Global automotive colors
Yellow and beige: Niche colors are becoming more popular for cars
In 2024, the automotive industry's color palette shows a remarkable change, with consumers increasingly moving away from traditional favorites such as white and silver. Vibrant colors, warm neutrals and a wider variety of colors are becoming more popular in the industry. This is according to the latest Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings from BASF Coatings.
While white remains consumers' first choice, warm shades such as yellow and beige are steadily gaining in appeal, and the popularity of green is growing in all regions, according to the BASF report. Achromatic colors such as black and grey are also seeing increasing interest.
EMEA: Beige is gaining in popularity
In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), the proportion of achromatic colors has risen from 72% in 2021 to almost 80% in 2024, which underlines the appeal of neutral tones. However, white remains the most popular color, closely followed by grey. It is particularly striking that beige is gaining in popularity and has almost doubled its market share.
"Beige and neutral colors convey a sense of calm and sophistication, reflecting a desire for stability in a fast-paced world," says Mark Gutjahr, global head of Automotive Color Design at BASF. "They allow consumers to express their individuality while ensuring timeless elegance in automotive design."
America: Grey proves to be one of the most versatile colors
Grey, with its wide range of tones, from cool metallics to warm, earthy shades, offers depth and sophistication that can be surprisingly vibrant. The color distribution this year shows a striking trend towards grays, which now account for almost 20% of the total market. Black has decreased by two percentage points compared to 2023, while the number of white cars has actually fallen by five percentage points.
"Gray is redefining automotive style and gaining popularity for its versatile elegance as preferences move away from traditional colors like white and black," says Victoria Fislage, Senior Design Manager at BASF Coatings.
Asia-Pacific: Black dominates, yellow blossoms
According to the BASF report, achromatic colors remain the first choice for 83% of consumers, with black increasing in popularity by two percentage points and strengthening its association with elegance. In contrast, white has seen a decline of over two points.
At the same time, chromatic colors, especially yellow, are on the rise, with softer tones such as pastel and greige yellow leading the way. These shades are associated with themes such as human-AI harmony and sustainability, particularly in the design of electric vehicles. This underlines the trend towards harmonious and optimistic color palettes.
"Earthy and pastel yellow tones embody the values of today - functionality, sustainability and coexistence with nature," says Chiharu Matsuhara, Head of Automotive Color Design for Asia Pacific.
BASF Coatings' Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings provides an analysis of color distribution in the automotive industry and examines preferences at both a global and regional level. The distribution described in the report was calculated by BASF Coatings based on available information on global automotive production and passenger car painting.
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