Fluid blues, revitalizing greens and wood-inspired reds debut in 2008-2009
TROY, Mich., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2005 model year marks the fifth
consecutive year that silver has ranked as the most popular vehicle color in
North America, according to the annual global color popularity survey
conducted by PPG Industries, the world's leading manufacturer of
transportation coatings.
Silver topped all colors among North American vehicles produced in the
2005 model year with 26 percent, down one percent from last year. Silver also
remained the leading color for all North American vehicle segments, with the
highest share (32 percent) coming in the sport/compact category.
"As predicted, bright silver will remain a favorite in North America and
around the world for several years to come due to its appeal among designers
to highlight the form and shape of a vehicle," said Lorene C. Boettcher,
manager, Global Design and Color Marketing, automotive coatings for PPG. "We
are continuing to explore a variety of advancements and innovations in
technology that will bring silver closer to a liquid-metal appearance -- the
next hottest trend for this hue."
Additional research conducted by PPG reveals that for the 2005 model year
in North America, white was the second-most popular color at 16 percent.
Naturals -- gold, copper, champagne and lighter shades of brown and yellow --
appeared on 14 percent of vehicles produced in North America. Red came in at
13 percent, followed by blue at 12 percent. Black captured 11 percent of the
market, while green was 5 percent and niche and specialty colors accounted for
3 percent. Global color trend data collected by PPG found that silver also
led global color popularity with 37 percent in 2005, up two percent from 2004.
White took second with 14.4 percent, followed by blue at 12.7 percent, black
with 11 percent, red at 9.4 percent, naturals with 8.8 percent, green at 4.3
percent and others/specialty colors just over 2 percent.
New Colors for 2008-2009 Model Year
The PPG Global Design and Color Marketing Team -- comprising 20 colorists
in North America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, India and
Australia -- developed 130 new colors for consideration by automotive
designers for the 2008-2009 model years.
"There is a desire to reinvigorate the automotive palette with color,"
said Boettcher. "Color preference has been in neutral mode for so long that
we're now starting to see a push for more colors to emerge and for technology
to put a new twist on classic shades. We're looking to take color to the next
level."
The color experts at PPG predict the following North American color trends
for the 2008-2009 model years:
* Blue: The popularity of blue will increase as bolder and more dramatic
shades are developed. Liquid-metal and smoky lilac shades will help increase
the popularity of this color in the luxury vehicle segment.
* Green: Teal will be replaced by youthful blue-green shades. A glass-
sparkle effect will create richer shades of green for luxury car buyers who
want distinction. Green infused with gold effects will add new dimensions to
sportier shades.
* Naturals: Yellows and yellow-oranges will become richer and warmer and
will continue to gain momentum. A dark brown, with glistening textural
effects, will be introduced and light-to-medium soft beige browns will be
infused with shimmer effects.
* Red: Inspired by wood, this color family returns to warm, dark and
glowing shades. Classic and stable hues resemble deep cranberry and wine.
Purple with a heavy-blue influence will capture the sports car segment.
Bright impact reds will sustain their popularity.
* Neutrals: Bright silver remains a favorite. A new set of neutrals will
emerge in silvery beige, blue-greens and deeper greenish charcoal shades.
White-yellow pearls with more special effects will continue in popularity.
"Incorporating new coatings technologies into color families will continue
to be the primary focus of automakers looking to differentiate their vehicle
brand," said Jerry R. Koenigsmark, manager of color design, North America,
automotive coatings for PPG. "Glass flakes and silver coated glass flakes add
intense, bright sparkle when used in dark and medium hues. We are also
experimenting with a technology that gives waterborne colors a vibrant liquid
metal appearance."
The Global Design and Color Marketing Team combines research of global
automotive, interior design, fashion, product design, contract and consumer
markets, architectural coatings, cosmetics and packaging with insight of
regional influences and knowledge of new technologies to gain a better
understanding of international color preferences.
For more than 20 years, PPG has been tracking and presenting color
creations and the latest technical information to automakers worldwide. In
addition to identifying automotive color trends, PPG also helps define trends
for aerospace, aftermarket, architectural, general industry, glass and trade
sale products.
On the forefront of innovation in decorative and protective coatings and
environmental application concerns since 1927, PPG has long been a leader in
helping automakers advance technologies and processes used in the application
of automotive coatings.
Pittsburgh-based PPG is the world's leading manufacturer of transportation
coatings and a global supplier of industrial and packaging coatings, and a
leading producer of architectural coatings, primarily in North America. In
addition, PPG manufactures flat and fabricated glass, continuous-strand fiber
glass and chemicals. Sales were US$9.5 billion in 2004.