Original color of the gauge needles on my '48 are red. Still are red after all of these years. The speedometer needle was off-white color but it eventually curled up against the glass and had to be replaced. The only replacement speedo needle available to me 30 years ago was a brilliant translucent red/orange one so I put it in. It is still in there in it's un-original orange splendor because I can't be bothered changing it out just for the sake of color-correctness. So, all is not always what it seems........
