What year did the high beam indicator go from red to blue?
My 71 is red.
Larry

 

I don't have a definite answer for you, but during the 1980's i had two unmolested, original-owner 1970 Cutlasses, an 'S' and a Supreme. The 'S' was a column-shift car and had the blue high beam indicator; the Supreme had Hurst dual gate and the indicator was red, so at the time i thought it had to do with column vs. console shift. Others will certainly chime in.

 

My 74 Hurst is blue. My 73 Delta was too.

The 76 Ninety Eight, well, I can't remember. I think it's blue too.

The 69 Toronado is purple and proclaims "HIGH BEAM".

 

My 71 is blue, my 63 Riv is red. I know 68 Corvettes came with red as well, 69 is blue. Seems like most GM cars switched over in the late 60's early 70's.

 

My 70 is red, funny I was just wondering about that too. I thought my 70 column shift was red and my 70 Wildcat was red.

remember the joke about the high beams when the switch started to get combined with the turn signal stalk.......

Why did the Texan get his foot caught in the steering wheel at night - cause he was trying to turn the high beams on!!!

of course if you are from Texas you'd say why did the "northerner"

 

My 70 Toronado was blue and also reflected off the windshield to remind you. I think my 66 Cutlass is blue too. ^$%#& now I'm not sure, I'll have to look now. Damn you! 65 Riviera was red.

 

My '71 is Blue and my '71 Chevelle was Blue also. I wonder why Blue AND Red for the same years?

 

With the Olds at least 1970 was the last year for the red high beam indicator. Blue appeared in 71. If you pull your speedo out and look at the date on the housing I'd lay odds it's a 70 speedo.

 

Mine is blue. 72 Supreme, column shift, Speedo date March 1971.

 

Gee I thought one year would be one colour and change the next. My 71 supreme is red with a april build date(i Think) so I could have a 70 speedo also column shift.
Larry

I guess I should have known better It wouldn't be easy answer and would open a can of worms. Honey it's midnight why are you going out to the car. I forgot the colour of the high beam indicator.

 

As we all know, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back...

Recon export models may have differed?

Seems GM has used blue for a long time for HBI. My 78 Ford uses red.
I assume the change was because that red is associated with problem indicators...

 

I did the same thing. I knew my indicator on the '68 Olds was red. For some reason I thought my wife's '09 Mitsy Lancer was too. Checked, it's blue. But all the gauge lights are red, the same as my '03 Grand Am GT. There was the source of why I thought her car was like mine. Red dash lights on the GAm and and Mitsy.

Adam

 

My 72 Cutlass with a factory floor shift is blue.