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Car Colors Go Retro: Bronze Is the New Black

A new report predicts earth tones such as brown, copper and bronze, along with blue and green, will soon dominate our roads.

By Claire_Martin Jul 27, 2012 11:27AM
Aston Martin Virage photo by Aston MartinWhite, gray and the most ubiquitous car color of all -- silver -- are on their way out, while natural tones such as copper, green and brown will be making their way into automakers' palettes in the next few years, according to a new report by BASF Automotive Coatings.

Designers from around the world contributed to the color forecast, which identified an increasing global emphasis on social responsibility at the root of the trend. "Colors are being developed that evoke [a] sense of purpose," Paul Czornij of BASF was quoted as saying in a press release. 

Green, which has long been neglected by carmakers, will tap into drivers' environmental consciences. "The continued high value assigned to the notion of ecology may now again be signified by the color green," says Mark Gutjahr of BASF Europe. 

This back-to-basics approach should end up having a retro feel. Bronze, copper and other earth tones, for instance, are a blast from the car palettes of the 1960s and '70s.

Yet even though these more exotic colors are expected to make a resurgence, carmakers won't retire neutral tones immediately. Silver, black and white comprise 50 to 80 percent of the current automotive color palette -- a trend that would be difficult to reverse in short order. Instead, those colors are expected to be reduced gradually.

For the most part, the hues will be subtle, but one color that will burst onto the scene in a big way in China is gold. BASF is developing various hues of gold for Chinese drivers intent on using that color as a form of self-expression -- think of it as one giant piece of bling.

[Source: Autoblog]
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136Comments
MR_SKULL
Jul 28, 2012 8:44AM
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This is a discussion forum .............
Please remove these advertisers from Facebook .............
And bar their I.P. address from posting..
dbeeer
Jul 28, 2012 4:12AM
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Why don't all you odd balls  with dating crap get a life, this poll isn't about dating it is about car colors.   Give me a bigger selection of interior and exterior car colors, and don't shove the common colors down my throat.  I WANT CHOICE.
Klaus Vonterinealis
Jul 28, 2012 3:48AM
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What irks me about the cars today are the choices of interior colors, most are black, dark grey, or tan, and that's it. I know it's cost effective to have less choices, but they're bland, bland, bland.

ganjoka
Jul 28, 2012 2:16AM
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Remember the Chrysler colors on the late 60's & early 70's muscle cars:  Plum Crazy, Sub Lime, Top Banana, Moulin Rouge, etc.
ddmm5
Jul 28, 2012 1:49AM
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Love it!  Too long auto industry has gotten away with white, black, silver......cars with no personality and no color!  Driving down the road I can see where you can fall alseep easily......when I grew up we had color in our cars...and personality...LOVE the copper!
Someone
Jul 28, 2012 8:46AM
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Metallic Candy Apple Red... The only cool color...
MR_SKULL
Jul 28, 2012 7:46AM
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advertisements are abuse of this forum ........
please remove these abusers from Facebook
Liseif
Jul 28, 2012 6:04AM
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Back 'in the day', we had cars that had individual style and some pazzazz----  From two blocks away you could recognize Hank in his metallic green GTO, or Mark in his smokin' hot Camaro.  My Granny drove a 50's turquois/white Chevy!!!   Cars now are unimaginative assembly line dots of bordom, both in color and style--they all look alike!   I'd be grateful to see the return of color: hoping that a return to style won't be far behind?
Someone (Bobsmr2)
Jul 28, 2012 7:18AM
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I miss the style excitement and colors of the 50s and 60s. Everything now is so bland, boring and old man four doorish sedans.
SDBruce
Jul 28, 2012 3:23AM
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I kinda miss those 2  tone cars.
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