Does Charles D. Strang deserve credit for why Mercury engines became black?
Charlie Strang said his mother is the reason why Mercury motors are now painted black. Back when Mercury was coming out with the 1000 Mercury, the prototype paint scheme was a white motor with silver and black trim. Carl Kiekhaefer, when viewing the prototype, thought the motor looked too big and bulky in white. Charlie told his mother about Carl's comments, and Charlie's mother commented back that women sometimes wear black dresses to look a lot slimmer, why not paint the motor black?
Carl liked the idea, so Charlie had one of the new Mercs repainted black. Carl loved the slimming effect of the motor in black and ordered the paint scheme to be changed to black for all future Mercury outboard motors.
Why Mercury Motors are painted Black; link.
http://www.quincylooperracing.us/subpage84.html
http://www.quincylooperracing.us/ima...000Phantum.jpg
