The 2023 BASF Color Report: A Significant Shift, Just Not the One I Hoped For

 

Every year, I eagerly await the release of BASF's Automotive Coatings division's Color Report, hoping for a burst of real colors to overthrow the dominance of grayscale tones. Unfortunately, this revolution never seems to materialize, and the 2023 report is no exception. While the report suggests a transformation in the traditional automotive color wheel, it mainly occurs in the achromatic space, leaving me less than thrilled. Nevertheless, let's dive into the findings.

I must confess; I may have once dismissed a bit of color analysis as "psycho-babble," a term the nice BASF color analysts haven't let me forget. But let's proceed with a global overview of car colors and see how humanity is painting their cars in the current era.

From a global perspective, the picture remains grim. A whopping 81% of cars are achromatic/grayscale, with only 19% showcasing real colors, of which 12% are primarily red and blue. The situation is quite similar in North America, with 80% gravitating towards grayscale tones. Blue and red continue to dominate, while orange, yellow, and green struggle for recognition.

The so-called transformation that has color enthusiasts excited is the decline of white, the globally dominant car color, in favor of black. However, this shift amounts to blacks gaining a mere three percentage points over whites – not exactly the color revolution I had hoped for.

Breaking down the color preferences in different regions, Asia Pacific emerges as the lone bright spot, showing an increase in color diversity attributed to more varied body styles. In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), achromatics gained two percentage points, but some European countries, like Italy, exhibit interesting preferences for chromatic colors.

South America, unfortunately, disappoints with 86% achromatic colors. However, BASF tries to inject some excitement by noting the popularity of "effects pigments," claiming that colors are now experiences. While I appreciate the effort, reading about the experience of a slightly metal-flaked gray made my eyes roll.

In this color monotony, there's a glimmer of hope – the doubling of the percentage of green cars globally, from 1% to a staggering 2%. This surprising Verdant Tsunami is indeed encouraging, as green cars bring a refreshing and fantastic touch to the roads.

I decided to share this delightful news with my wife, Sally, who, as a non-car geek, provided a more rational perspective. Sally, a talented designer, appreciates colors, and the lack of popularity for green cars surprised her. She dreams of a day when her driveway welcomes a four-wheeled knight in shining green paint.

So, while the color revolution may not be as vibrant as I had wished, the rise of green cars offers a beacon of hope for enthusiasts like Sally. Here's to hoping that green cars continue to shine their olivey-limey rays of light, even if it's from their modest 2% pedestal.

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