Home Features Silver Is Still The World’s Favourite Colour

Silver Is Still The World’s Favourite Colour

Features

by 3348 - Dec 25, 2003

More than a quarter of new vehicles sold worldwide this year were silver in colour, according to a survey by PPG Industries, the world’s leading manufacturer of transportation coatings.

The company’s 17th annual survey showed that 29% of new vehicles were silver, with white following at 19%. Black and blue finished at 13% and 11%, respectively, while red was featured on 10% of vehicles produced around the world, and green/naturals each appeared on 7% of the vehicles. Niche and specialty colours were at 4%.

2003 marks the third consecutive year that silver ranked as the most popular vehicle colour in North America, according to the survey with 24% of new vehicles having it, up from 22% in 2002.

In addition, silver, a member of the neutral colour family, replaced natural tones such as champagne, gold, and lighter shades of brown and orange as the leading colour in the luxury vehicle segment with 24% and matched the perennial favorite white as the most popular colour in the truck segment at 21%.

“Silver will define the first decade of the new millennium,” said Lorene C. Boettcher, manager, Global Design and Colour Marketing, automotive coatings for PPG. “The sophisticated and high-tech look of silver, its ability to accentuate a vehicle’s design and advances in coatings technologies that drive the creation of new interpretations of silver will help maintain its popularity for the next several years.”

Looking ahead, Mrs Boettcher forecast that in the 2007-2008 model year, silver will become more complex with blue and gold influences and will incorporate fine to coarse metallic flakes to add sparkle effects.

Research conducted by PPG reveals that for the 2003 model year, white and red were featured on 16% and 14%, respectively, of vehicles produced in North America, matching their popularity in the 2002 model year. Black increased in popularity to 13% from 10%, followed by the natural colour family and blue, each with 11%, and green with 7%. Other niche and specialty colours held constant at 4%.

The PPG Global Design and Colour Marketing Team – which consists of more than 20 colourists in North America, Japan, Europe, South America, India, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and China – has developed 152 new colours for automaker consideration for the 2007-2008 model year.

“In the coming years, North America can expect to see new vehicles in brilliant shades of denim blues, silver-shaded and blue-violet reds, moss greens and brighter and lighter shades of yellow and orange that reflect the optimism that we have toward the future,” added Mrs Boettcher. PPG also predicts various effect technologies will add appeal to new colours on the North American colour palette.

“The use of new effect pigments and various sizes of metallic and aluminium flakes will give colours a sense of visual texture and depth,” said Jerry R. Koenigsmark, manager of colour design, North America, automotive coatings for PPG. “We also expect that hue-shifting colours – which appear to change in hue when viewed at different angles – will gain acceptance in subtle versions within the natural and neutral colour families.”

Through involvement in design and colour trend organizations throughout the world, by understanding the latest technology and by analyzing societal and lifestyle trends and regional influences, the Global Design and Colour Marketing Team is able to provide automakers with cutting-edge colour trend recommendations to help enhance the brand identity and image of their vehicles.