PPG has released its report on the popularity of automotive colors for 2021: a study highlighting the rising demand for two-tone finishes, custom colors and other emerging trends among car buyers.
L’increase in two-tone finishes extrinsic users’ desire for customization. Important advances in color science and application technologies offer a chance to make these style choices accessible to all, in a more practical and sustainable way.
“It is normal for two-tone finishes to come back into vogue in this period when we, as a society, look to the past”, ha dichiarato Misty Yeomans, PPG color styling manager, automotive OEM, Americas. “Along with special colors on request, tinted clears, triple-layer and matte finishes, the two-tone finishes better reflect the tastes and personalities of vehicle owners.”
Although two-tone finishes were already widely in use in the 1950s and 1960s, the development of conventional colors and application processes made mass production increasingly impractical. The classic process of achieving a two-tone finish requires laborious masking of the vehicle body and multiple steps in the paint process.
In this regard, PPG has supported Auto Manufacturers globally in overcoming this challenge by means of a precise, revolutionary and linear application technology, without the use of masking and other steps that take longer.
PPG’s precision application process can shorten paint shop application times by approximately 50 minutes for each two-tone vehicle. Also from an environmental point of view, it respects customers’ sustainability objectives by reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and eliminating the need for high energy consumption air filtration systems in order to avoid spray fumes. Color customization is also made possible thanks to PPG’s advances in digital color design, which drastically reduces the time to market for new colors.
Other trends highlighted in PPG’s report are the growing popularity of grays, blues, greens and purples, with new vibrant colors being more likely to be used on sport models rather than SUVs and pickups.
Green, with its link to nature, sustainability and inclusiveness, remains strong around the world, and will continue to be an important hue in the automotive industry.
“Green is also considered a” traffic light “color, which acts as a signal for everyone with a view to a vision towards the future – it is safe and we can trust this color”, Yeomans said. “Green has two color variations: one is sporty, fresh and lively. The other is organic and darker, with deeper tones developed or designed as elegant dark greens, but always with the characteristic of being sporty and fresh. “
“We consider all vehicle surfaces and features as part of our color design process”, Yeomans said. “For example, we are seeing more use of special wheel trims and colors to integrate with the vehicle’s body design.”
PPG’s unique position as a global leader in color allows the company to observe and reproduce emerging color trends for customer applications – from consumer goods to automotive and construction colors to commercial and industrial design. Using this factual mindset, PPG color experts help clients develop color ideas based on cultural and demographic trends.