131 Supermirafiori White

131 Supermirafiori White, the white of an Italian classic

Number Five builds its whole line on the shades of real cars, and this one is the white tied to the Fiat 131 in the Supermirafiori trim. The production 131 was an ordinary family sedan of the 1970s, but its name is also carried by one of the most successful rally machines of its time: the 131 Abarth took world manufacturers' rally titles for the works team.

The subject of the shade

The Supermirafiori was the richer trim of the production car, recognizable by its pair of headlights, a different grille and a better equipped interior. The rally version took mainly the shape from it: it received independent rear suspension, plastic body panels and a sixteen-valve engine, so it had little left in common with the production sedan.

Typical use

• white bodies of Italian sedans and coupes of the 1970s and 1980s
• a basic white surface under the colored sponsor stripes of rally cars
• white parts of interiors, instruments and accessories in car scales
• small surfaces on models of commercial vehicles of the same period

Working with white

White is the most demanding shade you will meet on a model: every irregularity and every dark panel line shows through it. It therefore pays to smooth and unify the surface beforehand, and only then to build the white up gradually in thin coats. Do not hurry, and let each coat dry, or the surface will skin over and the layer beneath it will move. Stir the contents before use so the pigment is evenly dispersed.

Who it suits

Builders of period Italian cars and modelers of rally machines who need white as a ground for a colorful finish and want it in a tone that matches the real subject.

Work in a ventilated space and keep the paint closed out of the reach of children.