How will these colours look on a 911?

[Decolliber]

The Future of Color

edited by Lora J. Bingham,
Managing Editor

BASF announces its annual forecast of directions in color for automotive design. Comprised from the findings of BASF's color experts in Germany, the U.S. and Japan, the predictions typically show up in automotive designs two or three model years in the future.

This year, the experts say they have noticed a shift in design trend from the emphasis on speed to the beauty and character of the actual machine; thus, they are predicting a significant shift in color trends as well. "Designs where lines attach in the front and follow a flow to the back - creating something that looks like it's going 100 mph standing still - tend to camouflage components like mirrors, fenders and lights," says Jon Hall, a manager for BASF's Automotive OEM Coatings Color Development division. "We're tracking a new emphasis that allows individual elements and shapes to be a beautiful part of a whole, coming together as an industrial organism." And while BASF believes the base of this shift involves the use of classic colors like silver, dark blue and red, new paint technologies will see those basic colors transformed with effects like retroreflective coatings and higher sparkle.

Hall states that color for the NAFTA region will be crisp and clear, that "anything that looks washed out or murky or doesn't have a clear distinction will seem to be from the past." He says colors will be very light, very dark or clearly colorful.

· Metallics will influence style for more than half of the colors coming in the next decade, whether it's a smooth, liquid silver appearance or a diamond-encrusted, crystal silver look.

· Blue will be injected with passion, i.e. red. The new reddish blues will very dark, bordering on black, or very light and nearly silver.

· Black will be infused with color. Blue-, green- and red-blacks are expected to make a timeless statement.

· Orange hues that lean toward the yellow side, such as amber and ocher, are warm enough to feel rich and natural without being murky. The metallic ore look is expected.

· Royal reds will make a comeback. Thus, reds will be darker and more regal bluish reds that are expected to evoke memories of classic cars.

In Europe, Renate Weber, BASF Coatings AG's chief designer, says the design trend is on regeneration, a new awareness of basic values such as social responsibility, humanity and perseverance. She believes this we lead to "bright and optimistic primary colors originating from Scaninavia and the Carribbean." Some trends to watch are:

· The use of silver and gold. Pure shades will be replaced by variations, reflecting a fascination with precious metals and a close relationship between technology and nature.

· The resurgence of porcelain white. The low-cost car image will be tossed aside with effect pigments.

· Changes in yellows, oranges and reds. Yellows will become lighter and softer, moving all the way to new beige shades. Oranges will be subtle and refined. And reds, like the NAFTA region, will become bluish and full-bodied.

· Less offerings of green and brown. Demand for green has reportedly dropped significantly in Europe and consumers don't seem to share stylists' love for the brown range.

In Japan, BASF NOF Coatings Manager Eiji Fujimori sees an emphasis shift from science and technology t humanity in automotive colors. " People should enjoy driving their automobiles," he says. "There's a new sense of freedom seen in concept cars developed in Japan calling for new colors and materials." Some developments he recommends watching are:

· Neutral colors will influenced by a futuristic image and color-shift effects. Silver will grow, as will smooth black pearl and colored black shades. And a color-shifting white will be important.

· Beige will be an important new color because of its tender emotion-evoking qualities.

· While red is not a popular color choice, pink will become a character color in very light hues.

· A revival of green in light tones will happen.

· Clean blues will be very important. Think of hues in the sky, water and light.

From ai-online.com