I am in late restoration stages of a '53 Manhattan-sabre jet blue over Australian beige, dark brown and tan vinyl interior. I bought one of the manufac fund front black carpets, and am trying to figure out what color to make it. Unfortunately the old one got pitched long ago. My recollect is that it was sort of muddy tan, but the back carpet was/is dark brown. Looking in the parts books, the only '53 front carpet listed that is at all a brown hue is "hickory brown." Looking at what old pix I can find, I see a darkish brown carpet in '53's, as well as in older models. In fact even the older ones list hickory as a color. In those pix where I can see the back carpet as well, it seems to be the same tint as the front, and much darker than I remember mine having been when I acquired it in '58.
Can anyone offer any enlightenment here? Haven't been able to find anything in any of the books. I guess the default would be to match the rear carpet, and assume the old one was some sort of a later addition as opposed to original.