[Aqualung]

From today's WSJ, an article on car style. There was another article somewhere last week that talked about how bright yellow is becoming more popular than bright red, too.

Is Blue the New Silver?

If it seems to you that every other car on the road is silver, you're not going color-blind: Silver has been the dominant new car color for several years.

But color experts at two of the auto industry's big paint suppliers are predicting that more car makers are going to start experimenting with a more-intriguing palette of shades in the latter years of this decade.

PPG Industries, a major supplier of paint to the automotive industry, said last week that bright colors are back in the auto business, and will be prominent in 2007 to 2009 models. Rival paint maker BASF has also forecast a return to more colorful hues.

PPG sees blue shades favoring "soft, silvery green-shade blues to bright techno shades of aquamarine." Reds will become more intense, with yellow or mahogany tones. In the color category PPG describes as "naturals," the company predicts "new interpretations of gold and beige with fine texture will emerge," and also anticipates "warm shades inspired by environmental materials such as leather" giving a new look to tan.

Lorene Boettcher, manager of global design and color marketing for PPG, says in an interview that silver isn't going away by any means. The color "really represents high technology. Something bright, modern and futuristic." Shades of silver are the most-popular shades used in buildings, she says, and are everywhere in consumer electronics. In the car business, silver got its start in luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, but lately has become popular in the small-car segment.

But Ms. Boettcher says, based on PPG's work with car makers on models for the 2007-and-beyond period, she expects consumers will see more subtlety and more eye-catching effects, such as sparkle finishes or smooth, satin looks. "Visual texture is as important as the color itself," she says. "It creates a wow."

Ms. Boettcher notes that Asian car makers seem to be quicker to try special-effects paints than U.S. rivals.

BASF also heralds advances in paint technology that could make paints with a bright, metallic flake look more affordable.

A move toward brighter colors would cut against the trend of recent years. According to BASF, in 2003 the most-popular colors for cars and trucks were silver, white, and black, which combined for 50% of the market. Add gray and beige, and dull colors have 69% of the vote in the color primaries, according to BASF.

BASF's color designers predict that reds and blues will regain ground in the U.S. market, while silvers "evolve" to include more gray, and more hints of green and copper, according to an October report by the company. Dark grays will be enlivened with color effects, and "should have the color and feel of fine fabrics." "

[MukiMunki]

White?


Pepper White is about the only non-crap white car I can think of.

Except possibly an ITR in that comedy Magnolia.


I can't see white cars being a big seller in the UK, except possibly to the emergency services and Taxi firms.



I do genuinely really like Pepper White btw and considered ordering one - this isn't a slight on PW owners

[martin_costello]

Even the emregency services don't buy white cars anymore, all the MET's new cars are silver so that they get better resale values!

Martin

[Aqualung]

Quote: Originally Posted by martin_costello

Even the emregency services don't buy white cars anymore, all the MET's new cars are silver so that they get better resale values!

Martin

Now that's interesting as I also read that silver cars have a higher degree of collisions...they apparently tend to "blend" in more w/ the surroundings. This from the insurance industry. The emergency vehicles definately want to stand out.