16.01.2007

Silver Remains Number 1

In 2006 silver successfully defended its No. 1 position as the most popular colour for new cars. This means that the neutral yet elegant colour has been European car buyers‘ favourite ahead of black and grey for the sixth year in a row according to the latest survey conducted by German paint experts Standox.



In 2006 silver successfully defended its No. 1 position as the most popular colour for new cars. This means that the neutral yet elegant colour has been European car buyers‘ favourite ahead of black and grey for the sixth year in a row according to the latest survey conducted by German paint experts Standox.

Current colour trends in Europe show the neutral colours of silver, black, grey and white will continue to dominate European roads – 72% of all passenger cars sport one of these so-called non-colours. While silver’s market share has stagnated at around 28%, it clearly leads the table ahead of black and grey – with black catching up considerably, though. Black is now only 4% behind silver, where as grey’s market share remains static at the previous year’s level of 16%.

When buying a new car, motorists attach great importance to the model as well as to the colour. A shining silver finish not only flatters the shape of the vehicle but also brings to mind images of luxury and precious metals such as chrome or platinum. It is therefore not surprising that the trend towards silver seems to be continuing and that silver is the No. 1 choice of most European motorists. Black leads the list only in the luxury segment. But slowly but steadily the market is changing. The development of new pigments enables carmakers to launch ever more sophisticated special-effect paints and to create different shades even of neutral colours. At the same time, car buyers are beginning to make bolder statements again. Colours such as orange, which was last seen in the 1970s, are suddenly gaining attraction and turning from trendy ideas into firmly established niche colours, especially for smaller or sporty models.

Standox therefore predicts a trend towards more colour for the coming years. “People like it more colourful again. This can be observed in various spheres of life including cars. Luxury cars will remain the only exception, as nearly all of them have traditionally featured neutral colours,” says Standox colour expert Sandra Krüger. “Fleet and leasing companies, in particular, attach great importance to colours that are easy to resell at a later date.”

Standox trend researchers confine their surveys not only to the paint creations of the large car makers but also take into account key indicators for colour trends from other sectors such as fashion, furniture or consumer electronics.

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