Boring colours - why?
Discussion
Why are cars such chuffing boring colours now? Looking at the Volvo V90 and, apart from a dreary "denim" blue, they offer 3 shades of grey, black, white and silver. With the interiors - basically it's car noire: black, charcoal or beige for the hippies. Volvos used to come in some great colours.
Do we actually want cars in these colours or does the limited pallette reduce costs and so we are forced into choosing a monochrome car. Do people actually compare three shades of grey and decide that one is less dreary than the other two?
What I really want is a cobalt blue with a red interior but I doubt I could get that from any mainstream manufacturer now.
Do we actually want cars in these colours or does the limited pallette reduce costs and so we are forced into choosing a monochrome car. Do people actually compare three shades of grey and decide that one is less dreary than the other two?
What I really want is a cobalt blue with a red interior but I doubt I could get that from any mainstream manufacturer now.
Cost & marketing as much as anything.
The limited selection of colours is because the plants look to run one a colour a day, the change over between colours results in down time for the production llines. Also the paint shop is frequently actually run by another (paint) company and they're paid per car so want as high a flow rate as possible. The special colours orders will be built up until it's cost effective to run the extra colour.
The more upmarket the car greater the selection of paints as it's more of hand paint than a dip paint. For example the paint company at JLR have about 10 people (from memory so maybe a little out) there, the same paint company have 7 at RR (one who's job is just to colour match).
The selection of the colours will be down to marketing though.
The limited selection of colours is because the plants look to run one a colour a day, the change over between colours results in down time for the production llines. Also the paint shop is frequently actually run by another (paint) company and they're paid per car so want as high a flow rate as possible. The special colours orders will be built up until it's cost effective to run the extra colour.
The more upmarket the car greater the selection of paints as it's more of hand paint than a dip paint. For example the paint company at JLR have about 10 people (from memory so maybe a little out) there, the same paint company have 7 at RR (one who's job is just to colour match).
The selection of the colours will be down to marketing though.
Edited by jimKRFC on Thursday 22 October 12:54
Edited by jimKRFC on Thursday 22 October 12:58
Interesting comments about colour choice from Audi: https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/audimediatv/vi...
jimKRFC said:
Cost & marketing as much as anything.
The limited selection of colours is because the plants look to run one a colour a day, the change over between colours results in down time for the production llines. Also the paint shop is frequently actually run by another (paint) company and they're paid per car so want as high a flow rate as possible. The special colours orders will be built up until it's cost effective to run the extra colour.
The more upmarket the car greater the selection of paints as it's more of hand paint than a dip paint. For example the paint company at JLR have about 10 people (from memory so maybe a little out) there, the same paint company have 7 at RR (one who's job is just to colour match).
The selection of the colours will be down to marketing though.
I’ve visited car plants on numerous occasions and each line has a multitude of different colours running at the same time. They haven’t been building white cars one day and black the next - it just wouldn’t fit with demand and the just in time production philosophy. They have been at the premium end though. The limited selection of colours is because the plants look to run one a colour a day, the change over between colours results in down time for the production llines. Also the paint shop is frequently actually run by another (paint) company and they're paid per car so want as high a flow rate as possible. The special colours orders will be built up until it's cost effective to run the extra colour.
The more upmarket the car greater the selection of paints as it's more of hand paint than a dip paint. For example the paint company at JLR have about 10 people (from memory so maybe a little out) there, the same paint company have 7 at RR (one who's job is just to colour match).
The selection of the colours will be down to marketing though.
Edited by jimKRFC on Thursday 22 October 12:54
Edited by jimKRFC on Thursday 22 October 12:58
I’d like to see more colours but resale generally favours shades of monochrome! One of my fave cars was a brown X5! Not sure what that says about me though...
Riley Blue said:
Interesting comments about colour choice from Audi: https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/audimediatv/vi...
It seems a shame that when Audi take such care and effort in their paint processes and offer such a range of colours that their customers choose such boring shades. Perhaps they are all the sort who wear dull suits with dull shirts and dull ties.Someone I know has just had a baby and wanted a new SUV. Fair do's. Bought a new X Trail. Fair do's
Burgundy. A Burgundy f
king X Trail.
Why? She literally went into a main dealer, could have had blue, black, hell white, but no, out of the brochure she chose burgundy.
I don't get it.
It looks dull as st.
Burgundy. A Burgundy f
king X Trail.Why? She literally went into a main dealer, could have had blue, black, hell white, but no, out of the brochure she chose burgundy.
I don't get it.
It looks dull as s
t.
I also have two grey cars and the wifes car is a denim blue metallic type colour.
Previously the wife had a bright red mini countryman with a union jack across the whole roof. she loved it when she first bought it but three years in she grew to hate the attention it got and how everyone knew it was her car, we traded it in for a new shape Mini countryman in the blue instead, she's happy for now.
I've had a Yellow car when I was 18 (Fiat Seicento) and I've had a couple of red cars over the years but now I wouldn't buy a bright colour car personally, I like to drift along under the radar so to speak.
Previously the wife had a bright red mini countryman with a union jack across the whole roof. she loved it when she first bought it but three years in she grew to hate the attention it got and how everyone knew it was her car, we traded it in for a new shape Mini countryman in the blue instead, she's happy for now.
I've had a Yellow car when I was 18 (Fiat Seicento) and I've had a couple of red cars over the years but now I wouldn't buy a bright colour car personally, I like to drift along under the radar so to speak.
Volvo do seem to have a very narrow choice of colours inside and out, BMW on the other hand offer over 100 paint colours (at a price of course) but at least you get the option.
16 series colours and 91 special
https://visualizer.bmw-individual.com/
I guess Volvo know enough of their customers won't pay the extra to make setting up an individual program worth their while.
16 series colours and 91 special
https://visualizer.bmw-individual.com/
I guess Volvo know enough of their customers won't pay the extra to make setting up an individual program worth their while.
My perfect configuration is Silver with Black/Dark Grey cloth interior. I tend to buy older cars and this combination seems to show the least amount of wear and looks the freshest.
Silver - hides swirl marks, small dents and scratches. Also looks clean the longest
Black cloth interior - On older cars the leather tends to crack and wear, and for a lot of cars it is mostly vinyl anyway. Black/Grey also hides dirt and marks, especially compared to a car with a cream/tan interior.
Personally, my worst nightmare would be a black car with a cream/tan leather interior.
Looking at older black cars in direct sunlight just does bad things to my OCD.
Silver - hides swirl marks, small dents and scratches. Also looks clean the longest
Black cloth interior - On older cars the leather tends to crack and wear, and for a lot of cars it is mostly vinyl anyway. Black/Grey also hides dirt and marks, especially compared to a car with a cream/tan interior.
Personally, my worst nightmare would be a black car with a cream/tan leather interior.
Looking at older black cars in direct sunlight just does bad things to my OCD.
People seem to like 'safe' colours on cars. I'm sure finance plays a part on some of them but also people follow the trends of what's available and what certain models of car are seen in most.
It seems that smaller hatches like Clios, Yaris, Corsas are picked in slightly more bold colours even in the non-sporty variants. Then you move up to SUVs and saloons and the colour options seem far less exciting.
I've owned three Mercs and my other half has had two, all of which were silver. Admittedly we haven't had them from new but other than that it seems like it's only the odd A Class that's in a funky colour.
It seems that smaller hatches like Clios, Yaris, Corsas are picked in slightly more bold colours even in the non-sporty variants. Then you move up to SUVs and saloons and the colour options seem far less exciting.
I've owned three Mercs and my other half has had two, all of which were silver. Admittedly we haven't had them from new but other than that it seems like it's only the odd A Class that's in a funky colour.
Justin Case said:
Riley Blue said:
Interesting comments about colour choice from Audi: https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/audimediatv/vi...
It seems a shame that when Audi take such care and effort in their paint processes and offer such a range of colours that their customers choose such boring shades. Perhaps they are all the sort who wear dull suits with dull shirts and dull ties.
With 67 colours it's not such a limited pallette as some might think.I visited the Audi factories in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm when water based paints were being introduced and they demonstrated how they could change colours between each car as it went through the paint shop. The boring colours seen seem to be down to customers' colour selection rather than lack of choice or manufacturing difficulty.
Joey Deacon said:
My perfect configuration is Silver with Black/Dark Grey cloth interior. I tend to buy older cars and this combination seems to show the least amount of wear and looks the freshest.
Silver - hides swirl marks, small dents and scratches. Also looks clean the longest
Black cloth interior - On older cars the leather tends to crack and wear, and for a lot of cars it is mostly vinyl anyway. Black/Grey also hides dirt and marks, especially compared to a car with a cream/tan interior.
Personally, my worst nightmare would be a black car with a cream/tan leather interior.
Looking at older black cars in direct sunlight just does bad things to my OCD.
I am similar. My previous E36 was Arctic Silver with half leather sports seats. That was an ordered car. The outside side thigh bolster was showing a bit of scuffing after 19 years. The 66 plate 335d as a pre-reg on 9 miles was in Glacier Silver, with full Dakota ‘leather’ black sports seats. Silver - hides swirl marks, small dents and scratches. Also looks clean the longest
Black cloth interior - On older cars the leather tends to crack and wear, and for a lot of cars it is mostly vinyl anyway. Black/Grey also hides dirt and marks, especially compared to a car with a cream/tan interior.
Personally, my worst nightmare would be a black car with a cream/tan leather interior.
Looking at older black cars in direct sunlight just does bad things to my OCD.
I preferred the Arctic Silver’s slightly blue tint.
Yes, silver cars show less dirt and other marks, but do show panel gaps.
Some black cars do show the dirt very quickly, as does white, and are not as visible as lighter colours.
Fashion colours do come and go. I remember Ford’s ‘Saluki Bronze’.
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