Brown fans hit – Unrest at the BCAS

bcas

For some time now, I’ve enjoyed the corner of the internet that brandishes the brown. BCAS, or Brown Car Appreciation Society lives to feature brown cars in a favorable light, and the classy bunch that we are like to brown the day with quality photos of brown automobiles, as the Patrón Saint of BCAS, Ricardo Montalban watches over us. You know, him in the Cordoba commercial with the soft Corinthian Leather. Malaise Era shakes hands with the recent uprising of earthy hues in manufacturer palettes, while we all discuss the brown sheet metal. It’s all very nice.

There are other Facebook groups like it, Ornch Car Cult and Nous Aimons les Voitures Vert to name a couple, for orange and green cars respectively. Together with a friend, Edvin, we set up Red Interior Appreciation Association, for the enjoyment of everyone who can appreciate the exquisite vibrance of an all-red, all-leather Cadillac Allante interior. But it’s BCAS that somehow forms the core of the color groups – there’s nothing quite like a deep brown car.

But of course, there’s trouble brewing.

Recently, there’s been a rise in the member number of BCAS. The group hit 1000 members just now, and before that there was a short celebratory run of model-number tie-in posts, mostly photos of Porsches for obvious reasons. But there’s always trouble to be had, when something gets too popular for its own good, isn’t there? Yesterday, a surge in the photo posts displayed an alarming trend. You see, in the core of BCAS there’s always been a battle over what exactly counts as a brown car. Tan and beige are often derided, since they’re seen as the easy way out. Maroon, redwood and burgundy are not brown, but tinges of deep red. Light often plays tricks on the photographer, showing burgundy cars browner than they are and the other way around. Manufacturer palettes usually sort this out, if nothing else.

But yesterday the slew of quick, mediocre posts gradually degraded to the point we found ourselves watching a sepia-tinted photo of a car of unfathomable hue. That isn’t what the group was meant for – what would Montalban do? I usually attempt to mentally run the photos by Montalban, to think whether he’d appreciate the color of the car being posted, whether he would find everything he needed in that small automobile.

Soon, it all went to rioting. A yellow rubber duck was posted, to signify the downfall of the group. Things got shut down by kicking out the offending party, but the damage was done, and suddenly brown was at stake. A counter-group was started by Blake Z. Rong, the noted connoisseur of brown leather jackets, to deflect the attention – a shadow-BCAS called the Burgundy Car Appreciation Society. BCAS madness ran amok, however, with the creation of Blurple Car Appreciation Society. Suddenly the existence and viability of every color group was questionable. Blake declares having created the Burgundy car group “for the sole purpose of obfuscation and chaos.” Battle tactics, but that group seems to be catching on.

At this point, I need to make a confession. I’m a mere pretender, when push comes to a shove. Despite being fond of them, I don’t drive or own a brown car, and that’s a dreadful and glaring omission on my part. It’s like wearing a t-shirt of a band to which you’ve never properly paid attention, just to try to attract favorable nods from people in the know. But I can try to make it better, for I’m only a sinner. The used car market is open to me, and all the brown Datsuns and Peugeots tempt me like nothing on earth. It’s time to show the color of my heart, and buy brown. We all can.

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57 responses to “Brown fans hit – Unrest at the BCAS”

  1. don fehlio Avatar
    don fehlio

    As the owner and lower of a brown car, it was with great glee that I discovered BCAS. Finally, a place where I can get a daily dose of chocolate rain in auto form. It was fantastic.
    Lately, it has become "Nice Shade of Tan Car Appreciation Society" and even a few cases of "Gold Car Appreciation Society", much to the chagrin of some members. But I say, save the drama for yo mama. Brown is more than a hue. Brown is a state of mind. Let it be.
    <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PweJU2H4Myg/USgKs8U3oaI/AAAAAAAAD80/DFgrwYCJ44k/w647-h863-no/13+-+1&quot; width="600">

    1. LTDScott Avatar

      You're not making a good case with that photo, it looks grey there.

    2. Alff Avatar

      If it's brown, lower it down.

  2. Batshitbox Avatar

    The guy who painted my Mom's red-black '68 Camaro three or four times in it's 20 years of service flatly refused to paint it brown. This was an old friend of her family. Just nope, go find someone else, 'preciate your business over the years, but no.
    Thank you, Mr. Gigliotti, wherever you are.
    In other news, found in the forums: Sorta Coffee Ice Cream Brown Triumph GT6 Mk3
    http://forum.hooniverse.info/viewtopic.php?f=6&amp

  3. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar

    My first Rover was silver, but over the years it turned brown almost completely. I can has honorary membashipz?

    1. jeepjeff Avatar
      jeepjeff

      As noted in the article, red-browns are disqualified.

  4. Stu_Rock Avatar

    I only got connected to the various Facebook groups a few months ago, and BCAS was already so large that I was afraid to join for fear of this very thing occurring. 100-200 members seems to be the sweet spot.
    Also, the funny part to me is that I have a longstanding love of orange trucks and red interiors (usually kept separate), but I'm not actually in either of those groups.

  5. MVEilenstein Avatar
    MVEilenstein

    Can't we all just get along?

  6. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I'm likewise a member of the group. If I'm honest, more of the cars I've owned are on the black-grey-white spectrum than I'd like, and you can probably discount my first car being green (since it was from the mid-90s, and everything was mandated by law to be painted forest green then).
    One day though, maybe I'll get a little more picky in what I buy, or start being able to justify buying new and order exactly what I want. I suppose I could repaint something too. I don't think my Hyundai Accent has earned the brown though.

    1. Devin Avatar
      Devin

      I've been accidentally patriotic with my choices, all red and white.
      Well the first one was silver, but it had a red interior.

  7. Vavon Avatar
    Vavon

    This 504 Coupé will earn me some brownie points with Antti!
    <img src="http://images.passionperformance.ca/photos/1/0/3/103792_Hommage_a_Sergio_Pininfarina.jpg?640×400"&gt;

    1. julkinen Avatar

      SWOON

    2. Alff Avatar

      I don't want to talk to the person who doesn't think that is outstanding.

      1. MVEilenstein Avatar
        MVEilenstein

        If loving brown is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

        1. Alff Avatar

          It looks an awful lot like my personal Eleanor – a stepnose Alfa.

  8. OA5599 Avatar
    OA5599

    My first bought-with-my-own-money-and-not-something-my-parents-handed-down daily driver was an FK5 Challenger almost identical to this one except not in nearly as nice condition. The factory color is sometimes informally called "root beer brown", though oficially it is Dark Burnt Orange Metallic.
    Does it count as brown if it self-identifies with orange?
    <img src="http://happydaysbucket.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/16268.jpg&quot; width=500>

    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      I think it could simultaneously be a member of the Ornch Car Cult and BCAS.
      But maybe they don't identify with awesome.

    2. Felis_Concolor Avatar
      Felis_Concolor

      I don't care what color you call it; it's already better than what's found on 95% of new car purchases these days.
      There are a bunch of fanatics in Utah who craft the best loudspeakers in the world – and they'll color match the case to any hue you can specify. While I wouldn't request that Challenger's color for my own, I can easily understand why someone would. Warm, rich and soothing.

  9. Bret Dodson Avatar

    I have to admit that I have been a frequent contributor of only somewhat brown cars to BCAS. I like to think that I redeem myself with occasional posts of true brown beauty, most recently that lovely metallic brown 911 SC.

  10. Tim Odell Avatar
    Tim Odell

    What's Facebook?

    1. Alff Avatar

      Myspace for dorks

      1. Tim Odell Avatar
        Tim Odell

        Well then sign me up!

        1. Batshitbox Avatar

          What's Myspace?

          1. Alff Avatar

            BBS for noobs.

          2. MVEilenstein Avatar
            MVEilenstein

            It's Xanga for ADD kids.

          3. Tim Odell Avatar
            Tim Odell

            Friendster for cool people.

  11. TurboBrick Avatar
    TurboBrick

    BCAS has been getting watered down now for a while. I understand that people want to contribute but beige, gold and that grey/beige thing are not brown! I am however pleased that the BCAS is a powerful enough of a lobbying organization that so many manufacturers have brought that color back recently.

  12. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    Brown. When you take your bad taste way too seriously.

  13. ZomBee Racer Avatar

    There's a sliding scale of brownness -vs- cool car that helps define the fringes of what is browndom; the further way you get from one category the stronger it has to be in the other to stay relevant.
    For example, an obscure 60's big-block Mopar C-body with black steelies and evil taillights might get a pass in tan, due to the inherent cool-factor under its slightly brown flavoring.
    On the other hand, a deep metallic rootbeer brown on a 4-door Toyota Camry technically has to get a pass due to the browness of its color, in spite of being about as uncool as possible in every other #$%@ way. It's unfortunate, but a technicality.
    A tan 4-door Camry however, does not an appreciable brown car make.
    As of late there have been a deluge of postings featuring too little from either column… quasi-brownish hues of entirely too pedestrian-'esque cars. I personally love seeing the unexpected in brown hues, like Gold Miuras and Copper Azteks or tan Gremlins, but, it does get a little tedious to see all the gold Hundais. copper Aleros, and tan Accords. And some folks started getting their panties in a bunch as a result.
    I think the squakers on both sides should just refer back to the rule of browness… It has to be brown and cool, or can be a big stinking heap of one or the other. Other than that, relax and have a nice cold rootbeer while looking at pictures of cars.
    (confession, I also do not own any truly brown cars. But I do own an obscure tan 60's big-block Mopar C-body with black steelies and evil cat-eyed taillights, and I did once post a pic of it… but I felt a little bit guilty for doing so. I may also own a crappy old RV named Brownie, but it's really mostly brown on the inside, the outside only has two brown stripes. )

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      "…quasi-brownish hues of entirely too pedestrian-'esque cars."
      I can relate to that.
      <img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8252/8471188718_c118d20b11.jpg&quot; width="450">

      1. Plecostomous Avatar
        Plecostomous

        what is that car doing with the headlights and grille of an 88-91 Camry?

        1. mdharrell Avatar

          I'll just go ahead and assert that they were cool in 1983
          in parts of Great Britain
          among some of the more loyalist members of the upper middle class
          briefly.
          Sigh.

  14. JWaltWeatherman Avatar
    JWaltWeatherman

    When I bought this Volvo, I thought for sure that the lovely shade of shit brown would allow me to be part of the brown car club, but once we started removing trim pieces, we realized that it was originally a (rather attractive) metallic bronze color. It is amazing what the desert sun can do to your paint…
    <img src="http://imageshack.us/a/img600/1254/img0441fu.jpg&quot; width="600">

    1. dead_elvis Avatar

      Interesting paintjob. What's the story behind it? And what's up with that blue snake-in-a-can thing coming out of the hood?
      Nice ironing board on the luggage rack out back, too.

      1. JWaltWeatherman Avatar
        JWaltWeatherman

        The story behind the car is that one of my best friends was getting married, and instead of doing typical bachelor party things, we decided to buy the cheapest running car we could find on Craigslist, spend the morning "customizing" it, and then spend the afternoon hooning it until the wheels fall off. The blue thingy on the hood is "cold air intake" but the PBR can at the end also serves as a way to lure hipsters in front of the car so that we can run them over 😉

        1. dead_elvis Avatar

          That sounds like an excellent way to celebrate a wedding, but I can only hope that the Brick in question was irredeemably rusted or otherwise destined for the crusher. It's tough to kill a redblock, so it much have had a myriad of other problems. /fingers crossed

          1. JWaltWeatherman Avatar
            JWaltWeatherman

            Don't you worry, the car was totally fucked. We paid $600, and I am not entirely sure that we didn't overpay. We parted it out afterward, too, so it's death has allowed others to live on…

  15. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
    Peter Tanshanomi

    In a world gone mad, one man stands to bring order to the chaos:
    The only solution was to start the Champagne Autocar Association.
    I am that man.
    http://caca.freeforums.org/what-is-champagne-t4.h
    <img src="http://caca.freeforums.org/download/file.php?id=2"&gt;

    1. JWaltWeatherman Avatar
      JWaltWeatherman

      "Champagne", I like it. Can I join the club? I have always referred to my car as just being "beige", but "Champagne" sure makes it sound classier (plus, according to my wife, I am borderline retarded at identifying different colors, so it is entirely possible that "beige" was an inappropriate label from the outset…). <img src="http://imageshack.us/a/img809/8629/photocao.jpg&quot; width="600">

      1. MKirk Avatar
        MKirk

        Hey, that looks like mine…running board delete and all. If you have brown cloth inside you are good. It is an 80 series though so something along the lines of "desert tan metallic" is in order for the color name. Pop the hood though and you'll see the basecoat is plain desert tan…no brown.

    2. citroen67 Avatar
      citroen67

      Did someone say…Autocar???
      <img src="http://www.kenrockwell.com/trips/2007-01-route-66/images/IMG_1933-autocar.jpg&quot; width="700">

      1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
        Peter Tanshanomi

        It was the only way I could get the acronym CACA.

        1. OA5599 Avatar
          OA5599

          Technically, that's CAA, but Champagne Automobile Color Assn. would be legit.

          1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
            Peter Tanshanomi

            Much better.
            I went to the forum and changed the name to The Champagne Automobile Color Association.
            Done, and thank you.

          2. OA5599 Avatar
            OA5599

            I'm waiting for the Several Hues Involving Tan group to form.

    3. FuzzyPlushroom Avatar
      FuzzyPlushroom

      The outer extreme: Citrin Beige.
      <img src="http://i.imgur.com/yh3xxab.jpg&quot; width=600>
      The DMV thinks it's brown (because I'm planning to paint it), but the RMV in Massachusetts thought it was yellow, so it's not as though I was dishonest with 'em.

  16. toxicavenger1 Avatar
    toxicavenger1

    I am off to form the Clown Car appreciation Society, Brown or Ornch or any color as long it is a Clown Car
    No Donks although the Clown factor is Big.
    We will not discriminate by COLOR !

  17. failboat Avatar
    failboat

    I can never find the ornch car cult on facebook. It says it cant find anything then says "Did you mean: ranch cat cut?"

    1. Stu_Rock Avatar

      It's a secret group. I haven't been initiated, either.

      1. ZomBee Racer Avatar

        Be careful what you ask for…
        <img src="http://www.bareflix.com/stonecutters/Stonecutter_initiation.jpg&quot; width="600">

  18. citroen67 Avatar
    citroen67

    I actually like brown…and GM trucks. So much so, that I've owned two so far.
    Had this one back in 2005
    <img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/580144_601970569826761_326665560_n.jpg"&gt;
    This one is in my driveway right now
    <img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/179103_601970953160056_477151203_n.jpg&quot; width="600">

    1. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar
      Peter Tanshanomi

      Yea, brown is good on trucks.
      <img src="http://tanshanomi.com/temp/chevpanel.JPG&quot; width="500">

  19. Felis_Concolor Avatar
    Felis_Concolor

    Being one who eschews Facebook's hooks I cannot visit their site, although I do think my purchase of a smartly colored brown/black automobile last year would be appreciated by their members.
    Hm, I am reminded to fill out my vanity plate application.

    1. dead_elvis Avatar

      Greetings to a fellow Facebook holdout!
      I'm more about anti-social networking.

  20. vwminispeedster Avatar
    vwminispeedster

    Need more groups on facebook to waste your time with? Come over to the Velocity Stack Appreciation Society (https://www.facebook.com/groups/124242297745458/) and Seconds Saturdays at Hanzel's (https://www.facebook.com/groups/secondSSaturdays/)! So far people have behaved and I haven't had to give anyone the boot. yet. 😉

  21. salguod Avatar

    BCAS is inching closer to removal for me and I actually own a brown car (2010 Saturn Outlook in 'Cocoa'). The tan and gold are marginally acceptable, but the maroons & oranges are too far. Then there was the 'cougar' post, which was simply out of line. I get the appeal of many, but that's not why I joined. There are groups for hat sort of thing and BCAS isn't one of them. Thankfully it's thus far an anomaly and as long as it stays that way I'll stick around.
    I'm happy to find the red interior group (got one of those too) and have applied to join. Would join that Ornch group too (If I would have ordered my Mazda3 it would have been Ornch), but it's not only closed but hidden. Sigh.

  22. Raphael Orlove Avatar
    Raphael Orlove

    <img src="http://autofrei.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/baxster-no1.gif&quot; width="320">
    Baxster no!