Are Macs programming car colour choice?

Popular car colours, the group says, are determined by everything from technology and social interaction to economic conditions.

The Detroit News, reporting on the issue in the US, says the research shows a rise in popularity of "certain blues, greens and oranges that reflect the blue skies, lawns and unpretentious warmness found at homes throughout the (American) Midwest".

CAR COLOUR TRENDS

White is gaining even more fans thanks to its use in and on Apple Inc products and its association with hip, up-to-date, technology.

Paul Czornij, technical manager for the BASF group, told the DetNews: “The car body is an expression of you to the world. The colors we’ve chosen will highlight a car’s beauty and create a strong colour memory while reflecting both the driver’s desires and the North American consciousness.”

Czornij also explained that while automakers make colour choices depending on body style and car type (think darker reds or blacks for luxury cars, whites and blues for electric vehicles) Detroit automakers would follow a few specific trends.

He told the DetNews: “They’re really trying to push into more expressive, bold colours. Every one of them is trying to do something a little more different.”

EUROPEANS PREFER BEIGE AND WHITE

That apparently meant highly saturated bright-reds — a colour, Czornij told the newspaper, that is always popular. Detroit’s Big Three (General Motors, Ford and Chrysler)  were looking at bright silvers, metallic, "sparkly" blacks and subdued whites.

Consumer preferences vary by region and by time, Czornij said, with Europe preferring white and beige: "Turquoise, a colour popular in North America in 2011 for its Native American influences, connects buyers to the land."

It's gaining popularity with Europeans.

Back to the US: subtle tones still dominate the market, Czornij said. PPG Industries, a leading supplier of automotive paints in the US, said nearly three-quarters of all new vehicles during the 2013 model year were neutral — white, black, gray or silver.

Read the original article on the Detroit News.