Why not a colorful car?
Germany's roads are gray - because most car buyers play it safe when choosing a paint job. A few decades ago, the roads were much more colorful. The current dominance of non-colors is also due to the large number of company cars.
"What car do you drive?" "A blue one." The stale cliché about people who are not interested in cars has a true core: the body color defines a car for the observer much more than horsepower or engine capacity. It is therefore important to invest a little thought into the color of your dream car when buying. A tip first: it doesn't always have to be silver.
Grey, black, white - in the year to date, 78.7 percent of new cars registered in Germany were painted in one of these non-colors. Colorful shades are rare, adorning mainly cheeky small cars and extroverted sports cars, rarely crossovers, almost never a luxury sedan. Mazda designer Alena Gersonde does not find the monochrome dominance bad per se, but is always happy to see a little colorfulness. "Bright colors can look really good on a car. But you have to think about whether you want to be overrun by such a wall of color, especially in large vehicles," explains the color specialist from the brand's European design center.
Company cars - just not too flashy and conspicuous
Half a century ago, the street scene in Germany looked even more colorful. Orange, green and yellow shades ruled, white or grey were more common colors for delivery vans, tradesmen's station wagons and other utility-optimized vehicles. As practicality and purism increasingly moved into car design, the colors also faded.
In addition, the phenomenon of company cars, which now account for two thirds of all car sales, became ever more prevalent in Germany. Many companies exclude garish and eye-catching colors in their vehicle agreements. Not only for image reasons, but above all because of the resale value. The more the average durability of vehicles increased, the more important it was that a potential new owner was not put off by a color choice that was too extreme.
Anyone buying a new car should therefore also think about the future. If you still need a particularly extravagant paint job, wrapping may be an alternative. The plastic layer can be removed without a trace when the car is resold, so that the original paintwork, which may be more opaque, can be revealed again.
Beautiful can become even more chic
But not all colors beyond black and grey are residual value killers. In many cases, the right paint can make a beautiful car even more stylish. "If I have a body design with very clear, sharp lines, I can emphasize these perfectly with metallic or pearl effect paints, for example," advises Gersonde. The car manufacturers' surcharge lists now include many effect and special paints that have a matt sheen or change color depending on the incidence of light.
If you want to follow current color trends when buying a car, car manufacturers currently offer many light blue and green tones. And also various shades of white and silver. According to Gersonde, cold and restrained paint tones tend to dominate overall. This is also driven by e-cars, which are often intended to look particularly pure and clean. "However, I suspect that this trend will change at some point and that more expression and more courage will return to the color palette," predicts Gersonde. At the IAA in Munich, for example, many new red models were already on display.
Advantages of light paint colors
Even beyond one's own aesthetic sensibilities, there are a few points to consider when choosing a color. For example, light-colored cars in shades of blue or silver often look cleaner and newer because scratches and dust are not as visible on their paintwork as on darker models. If you want a neat-looking black car, you need to wash it regularly.
Another point is safety: bright cars or vehicles in bright colors are generally easier to see in traffic. Black and gray cars quickly disappear into the shadows of trees and buildings at dusk or in dull light. Last but not least, repair costs play a role. Although metallic and other effect paints are relatively resistant due to their clear coat, repainting or repainting is quite expensive.
However, as with most consumer goods, almost anything that appeals and is within budget is ultimately permitted. However, the car designers at most manufacturers make a pre-selection, often have favorite colors and banish completely unsuitable tones from the range. At least at Mazda, this also applies to the combination of interior and exterior design. If two shades clash too much, they cannot be ordered together. As a car buyer, you can hardly make any really serious mistakes when choosing a paint color.
Despite the current trend of gray, black, and white car colors, car manufacturers offer various light blue and green tones, as well as different shades of white and silver. Companies that provide company cars often exclude garish and eye-catching colors due to resale value concerns. [The text suggests that] a company car manufacturer could consider offering a wider range of color options, including brighter and more colorful options.
Source: www.ntv.de
