W124 Cladding: Color ?
 

I'm looking at a silver 1995 E320 Cabriolet and it looks like the cladding is not dark grey like all of the other cabriolets I've seen. Did they vary the color of the cladding or is this a telltale sign of a repaint with no regard for original color?

There were 3 or 4 shades of gray used on the cladding.
Go to EPC, enter your VIN and pull up a data card.
The card will show the color codes of the body and cladding.
Is your car smoke silver or brilliant silver metallic ?

Brilliant Silver
 

Thank you for your reply. I'm not familiar with these later model cars. The car I'm considering is Brilliant Silver.

Brilliant silver should have a slightly darker shade of gray (Atlas grey?) on the bumpers/panels.

It's not unheard of to find the lower panels repainted the same color as the primary body upon delivery of the car when new. The two tone style was not to everyone's taste, and was getting old, fashion wise, by 1995.

Some colors didn't use the two tone scheme, my dark green 94 cab has the same color on both upper and lower panels.

Jim

If it is Brilliant Silver Metallic then as Jim posted the lower cladding is typically a matte finish Atlas Gray which is only about one shade darker then the body paint.
The Smoke Silver uses Agate Gray and there even is a Gray Metallic, both matte cladding colors that are darker shades.

a previous owner of our 89 had the panels painted the same color as the car.... looks slick

I have a '97 CL500 that is all white. I am thinking of doing the cladding/bumpers in the same gray as my '95 E420. I think it looks great but then I'm old!
Anziani

The run out European / UK W124s had the cladding panels finished in body colour from the factory, but in satin finish, not gloss. Those look very smart indeed.