VW T2 Colours & Colour Codes (L-Codes) – Complete Guide incl Westfalia

VW T2 kleuren & kleurcodes (L-codes) – Complete gids incl Westfalia VintageDub


Technical Guide · Paint & Interior

VW T2 Colors & Color Codes (L-codes) – Complete Guide Incl. Westfalia

All original paint color codes for the VW T2 Bay Window (1968–1979): L-codes, plate codes, Westfalia 523-codes, and camping fabrics by model year. You'll find all of this in this VW T2 Colors & Color Codes (L-codes) – Complete Guide Incl. Westfalia.

38L-codes
12Model Years
29Westfalia Codes
6Fabric Periods

Table of Contents

  1. L-code vs. Plate Code
  2. Two-tone T2: Color Break
  3. Sonderlackierung
  4. All L-codes (1968–1979)
  5. Color Overview by Model Year
  6. Interior Colors (II-codes)
  7. The L-code Sticker
  8. Common Mistakes
  9. Westfalia Paint Colors (523-codes)
  10. Westfalia Camping Fabrics

01 The VW T2 Coding System: L-code vs. Plate Code

For the T2 (also known as Bay Window), Volkswagen used two parallel codes for paint:

The L-code (e.g., L90D, L50K) is the internal VW paint code. You'll find this in literature, with paint suppliers, and on the silver sticker directly beneath the M-plate in the bus. This is the code you need for a painter.

The plate code (e.g., R1, J6, E1) is on the M-plate itself. This is a shortened code that VW applied to the production plate. For a single-color bus, the plate code is repeated twice (e.g., J6J6). For a two-tone bus, the lower color appears first, the roof color second (e.g., G9R1 = Senegal Red on the bottom, Pastel White on top).

Practical

If you want to reorder or have paint mixed, you'll need the L-code. To decode the M-plate, use the plate code.

02 The Two-Tone T2: How Does the Color Break Work?

The T2 was often delivered in two colors. The dividing line varied by production period:

  • 1968–1970: The color break is at the rain gutter around the roof.
  • 1971–1979: The break is approx. 10 cm below the window line, at the point where a profile is in the bodywork.

For microbuses (Type 22 and 24), a contrasting roof color was offered as standard. Pastel White (L90D / plate code R1) was by far the most commonly used roof color – available almost every model year. In the early years (1968–1970), Cloud White (L581) was the typical contrasting color for the roof.

03 Sonderlackierung: Special Paint Codes

Vehicles for special purposes received a Sonderlackierung, recognizable by plate codes starting with 5 or 9. Examples include:

  • Westfalia campers (Type 23), e.g., 523551 = Neptune Blue
  • Fire department: 52x300 = Feuerwehrrot (RAL 3000)
  • Deutsche Bundespost: 9135 = Postgelb (Mail Yellow)
  • Police vehicles: 52x904 = Polizeiweiß, 52x614 = Polizeigrün (RAL 6009)
  • Military vehicles: 9610 = Grün 319 (Bundeswehr)

Westfalia buses technically used standard colors, but were nevertheless given special codes (e.g., 523926 for Pastel White). Why VW did this has not been fully clarified.

04 Complete Overview: All T2 L-codes (1968–1979)

The complete table of all original VW T2 Bay Window paint color codes, sorted by L-code.

L-code Plate Code Dutch Name English Name Color Available
L11H 04 Sierra Geel Sierra Yellow yellow 1971–
L12A E9 Panama Bruin Panama Brown brown 1978–1979
L13A D5 Dakota Beige Dakota Beige beige 1978–
L13H 20 / D1 Ceylon Beige Ceylon Beige beige 1973–1975
L20A E6 Marino Yellow / Chrome Yellow Chrome Yellow / Marino Yellow yellow 1976–1979
L20B 07 / E1 Brilliant Orange Brilliant Orange orange 1973–1979
L21H E6 Marino Yellow (late) Chrome Yellow (late) yellow 1977–1979
L282 42 Lotus White Lotus White white 1968–
L30B 02 / G1 Kasan Red Kasan Red red 1973–1975
L30H 68 Montana Red Montana Red red 1969–1970
L31A G9 Senegal Red Senegal Red red 1976–1979
L31H 03 Chianti Red Chianti Red red 1971–1972
L345 41 / A7 Light Grey Light Grey grey 1968–1979
L41 10 Black Black black 1971–
L50H 67 Brilliant Blue Brilliant Blue blue 1969–1971
L50K 47 / J6 Neptune Blue Neptune Blue blue 1968–1979
L512 38 Velvet Green Velvet Green green 1968–
L53D 05 Niagara Blue Niagara Blue blue 1971–
L53H 01 / J2 Orient Blue Orient Blue blue 1973–1975
L555 43 Titian Red Titian Red red 1968–
L567 46 / B9 Ivory (RAL 1014) Ivory ivory continuous
L57H J4 Reef Blue / Ocean Blue Reef Blue blue 1976–1979
L581 61 Cloud White Cloud White white 1968–1970
L610 22 Delta Green Delta Green green 1969–1970
L61A — Cliff Green / Rallye Green Cliff Green green 1973
L61B 17 / M4 Sumatra Green Sumatra Green green 1973–1975
L620 02 Savanna Beige Savanna Beige beige 1968–1970
L62H B1 Bali Yellow Bali Yellow yellow 1974–1975
L63H P4 Sage Green / Taiga Green Sage Green green 1976–1979
L64M — Apple Green Apple Green green 1973
L65K — Ravenna Green Ravenna Green green 1973
L86Z T1 Agate Brown Agate Brown brown 1978–1979
L87 13 Pearl White Pearl White white 1968–
L90D 06 / R1 Pastel White Pastel White white 1969–1979
L91D 65 Kansas Beige Kansas Beige beige 1971–
LE1M D9 Mexico Beige Mexico Beige beige 1979
LH3A — Fox Red Fox Red red 1978
LH8A — Date Brown Date Brown brown 1978
Note: E6 duplicate

Code E6 stands for both L20A and L21H (Marino Yellow), depending on the chassis number. The cut-off point is chassis number 2x7 2079872. Always check the chassis number for a correct paint match.

05 Color overview by model year

1968

L50KL87L282L345L512L555L567L620
Contrast roof L581 Cloud White

1969–1970

L50KL282L345L512L567L620L30HL50HL610
Contrast roof L581 Cloud White

1971–1972

L50KL345L567L11HL31HL53DL60DL90DL91D
Contrast roof L90D Pastel White · L41 Black

1973

L13HL20BL30BL50KL53HL61BL345L567
Also for this year (1973) L61A · L64M · L65K Contrast roof L90D Pastel White

1974–1975

L13HL20BL30BL50KL53HL61BL345L567L62HL20AL63H
Contrast roof L90D Pastel White

1976

L13HL20BL50KL61BL345L567L20AL63HL31AL57HL97A
Contrast roof L90D Pastel White

1977

L13HL20BL50KL61BL345L567L20AL63HL31AL57HL91ZL86ZL97A
Contrast roof L90D Pastel White

1978

L13HL20BL50KL61BL345L567L20AL63HL31AL57HL86ZL13ALH8ALH3AL97A
Contrast roof L90D Pastel White

1979 last DE production year

L20BL50KL345L567L20AL63HL31AL57HL86ZL12AL97ALE1M
Contrast roof L90D Pastel White

06 Interior colors: the II codes

On the M-plate, two positions after the paint code are reserved for the interior color (the II-part of the PPPPII sequence). The most common codes:

II-code Material Color
..33 Artificial leather / fabric Light grey/medium grey (1968–1970) · Camping red (1973–1975)
..34 Artificial leather / fabric Light sand / khaki brown (1969–1970) · Camping green-yellow (1976–1978)
..35 Artificial leather Dark blue
..40 Artificial leather / fabric Black (1971–1972) · Camping green (1973–1975) · Green-red (1979)
..41 Fabric Camping green-red (1976–1978)
..46 Fabric Camping brown-beige
..47 Artificial leather / fabric Gala Red · Brown-beige (1979)
..50 Artificial leather Black
..52 Artificial leather Alabaster (grey)
..55 Artificial leather Leather beige
..77 Artificial leather Canyon brown
..N1 Artificial leather Juniper (green)
..N3 Artificial leather Bamboo (beige)
..V1 Fabric Sienna (red-brown)

07 The L-code sticker: where to find it?

The L-code is located on a silver-colored sticker placed directly below the M-plate. The sticker states the color in German (e.g., "leuchtorange L 20 B") and the L-code. This is the code you provide to a paint mixing company.

Paint Specification

Original VW paint from before 1980 was always solvent-based. Modern water-based paints sometimes require an adjusted mixing ratio for an exact match. Ask your painter to check this with the mixing company.

08 Common mistakes in color identification

Faded paint ≠ different color code. Many T2s, after 45+ years, look as if they have a non-catalogue color, while it's simply original paint that has been affected by UV radiation. Always sand a sample in a hidden spot before determining a color code by eye.

Same plate code, two L-codes. Code E6 stands for both L20A and L21H (Marino Yellow), depending on the chassis number. The cut-off point is chassis number 2x7 2079872. These kinds of details are lost if you only look up the plate code.

Westfalia codes are not different colors. A Westfalia with code 523551 simply has Neptune Blue (L50K). The 523x codes are administrative in nature for production and refer to standard paint colors.

09 VW T2 Westfalia Campmobile: paint colors by model year

A T2 Westfalia Campmobile (type 23 in VW nomenclature) was not ordered through the standard T2 catalog, but through a separate Westfalia ordering process. The paint color was basically always a standard VW paint — the same L-code as a regular bus — but the plate code on the M-plate starts with 523 instead of the normal two-digit code. This makes identification difficult if you don't know the system.

The color options for Westfalia were a limited selection from the standard T2 palette. Not every annual color was available as a Westfalia option.

Model Year 523-plate code L-code Color Name (EN) Color Name (DE) Type
1968–1970 523806 L620 Savanna Beige Savannenbeige single color
1968–1970 523642 L512 Velvet Green Samtgrün single color
1968–1970 523672 L610 Delta Green Deltagrün single color
1968–1970 523907 L87 Pearl White Perlweiß single color
1968–1970 523917 L282 Lotus White Lotosweiß single color
1968–1970 523926 L90D Pastel White Pastellweiß single color
1971–1972 523184 L11H Sierra Yellow Sierragelb single color
1971–1972 523185 L11H / L90D Sierra Yellow + Pastel White Sierragelb/Pastellweiß two-tone
1971–1972523337 L31H Chianti Red Chiantirot monochromatic
1971–1972 523338 L31H / L90D Chianti Red + Pastel White Chiantirot/Pastellweiß two-tone
1971–1972 523694 L60D Elm Green Ulmengrün monochromatic
1971–1972 523695 L60D / L90D Elm Green + Pastel White Ulmengrün/Pastellweiß two-tone
1971–1972 523811 L91D Kansas Beige Kansasbeige monochromatic
1971–1972 523812 L91D / L90D Kansas Beige + Pastel White Kansasbeige/Pastellweiß two-tone
1971–1972 523551 L50K Neptune Blue Neptunblau monochromatic
1971–1972 523331 L30H Montana Red Montanarot monochromatic
1973–1975 9226 L20B Brilliant Orange Leuchtorange monochromatic
1973–1975 9227 L20B / L90D Brilliant Orange + Pastel White Leuchtorange/Pastellweiß two-tone
1973–1975 523570 L53D Niagara Blue Niagarablau monochromatic
1973–1975 523571 L53D / L90D Niagara Blue + Pastel White Niagarablau/Pastellweiß two-tone
1973 9648 L65K Ravenna Green Ravennagrün monochromatic
1976–1977 9184 L11H Sierra Yellow Sierragelb monochromatic
1976–1977 9156 L20A Marino Yellow Marinogelb monochromatic
1976–1977 9157 L20A / L90D Marino Yellow + Pastel White Marinogelb/Pastellweiß two-tone
1976–1979 9451 L63H Sage Green Taigagrün monochromatic
1976–1979 9452 L63H / L90D Sage Green + Pastel White Taigagrün/Pastellweiß two-tone
1978–1979 9826 L13A Dakota Beige Dakotabeige monochromatic
1978–1979 9830 L13A / L90D Dakota Beige + Pastel White Dakotabeige/Pastellweiß two-tone
1979 9832 LE1M Mexico Beige Mexicobeige monochromatic
Incompletely documented codes

Codes such as 523562 (Brilliant White), 523324 and 523809 have been found on M-plates, but the corresponding L-code or exact color has not been definitively identified. The table above exclusively contains documented combinations.

10 T2 Westfalia interior: the camping fabrics

The interior of a T2 Westfalia Campmobile differed significantly from the standard bus. Westfalia used its own fabric program that varied per model year group. The fabrics are recognizable by their checkered plaid patterns in characteristic color schemes, matched to the exterior colors of that period.

1968–1973
Brown / Yellow / White Plaid
II-code: ..33 (red) · ..34 (green-yellow)

The earliest Westfalia fabric pattern. Classic plaid in brown, yellow, and white, considered the most authentic Westy pattern by many restorers. Curtains in the same period featured matching brown-yellow-white checks.

1973–1975
Orange Plaid
II-code: ..33 / ..40 · Matches L20B, L30B

Bold orange pattern, typical product of its time. Seamlessly matches Brilliant Orange (L20B) and Kasan Red (L30B). Used for both seat upholstery and curtains.

1974–1975
Blue / Green Plaid
II-code: ..09 / ..35 · Matches L50K, L53D

Cooler in tone than the orange variant. Blue-green plaid combined with green vinyl on the side panels. Matches the blue and green exterior colors of 1974–1975.

1976–1977
Yellow / Orange / Green Plaid
II-code: ..34 · Matches L20A, L11H

Vibrant, high-contrast pattern typical of mid-70s Westfalias in Marino Yellow or Sierra Yellow. The combination of yellow, orange, and green is the distinctive signature of the 1976–1977 Westy.

1976–1979
Green Plaid
II-code: ..34 / ..41 · Matches L63H

Calmer green pattern, available over a longer period. Common in green Westys (L63H Sage Green). The corresponding curtains are recognizable by the plain green curtain fabric.

1978–1979
Brown Plaid
II-code: ..46 / ..47 · Matches L13A, L86Z

The most earthy pattern from the T2 era. Brown on beige, matching the late-70s color trend towards warm earth tones. Belongs to Dakota Beige, Mexico Beige, and Agate Brown exterior colors.

Restoration tip

Always match the fabric pattern to the exterior color and the year of manufacture. Original reproduction fabrics are available from specialists such as Wolfsburg West (USA), Bus Depot (USA), and SSP (UK/NL). The standard width is 140–150 cm; for a complete seat upholstery + curtains, you typically need 5–7 meters.