Over the past decade, the most popular car color in the world has often been boring, but Jennifer Widrick, director of Global Color, Material, and Finish at General Motors, says the trend is changing. She was speaking with Chevrolet's in-house New Roads Magazine.
In the '70s, vibrant colors were all the rage. Nowadays, it still seems that most cars on the road are white, black, or a variation thereof, like grey or silver. Despite the numerous exciting offerings available and their occasional benefits, numerous exciting offerings available and their occasional benefits, but a resurgence in interest in more dramatic shades is now on the rise.
Widrick says that rich, highly chromatic, complex colors like blues, greens, oranges, and reds are gaining popularity, as are low-gloss and solid shades.
"Chroma [bright, vibrant color] is on the rise, and people want those opportunities where instead of a black, you might opt for a blue," says the design director. "Certainly, red indicates sport, and we've seen a lot of lighter colors come into play, so the market is quite open, and that's what is exciting about Chevrolet."
Widrick notes that even where one has elements in solid, neutral shades, a pop of contrasting color is becoming more fashionable: "The Trailblazer is an excellent example of how the available two-tone roof opens up the flexibility to really have a lot of bold colors."
Widrick's team tries to predict what customers will want by keeping abreast of global design trends, most recently drawing inspiration from shoe design and "innovative tech products."
This color forecasting process is ongoing and occurs some three to five years ahead of a market launch, which means that Widrick and her team are currently trying to predict what customers will want for cars being released as far ahead as the 2028 model year. This process applies to the exterior color of the body and the materials applied to the interior.
If you can't decide on a color, BMW is developing color-changing technology, but it won't be available on a production car for some time. While we wait for the tech to arrive, our team has compiled a helpful feature on how to choose the right color for your car.
