White remains No.1

White has successfully defended its leading position among the world’s most popular automotive colours. Nearly one quarter of new car buyers worldwide (23 percent) opted for a white car in 2012 – about one percent more than in the previous year. Black, a long-time classic, has returned to the top rankings and made second place, whereas silver, which still topped the poll in 2010, continued its decline to make third place, followed by gray in fourth place. The annual global colour trend report from Standox, the German vehicle paint manufacturer, shows that neutrals remain car owners’ all-time favourites.

Whether they’re from Mexico, Japan, North America or Europe – buyers across the globe remained rather conservative when it came to choosing their car colour in 2012. “The neutral colours are regarded as timelessly elegant and promise a high resale value. This makes them the obvious choice especially in economically uncertain times,” says Armin Sauer, Color Coordinator at Standox Germany. Whites remain the most popular shades among the neutrals in 2012. “White has firmly established itself as a car colour across the globe and is available in many different finishes – from refined three-coat mother-of-pearl effects to white metallics,” explains Armin Sauer. “At the same time, we are closely monitoring what’s happening to brown and beige, which are slowly gaining importance in several regions. These natural colours perfectly fit the image of electric, gas or hybrid cars, which will become increasingly important in future, and could replace white as the colour symbolising environmental consciousness and a clean image.” The worldwide share of new cars in brown and beige shades has increased by one percent.

Red and blue, the classics among the chromatic colours, only made a distant fifth or sixth place in most regions in 2012. All other colours are lagging far behind. But Standox expert Armin Sauer is convinced that the bold and striking colours in our streets will become increasingly unique and diverse. “There will be a growing number of special colours with complex special effects. These colours are niche products and often developed for one specific car model. This makes them a particular challenge for the refinisher.”

For many years Standox colour experts have monitored the new colours created by the automotive industry. This ensures that Standox can respond swiftly to new trends and support its customers with the right colours and repair processes at all times.