REPORT: Silver still king of car colors, the future looks blue
Automotive paint supplier PPG says the color of tomorrow's car is blue. According to Jane Harrington, PPG's manager of color styling, "It's one of those colors that complements vehicle shapes... It's a globally acceptable color. It doesn't have any bad connotations."
The company studies trends in fashion, interior design, and consumer products to predict the tastes of fickle consumers. PPG isn't the only company predicting more blue sheetmetal on our roads and highways. An April report by chemicals giant DuPont also predicted a resurgence in the color, adding it was influenced by ecological concepts such as the sky and water. Consumers in 2008 apparently haven't caught on to the new "blue" trend yet. So far, 20 percent of the cars sold this year have been silver ("A neutral color that works on just about any car," says Harrington). White is second (18 percent), followed by black (17 percent) and red (13 percent). Although blue may be the new green, most consumers will still stick with black, white, and silver -- core colors that are always offered on nearly every vehicle.
[Source: AP via Google News, photo by Magic Super Toys]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Pixel Eater 6:07PM (10/16/2008)
No way there's less beige than red. People love "please god don't look at me I'm humble" colors.
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Tony Robbins 6:08PM (10/16/2008)
"It's one of those colors that complements vehicle shapes... It's a globally acceptable color. It doesn't have any bad connotations."
Does anyone know what he's talking about with "globally acceptable color. it doesn't have any bad connotations"?
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jv2k 11:30PM (10/16/2008)
Purple->Gay/pimp
Pink->Women only(usually airheaded ones too)
Heather 8:04AM (10/18/2008)
He's refering to the fact that blue, around the world, has no ill effects or reminders, like the color black is commonly assocated with death, red is assocated as a violent and/or passionate color, white is pure, etc...
Michael 6:15PM (10/16/2008)
I've already decided my next car is going to be blue. Man, I'm so hip.
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Justin 6:17PM (10/16/2008)
Own a blue car...you'll be sorry. Shows scratches, dirt, and fades more than most colors.
Silver's boring..but it holds up better.
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Amit 6:31PM (10/16/2008)
Nothing beats black though. A person should buy black only if the car is going to be hand-washed. Otherwise swirl marks show up in just a few months. I think metallic gray is a good compromise between the blandness of silver and the high maintenance of black. No points for guessing the color of my car :-)
Ray 9:33AM (10/18/2008)
I know a few things about auto finishes. I spent 30 years in the industry. Any dark color; weather it be blue, green, red, brown, or gray will show scratches, more than a light color.
Blue does not fade the most. Red fades the most. Sunlight being predominantly blue; absorbs red, avoids blue. Go by any beauty salon and look at the faded pictures in the windows. The only color left is always cyan blue.
Toy Yoda 6:23PM (10/16/2008)
I own a mettalic light blue car since 2004. I love it. I haven't had problems with scratchers, dirt etc. I don't see many cars with light blue. So it sort of makes my car unique, not that I pride myself on it. But it's a nice touch.
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Gabagool 6:26PM (10/16/2008)
I like white
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Bucket 6:33PM (10/16/2008)
Racist.
rypt 7:20PM (10/16/2008)
Indeed, white or black cars :)
Maybe yellow/red on sports cars
Robert 8:40AM (10/18/2008)
I recently purchased a new car, a very nice metalic blue. I love the color as well as the fact I don't look like every other car out there. Blue is cool....
watdafuk 1:45PM (10/18/2008)
White is right.
BC 12:43PM (10/18/2008)
LOL Bucket...
Bucket 6:32PM (10/16/2008)
I long for the days when brown was a perfectly acceptable color for a supercar.
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Pixel Eater 10:27PM (10/16/2008)
Wow, your prayers have been answered. Uncanny!
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/10/16/mercedes-to-auction-off-last-mclaren-slr-roadster-for-the-states/
socarboy99 6:57PM (10/16/2008)
Colors; other than silver, white, and black
tend to be trendy. I can remember sitting
at a stop light in 1995 and I noticed that
there were three vehicles ahead of me that
were all a similar shade of teal green! The
passenger that was riding with me at that time was so right, "this color will be so passe by 1998!"
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Sid 6:45PM (10/16/2008)
Owner of Indigo Blue Mazda3 since 2006. It's stunning. It turns almost a soft inky purple under neon lights. The first comment I get is 'wow this is a nice colour'. Guys and girls...everyone likes it.
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LoneWolf 6:47PM (10/16/2008)
There's nothing like matt black !
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