Car colour experts at paint suppliers see blue as the colour of the future, possibly with a pearlescent coating, a deep mica or aluminum metal-flake look, the New York Times (NYT) said.
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Car makers seem to agree, too, the NYT noted.
“We have blue showing up very popular on just about everything,” Margaret Hackstedde, the director for colour and trim design for the Chrysler Group of DaimlerChrysler told the newspaper.
The NYT said that the New York motor show in late March featured many blue and blue-grey cars, including DaimlerChrysler’s PT Cruiser convertible concept car in a rich metallic blue, Pontiac’s roadster concept in frosty blue and the Mini in bright blue with a white roof.
The NYT said that silver is the favourite for cars in showrooms today and will lead the market for the next few years.
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By GlobalDataRed also remains popular, the newspaper said, while bright yellow has been unexpectedly popular for performance cars and sport utility vehicles.
But the NYT says that green, the surprise hit of the 90s, may be on its way out after a decade of dominance.
“I think one reason we’re seeing blue starting to come back is because green has been declining for the last five years,” a DuPont colour expert told the New York Times.
“Green came on the scene in the 90s. Prior to that, you couldn’t give away a green car.”
The NYT said that many car colour gurus look at designer fashions first when making predictions.
“Not that we all run out and buy designer clothes every week, but new ideas in colour tend to appear there first,” one told the NYT.
While the experts are predicting trends in reds, colour-hued blacks and golds, the NYT said they all think the bigger trend will still be blue, combining with or taking over from silver or tinting the reds and greens.
But the shift will be conservative and gradual, the newspaper said, citing the experts.
