BASF Analyzes 2016 Color Trends in the European Automotive Sector

    White emerged as the most popular automotive colour in 2016.   BASF Coatings Division, Europe's market leader in colour development for automotive OEM paints, presented its new "BASF Europe Colour Report for Automotive OEM Coatings". The report provides detailed information on the colours of automobiles on European roads, while emphasising growing consumer interest in special effects and diverse colours as expressions of personal preferences. According to the report, white remains the most popular automotive colour in Europe with a 29% share, followed by black with 19% and grey with 18%. In 2016, nearly 80% of automotive colours fell within the achromatic colour palette. Among chromatic colours, blue remained the most popular with 10%, followed by red and brown. When comparing vehicle segments, small cars typically featured white or chromatic topcoats, while grey was observed as the dominant colour in SUVs. According to the report prepared by BASF Coatings Division, although the colour distribution remained nearly the same in 2016, there was an increase in variety within colour palettes. Among the reasons are new colour development work and high demand for special effects. Stefan Sickert, Head of BASF Base Coat Project Management, noted that the numerous possible combinations result in many colour variations, stating: "This broad colour choice for automobiles is progressing alongside the social trend toward personalisation. Today, end consumers can select unique, personalised colours for their vehicles." In addition to helping personalise automobiles, effects also emphasise body shape and thus reveal the character of the vehicle. Blue leads with over 100 colour variations. Grey follows closely behind with approximately 90 different tones. The mixing of existing colours with different effect particles creates specialised pearl or metallic effects. BASF's Europe Colour Report, which analyses the distribution of automotive colours in Europe, provides content that complements information contained in Automotive Colour Trends published annually by BASF's Coatings Division. The trend collection presents colour concepts that will shape the future of automotive design, while the Colour Report contains data from the previous year and shows the current market situation.