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PPG Industries, a leading supplier of automotive paints, reports that white is replacing silver as the world's favourite car colour in. And that BROWN is coming in, too.
TROY, Michigan - Move over silver... after more than a decade as the world's favourite car colour, silver is declining in popularity and white is taking over, reports PPG Industries, a leading supplier of automotive paints.
The company reports that 25% of the vehicles it supplied in 2013 were white, thre percent more than in 2012 when silver and black tied for second with 18% each.
White vehicles dominate in Europe, North America and Asia but silver is king in South America. It's also pretty darn popular in South Africa.
WHITE = HIGH-TECH
PPG's manager of automotive colour styling Jane Harrington believes Apple's products have made white synonymous with technology.
Automakers are currently scouting colours for 2016/17 but Harrington said there were also eye-popping options in the works, from a pink-tinged bright red for Asian markets to a dark grey with green highlights.
PPG's annual colour show for automakers in Detroit is showcasing 11 shades of brown, from light copper to dark chocolate, as well as an equal number of greys. There are six yellows and seven greens on show at its automotive centre. One notable absence is powder blue, which is increasingly confined to electric cars and hybrids.
‘DRIVER’S DON’T MIND BEING SHOWY’
PPG determines colour trends by watching fashion, architectural paint colours and other predictors. Harrington explained: “We'll see more deep jewel tones such as teal and more earthy metallics such as reddish orange, in coming years. With the end of the recession, drivers don't mind being showy again.”
She added that taxi-like yellows and other bright colours would move up in popularity; pastel tones, such as mint green and light pink, were also in the mix.
Companies typically choose eight to 10 colours for every model, Harrington said. "They think about the vehicle and how that colour will translate. That colour, sparkle and finish helps define a vehicle's character."
PPG won't reveal how many vehicles it supplies paint for each year but reports it works with every major automaker.
Top car colours 2011 - 2013:
2011 - White (21%), black (20%), silver (20%)
2012 - White (22%), silver (20%), black (19%
2013 - White (25%), silver (18%), black (18%)
Would you buy a brown car? What's your favourite car colour (and why)? Email us and we'll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.
TROY, Michigan - Move over silver... after more than a decade as the world's favourite car colour, silver is declining in popularity and white is taking over, reports PPG Industries, a leading supplier of automotive paints.
The company reports that 25% of the vehicles it supplied in 2013 were white, thre percent more than in 2012 when silver and black tied for second with 18% each.
White vehicles dominate in Europe, North America and Asia but silver is king in South America. It's also pretty darn popular in South Africa.
WHITE = HIGH-TECH
PPG's manager of automotive colour styling Jane Harrington believes Apple's products have made white synonymous with technology.
Automakers are currently scouting colours for 2016/17 but Harrington said there were also eye-popping options in the works, from a pink-tinged bright red for Asian markets to a dark grey with green highlights.
PPG's annual colour show for automakers in Detroit is showcasing 11 shades of brown, from light copper to dark chocolate, as well as an equal number of greys. There are six yellows and seven greens on show at its automotive centre. One notable absence is powder blue, which is increasingly confined to electric cars and hybrids.
‘DRIVER’S DON’T MIND BEING SHOWY’
PPG determines colour trends by watching fashion, architectural paint colours and other predictors. Harrington explained: “We'll see more deep jewel tones such as teal and more earthy metallics such as reddish orange, in coming years. With the end of the recession, drivers don't mind being showy again.”
She added that taxi-like yellows and other bright colours would move up in popularity; pastel tones, such as mint green and light pink, were also in the mix.
Companies typically choose eight to 10 colours for every model, Harrington said. "They think about the vehicle and how that colour will translate. That colour, sparkle and finish helps define a vehicle's character."
PPG won't reveal how many vehicles it supplies paint for each year but reports it works with every major automaker.
Top car colours 2011 - 2013:
2011 - White (21%), black (20%), silver (20%)
2012 - White (22%), silver (20%), black (19%
2013 - White (25%), silver (18%), black (18%)
Would you buy a brown car? What's your favourite car colour (and why)? Email us and we'll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.
