Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of a multicoat coating in which the aqueous topcoat composition contains a water-thinnable polyacrylate resin which has a hydroxyl value of 40 to 200, an acid value of 20 to 100 and a glass transition temperature (T.sub.G) of -40.degree. C. to +60.degree. C., and can be prepared by adding a mixture (I) of a (meth)acrylic acid ester, a copolymerizable hydroxyl-containing monomer and, if appropriate, a further ethylenically unsaturated monomer to an organic solvent and carrying out free-radical polymerization and adding, at the end of the addition of the mixture (I), a mixture of a monomer containing carboxyl groups and a monomer free from carboxyl groups and continuing the polymerization.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of a multicoat coating in which an aqueous transparent topcoat composition containing a polyacrylate resin as binder is employed. The polyacrylate resin can be obtained by adding, either successively or alternately in part amounts, a mixture of a carboxyl-containing ethylenically unsaturated monomer (a1) and a monomer (a2) free from carboxyl groups and a mixture (b) consisting of (meth)acrylic acid esters which are free from carboxyl groups, of hydroxyl-containing ethylenically unsaturated monomers and, if appropriate, of other ethylenically unsaturated monomers to an organic solvent and carrying out a polymerization in the presence of a radical-forming initiator and, at the end of the polymerization, neutralizing the resultant polyacrylate resin and dispersing it in water. The type and amount of (a1), (a2) and (b) are chosen so that the polyacrylate resin has a hydroxyl value of 40 to 200, an acid value of 20 to 100 and a glass transition temperature (T.