camera-based colour matching used by most bodyshops simply doesn’t work accurately on Bentleys. In many cases, the spectrophotometer returns no match at all, or produces a formula so incorrect that it’s completely unusable. It’s also very common for the system to suggest a “closest match” from an entirely different manufacturer — such as Mazda, BMW or Ford — which obviously makes no sense and will result in a colour that is miles off, even if the computer claims it’s only 0.1% different.

In this guide, we’ll explain why Bentley colours are so challenging and how we achieve a factory-accurate finish for every repair.

The First Common Issue: Most Bodyshops Use PPG

Most independent bodyshops buy their paint from local suppliers.
In the UK, the three most common paint mixing systems are:

• PPG Envirobase
• Nexa Autocolor
• MaxMeyer

These systems are excellent for most mainstream manufacturers — BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Land Rover, Audi, VW, Ford and more.

However…

Bentley is an entirely different story.

Many Bentley colours are not fully supported within the PPG/Nexa/MaxMeyer database systems.

And there’s a simple reason why:

Bentley’s OEM paint supplier is BASF/Glasurit — not PPG.

This creates several major problems if a technician tries to match Bentley paint using PPG:

• Some Bentley pigments do not exist in the PPG tinting system
• PPG’s database often lacks accurate Bentley variants
• The camera (spectrophotometer) can read the surface, but cannot map the pigment combination
• The “closest match” PPG suggests is often visibly wrong
• In some cases, PPG returns no usable match at all

Even a perfect scan cannot generate a correct formula if the tint simply doesn’t exist.

This leads right into the next problem…

Why Can’t You Just Do a Standard Camera Colour Match?

Even with a high-end spectrophotometer, many Bentley colours cannot be matched accurately.

The issue lies in Bentley’s advanced paint technology and how it interacts with non-OEM paint systems.

Here’s why standard camera matching often fails:

1. Tinted Clearcoats

Many Bentleys use subtly tinted clearcoats, often in:

• amber
• blue
• violet

These shift the final colour significantly.

A spectro cannot “ignore” this tinted layer — it reads what it sees.

2. Low-Bake Factory Clears

Bentley uses low-bake OEM clearcoat technology that interacts with light differently.
This changes the colour’s optical signature in a way PPG cannot replicate.

3. Pearls Inside the Clearcoat (Not the Basecoat)

Some Bentleys have pearl additives in the clearcoat, not in the basecoat.
A camera cannot see through these layers to identify the true base colour.

4. Spectrophotometers Can Only Read the Topmost Optical Layer

This is the biggest limitation.

A spectro only detects:

• surface reflection
• clearcoat influence
• the combined optical effect

It cannot identify:

• hidden pearls in the clear
• multi-stage factory processes
• OEM low-bake characteristics
• tinted layers affecting depth and shade

So when you scan a Bentley panel:

• The camera sees a unique optical signature
• PPG doesn’t offer the pigments needed to reproduce that effect
• No formula in PPG’s database matches the style, depth, or flop

Result:

You get no match or a formula so incorrect that it’s unusable. You'll often get a result that shows that the closest colour is from a different manufacturer such as Mazda or BMW which does not make sense and if used will be miles off the right colour even if it only shows a 0.1% difference.

This is why most bodyshops struggle and waste hours with multiple spray-outs — and still end up with a mismatch.

So… How Do You Colour Match a Bentley?

The short answer: use Glasurit.

Glasurit is Bentley’s official paint supplier, and because of that, their formulas include:

• the exact OEM pigment combinations
• BASF-exclusive tint sets
• factory variants for each model year
• proper metallic orientation
• pearl and tinted-clear integration

Here’s why Glasurit succeeds where PPG struggles:

1. Glasurit Has the OEM Bentley Formulas

This includes the exact factory recipes Bentley uses during production.
It’s not a “close match” — it’s the real thing.

2. Glasurit Uses BASF-Exclusive Pigments

Some Bentley colours simply cannot be reproduced without these pigments.
Since PPG doesn’t have them, no camera scan can generate an accurate PPG formula.

3. Glasurit Supports Multi-Stage and Tinted-Clear Processes

Bentley colours often use:

• multi-layer pearls
• tinted clearcoats
• pearl-infused clear layers
• low-temperature curing systems

Glasurit formulas can replicate these effects because they’re built for them.

4. Far Less Time Wasted

With Glasurit:

• spray-outs usually match first or second attempt
• metallics lay properly
• flop is correct
• sun-angle colours are accurate

At Bentley Bodyshop Manchester, we’ve learned that Glasurit is not just better — it’s essential.

Now That You Have the Correct Colour… You Need One More Thing

Matching the colour formula is only half the battle.

Glasurit is a water-based paint system — unlike many PPG systems that also offer solvent options.

This means Glasurit is much harder to apply correctly, and achieving a flawless Bentley finish requires:

1. A Controlled Spray Environment

Water-based paints are extremely sensitive to:

• humidity
• airflow
• temperature
• booth cleanliness

If the environment isn’t perfect, the paint can:

• dry unevenly
• mottle
• create patchiness
• show streaking in metallics
• develop poor flop behaviour

At Bentley Bodyshop Manchester, we use modern spraybooths precisely calibrated for water-based refinishing.

2. Specialist Technique and Experience

Glasurit water-based products require:

• finer application passes
• controlled overlap
• correct flash-off times
• perfect control of air pressure
• precise gun distance
• very careful humidity management

Without experience, painters easily end up with:

• mottling
• tiger-striping
• poor blending
• incorrect colour shift
• visible repair edges

Bentley finishes magnify every imperfection.

3. Expertise With Multi-Stage Systems

Bentley often uses:

• 2-stage colours
• 3-stage pearls
• tinted clears
• pearl clears

Each stage has to be applied flawlessly for the final colour to match the original factory finish.

At Bentley Bodyshop Manchester, our technicians specialise in these multi-stage systems and understand how each layer affects depth, flop, and luminosity.

In Summary

• Most bodyshops use PPG/Nexa/MaxMeyer, which don’t fully support Bentley colours.
• Bentley’s OEM supplier is BASF/Glasurit, which uses unique pigments and multi-stage processes.
• Spectrophotometers cannot accurately read Bentley colours because of tinted clears, pearls in clearcoats, and low-bake technologies.
• The correct method is to use Glasurit formulas for OEM accuracy.
• Even with the correct formula, you need the right environment, equipment, and experience to apply water-based Glasurit perfectly.

At Bentley Bodyshop Manchester, we combine the correct OEM paint system with years of Bentley-specific experience to deliver perfect, factory-accurate colour matches every time. If you want a repair from us just visit Bentley Bodyshop Manchester | Specialist repairs by Bentley experts