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Top colors were coded onto the cowl tags only in certain body plants. For instance, 1962 convertibles built in Southgate, CA typically had a stand alone number on the right side of the tag that indicated the top color. I don't know if the Southgate plant also did this in 1961. As far as I am aware, tags on Lansing-built cars of this era did not have a top code.
The default top color on all 1961 convertibles was black unless something else was ordered. Available top colors were white, black, green, blue, fawn, & red. These colors were respectively coded 1 thru 6. If your car had a white top, it would have a top code of 1, etc. The absence of a top code does not necessarily indicate that you had a default black top: my Lansing-built '61 came with its original white top & it had no top code. Therefore, in the absence of a code, your car could be authentically restored using black, white, or any of the other colors if it's appropriate to the paint or interior.
Remember that the 1961 Starfires were unique in that their tops had a colored accent band about 2-inches wide that bordered the tops of the side windows. This was done ONLY on the 1961 Starfire, & very few are found today with this color band intact. Most folks don't even realize it's supposed to be there. On white-top cars, that band was silver/grey- I'm not certain what other colors were used on different-colored tops.
Chuck
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