Axalta Coating Systems, the compnay behind the Standox, Spies Hecker and Cromax refinish brands has released its Global Automotive 2014 Color Popularity Report. The report, which has annually tracked regional automotive colour preferences since 1953, is the most comprehensive in the industry.

David Fischer, Vice President of Marketing for Axalta’s global light vehicle OEM business commented, “Our Colour Popularity Report data not only allows us to see the colours most favoured by consumers but, more importantly, it enables us to forecast future trends. Every year, designers from our OEM customers depend on our advanced forecasting to make critical decisions regarding colour choices for their vehicle line-up two to four years in advance.”

This year’s forecast includes a wide variety of colour types that will influence the global automotive market. The upcoming trends showcase four colour groups: pale hues, bright colours, muted versions and dark shades. The matrix of colours is shown in fine or coarse metallics, solids, tintcoats, tricoats and pearlescent varieties. Advanced colour technologies from Axalta’s global research and development teams add further to the breadth of colour style combinations.

Some of the highlights of the report are:

• The world colour data shows that white, at 29 percent, remains the most popular shade on vehicles for the fourth year in a row, while colour is showing signs of coming back with red, blue and yellow each increasing by one percent. Black, at 19 percent, is still strong overall in the market, but has dropped one percent since last year.
• In Europe Blue is the fast growing colour especially on sport and MPV models, while silver is the still in decline. White remains the most popular colour up another 2%. 
• In North America, white also tops the list but is now in slight decline. Red is increasing in popularity.
• Asia has a strong preference for white at 30 percent. Black has decline in popularity but remains second most popular at 19%.

This evolving and comprehensive colour trend information from Axalta enables its three global refinish brands to offer their bodyshops extremely fast access to refinish colour formulas. With such a seamless link between Axalta’s OEM and refinish businesses, bodyshops can repair even the newest of OEM colours and trends.