Automotive Paint Colors
dieselhead
Is it just me, or is the variety of paint colors a little on the lame side? Metallic black for example is offered by a lot of the Germans, but it always looks just about like solid black. No one has an interesting version of this that I've seen. Blue is another color completely lacking in innovation.
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Tom Martin
I was looking at the Lotus Elise paint options last week, and the range of choices was staggering in the range and lack of convention compared to most cars. I'm sure resale value is part of this. But when 25% of the cars sold in the US are silver, perhaps the Lemming Factor is too high?
Chris Paukert
Unfortunately, it's apparently rather expensive to offer a huge color palate, and yes, there's always resale value to consider. It's possible to almost forget how many choices there are until you look at the order book for a Lotus, or better still a Bentley or a Bugatti.
I haven't actually looked at this yet, but I would suspect that other countries may get broader paint palates to choose from. Think about how many times you've seen oddball prints on the seat fabrics of European compacts, and tell me that they don't get get more crayons in their boxes, too...
Chris Paukert
Editor-In-Chief
Winding Road Magazine // NextAutos
Lear
I don't think the issue is quantity of colors. It is that most cars offer the same 8 colors.
I don't live in Europe, but Chris' idea that Europe has more variety seems right to me. Hell, they have a lot more engine choices!
tbmshark
Sniff Petrol has this to say on the subject:
S/R/8
How apt! This fine chart should come as no surprise, possibly borrowing its inspiration from a wholly organic source. In my geographic area the cloud cover so dominates the horizon, so often that one new resident of two years came to refer to this same selection of colors in a, well, quite "natural" way: observing "...nature's palette of greys and silvers..." Perhaps some of Audi paint/color designers ply their trade under the clouds.
(Disclaimer: my two Audis are not silver, but I do favor Quartz over the others.)
dieselhead
Wow! I was thinking of getting an A4 when the new one hits this fall. Now I'm definitely in if I can get it in Badger Arse.
"Acceleration is simple: torque divided by weight"
- Gordon Murray
Adam Morath
I can appreciate the Germans' restraint when it comes to color options. Certain vehicles simply should not be offered in certain colors. Example: 08 Jeep Patriot in "Surf Blue Metallic"
dieselhead
Yeah, but restraint doesn't = beauty, just as craziness doesn't. Lots of BMW's restrained colors don't look good. Lexus actually is doing a far better job of restrained but attractive colors. Too bad their cars are butt ugly and dull to drive.
"Acceleration is simple: torque divided by weight"- Gordon Murray
Chris Paukert
TBMshark, that chart is brilliant... almost as good as that blue Patriot is bad, Adam.
Who else has some so-bad-they're-good car/paint combos to share?
Chris Paukert
Editor-In-Chief
Winding Road Magazine // NextAutos
dendron
Personally, I'm a fan of the Honda/Acura Nighthawk black, which looks black from a distance, but is really a deep metallic midnight blue in bright sunlight. Body shop people know what I mean...
Dave B.
At the BMW dealership across the street from my gym, every car on the lot is either black, charcoal, anthracite, pewter, silver, or white. If they accidentally get in a car in COLOR, it sticks out like a sort thumb.
Gary Barnhill
Guards Red rules! (For the great unwashed; That is one of Porsche's "free" colors as opposed to some of their $4,000-$6,000 colors.)
It was so in 1960 and still so.
Chris the Girl
Okay, Adam. Now I want an '08 Jeep Patriot in Surf Blue Metallic even MORE! Reminds me of my '72 Gremlin in Surfsie Turquoise ... fun!
Dave B.
Okay, the BMW lot across the street from my gym looks completely different today. Is maroon the new silver? Half the cars on the lot were maroon or burgandy. I also saw a lot of a sort of light metallic jade green, and a sort of light sand-colored metallic. There was still plenty of black, charcoal, anthracite, alloy, silver, and white to go around though.
Anonymous
The burgundy and sand colored cars were there because they're ugly and don't sell. BMW has lost it on colors.
dieselhead
New data, from DuPont on US colors sold in 2008:
29% gray or silver
20% white
17% black
---------------------------------------------- 66% colorless
13% blue
11% red
10% other color (beige, green, gold, etc)
meegan
i'm impressed with this data. any chance you also know what motorcycle colors sell best/worst?