Automotive colour popularity & trend data

Automotive colour popularity & trend data

PPG Industries,a manufacturer of transportation coatings, recently released its annual automotive colour popularity and trend data in last October. While white retained the leading spot as the most popular car colour based on 2012 automotive build data, PPG forecasts that the overall use of colour is on the rise.

According to PPG’s annual survey of global colour popularity, white ranked first (22%) and silver was second (8%), blue (7%), green (2%) and other colour(1%). “colour is one of the first characteristics noticed in product design, and it is increasingly being used in everyday items, from cell phones to large appliances, based largely on automotive trends,” said Jane E. Harrington, PPG manager, colour styling, automotive  OEM( original equipment manufacturer) coatings. “The palette being developed for the automotive segment continues to be influenced by culture, nature, fashion, interior design, colour popularity and new pigment technology”

During this year’s annual Automotive Colour Trend Show held at PPG’s offices in Troy last September, the coatings company presented its ideas for future vehicle colours to leading global automotive manufacturers. Entitled “Perspective” , the 2012 show presents PPG’s unique viewpoint and angle on colour direction , using insight from all of the company’s business that colour item such as laptop computers, homes, buildings, airplanes, ships and heavy equipment.

“PPG’s internal network of more than 20 colour experts and six colour styling laboratories around the world keep our company in the vanguard with colour trends,” Harrington said ,”This global perspective on multiple end-use markets gives PPG unique colour expertise that is unmatched in the industry. No coatings company colours more types of surfaces than PPG”

PPG presented 64 new exterior shades to automotive designers for consideration in design of the 2015-2016 model years. These included colours such as : Al Fresco, a sliver metallic with fresh green tint; Victoria Grey , a classic grey with an iridescent highlight of gold metal; Opulence, a refined red pearl with intense jewel tone; Sunshine , a bright high-sparkle intense yellow; and Elixir, a metallic mixture of sliver and magenta.

“Our consumer research has clearly shown that colour is critically important to car buyers,” Harrington said.

A 2011 survey of automotive consumer by PPG revealed that: 77% of respondents said exterior colour was a factor in their automotive purchase decision; owners of lager luxury cars, sporty cars and large premium SUVs place the most value on getting the colour of their choice;45% of the respondents said they would prefer a wider range of colour choices.

In addition to colour trend forecasting,PPG continues to develop paint technologies that offer automotive manufacturers differentiate their brands ,according to Harrington. “For example, metallic flake effects have become increasingly popular. A classic colour such as blue can be updated with a high-sparkle glass flake or a fine bright aluminum to create more of a liquid or silk appearance,” she said.

Regional details regarding PPG’s 2012automotive colour popularity data are as follows:

In North America, white ranks first (21%), followed by black (19%), sliver and grey (16% each) , red(10%), blue (8%), natural (7%) and green (3%).

In Europe, white is also most popular (23%), followed by black (21%), grey(17%), sliver(13%), blue , natural and red(7% each), other colours (3%) and green(2%).

In the Asia Pacific region, sliver and white tied for most popular (23% each), followed by black (19%), natural (10%), red(9%), grey (8%), blue(7%) and green (1%).