When did a tradition of making cars in a variety of colours start?

by Quouar

There's the old adage that Model T's all came in black. I'm curious if it's true and, if so, when did car manufacturers decide to start offering cars in a variety of colours? What prompted the change? Did people paint cars before there were different colours offered, or was black just seen as the way cars were meant to be?

JournalofFailure

Model T Fords were actually available in a variety of colors - red, green, gray and blue - when the model was introduced in 1909. In fact, black Tin Lizzies weren't even available from the factory until 1915, at which point it became the only color officially available until 1926.

http://modelt.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21:paint-colors&catid=26:paint&Itemid=88

CrossyNZ

Please do not post unless you're an expert in the topic, able to address the entirety of OP's question, with sources.