Silver leads but black is getting popular

Silver is still the popular choice but black is catching up

Around the globe, silver is at the top of the charts as the most popular colour for cars this model year… but other colours are gaining on the leader of many years now. According to the annual automotive colour popularity data released recently by PPG Industries (the world’s leading manufacturer of transportation coatings), silver is losing some popularity as black closes in on the long-time favourite. In addition, brighter hues such as blue, red and niche market colours seem primed for resurgence.

Globally, silver held the top position as the most popular car colour at 31.5% (down from 33% in 2006). Black jumped to 18% (from 15.4% in 2006) to take second place, followed by white (12.5%), blue (12.4%), red (8.8%), naturals like gold, orange and brown tones (6.6%), other/niche market colours (5.9%) and green (3.8%).

In North America, the biggest car market in the world, silver also held the top spot over other vehicle colours with 22% (down 2% from last year). White, another automotive palette staple, was the second most popular North American colour for 2007 with 16%. Black came in third at 15% followed by red (13%), blue, naturals, other/niche market colours and green.

Car-buyers like to have more colour choices

“Silver is popular with consumers and automakers because it accentuates the styling of a vehicle and looks modern while also having a high resale value,” said Jane E. Harrington, PPG manager, colour styling, automotive coatings. “We’re looking at new interpretations to emerge in tinted silvers and charcoal shades. In addition, hue-shifting pigments can really make silvers look unique.”

The rising popularity of black, white and other colours stems from the fashion and interior design industries, Ms Harrington said. “Today’s consumers are aware of trends and design, and they expect to see that reflected in the vehicles they buy.”

She added that automakers realize the right colour “can get you noticed,” and said a survey PPG conducted at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit showed more than 65% of consumers surveyed said they would select one vehicle over another if more colour choices were available. “Consumers want choices, and that will lead to a more colourful automotive future.”

The PPG team also looks ahead and comes up with new colours for models in the next decade

Interior colours are also considered since they have to be coordinated with exterior finishes

Colour trends for 2010 - 2011 model years
Looking beyond 2007, the colourists of the PPG Global Design and Colour Marketing Team examined cultural and lifestyle trends to create cutting-edge colour palettes and special effects that meet automakers’ goals for brand identity, durability, workability and cost effectiveness. For the 2010 - 2011 model years, they have developed no less than 105 exterior colours and more than 25 interior colour concepts for automakers’ consideration. The collection is presented to automakers during PPG’s global colour show, called “VIEW” this year.

“One of the first things you notice about a vehicle is the colour,” Harrington said. “This year’s colour show highlights our viewpoint on colour, trends, technology and the global automotive market.”

Some new colours in the collection are Cold Stare, a tinted silver with a steel blue highlight; Double Vision, a medium green with a red hue-shifting highlight; Out of Sight, a soft brown with a blue hue-shifting highlight; Quest, a citrus-inspired yellow metallic; and Gleam, an icy green with an intense gold flash.

In addition to colour trend forecasting, PPG is on the forefront of creating new paint technologies that enhance automotive design and exceed appearance requirements. This year, the company has demonstrated improvements in special effect pigments. The incorporation of Andaro nanopigment technology by PPG into traditional and alternative OEM coating systems is enabling designers to reach new colour spaces. These pigments offer higher colour saturation while maintaining customer-required durability.

“Our focus for this year’s global colour show explores effect pigments,” said Jerry R. Koenigsmark, PPG manager of colour design, North America automotive coatings. “To remain a leader in colour design, our methods must be outside the normal mode of thinking. PPG continues to create unique ways of using effect pigments that result in innovative looks and add a new dimension to colour and technology.”

On the forefront of innovation in decorative and protective coatings and environmental application concerns since 1924, PPG helps automakers advance coatings technologies and application processes.