BW photography and filters *LINK*

Yes, the type of film does make a difference, even with today's "panchromatic" BW films. Different tonal response, and slightly different color response all make BW film choice part of the artistic decision process in BW photography.
Additionally:
Another problem with colorizing is many b/w films were orthochromatic, they were not red sensitive, so reds come out darker in a print and blues/greens come out lighter.
Indeed, but to add to the mix, even with more modern panchromatic films, color filters were and are VERY commonly used by BW photographers. Often things which stand out nicely in color will not in a panchromatic BW view without the help of a color filter. Red, yellow, orange, green and blue filters of various strenghts are all commonly used. [And yes, these filters can be easily simulated in digital color to BW conversions.]
If interested, the link below is to an image I took some years back of Baker Tank on Boreas Pass, shot with an orange filter. In the real world, the well-lit tank stood out dramatically due to its deep reddish color, but if I hadn't used a filter, the tank would simply blend into the background, as it's tonal values are similar to its surroundings. And, of course, orange and red filters do make for dramatic skies!
It'd be pretty tough to determine the tank's color from this shot.
The bottom line is that unless you know or can extrapolate from some other historical source (written record, similar surviving structure or car, etc.) there's no reliable way to completely determine proper color from a BW image.
Scott