09.02.2009

Black dominates on European roads

Black once again leads the table of the most popular automotive colours, accounting for 26 per cent of all new cars sold, according to the Standox survey of 2008 automotive colour trends. For the second year running, black lies ahead of silver and grey - and it has even extended its lead. In the luxury and SUV segment, black scored 38 and 41 per cent, respectively. This timelessly elegant colour is the No. 1 in virtually all segments.In the eyes of European motorists, technology and progress are increasingly expressed also by other colours.

Various shades of grey remain very popular and are almost on a par with related silver shades. In the MPV segment, grey even made first place. In the increasingly popular SUV segment, grey has also surpassed silver. Grey now reflects modernity and technology in the way silver did in the 1990s and the first years of the new millennium.

Europeans love blue. Whether it’s light or dark, brilliant or subtle - blue remains the most popular chromatic colour for new cars. At 13 per cent, it is also the only chromatic colour that passed the ten per cent mark. In view of the never-ending popularity of blues, Standox has even developed “Blue Flame”, a mysteriously changing special effect colour in the Standox Exclusive Line, which gives every vehicle an unmistakable and unique touch.

White has become a high fashion colour at least on UK and German roads. It is on the advance throughout all vehicle segments, but not in all markets. The total number of white colours has increased by only one per cent as compared to 2007. But in the luxury, SUV and MPV segments, white is the No. 4 directly behind the other “neutrals”.

While red is somewhat more popular than in the previous years, with 7 per cent, but there is no clear upward trend. Having been a major fashion colour in many spheres of life recently, orange has become a permanent fixture on our roads but is yet to make a dent in the statistics. According to the Standox experts, 2008 - just like the previous years - saw no clear trend towards distinct or different colours.

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