Toronto, Ontario — When it comes to automotive paint, it seems drivers are having a tough time settling on just one colour as PPG released its 2021 automotive colour popularity report which shows that North Americans have developed an affinity for two-tone finishes.
PPG’s press release issued alongside the report suggests that progression in the fields of colour science and application technology has given way to an increased desire for colour personalization among consumers.
“It’s fitting that two-tone finishes would come back into favour during this time when we as a society are looking to the past,” said PPG colour styling manager Misty Yeomans.
“Along with special-order colours, tinted clearcoats, tri-coats and matte finishes, two-tone finishes better reflect vehicle owners’ individual preferences and personalities.”
The company says it has developed a method for achieving a two-tone finish that eliminates labour-intensive body masking and repeated runs through the spray booth that have historically prevented the trend from taking off on a mass-production scale.
“PPG’s precision application process can reduce paint shop application time by approximately 50 minutes per two-tone vehicle,” the company claims in its press release.
“It supports customer sustainability goals by reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and eliminating the need for energy-intensive air-filtering systems to handle overspray.”
The report goes on to note that white and black remain the most popular vehicle colours globally, representing 35 and 18 percent respectively, of 2021 model year vehicles.
Green is also recognized for having maintained a consistent level of popularity over the past year, holding at two percent, as PPG pointed out the importance the colour holds in the auto industry.
“Green is also seen as a ’traffic light’ colour, acting as a signal for everyone to go forward—it’s safe and we can trust this colour,” said Yeomans.
“Green has two directions. One is sporty, fresh and vivid. The other is organic and darker, with deeper tones developed or designed as dark luxury greens yet still with a sporty and fresh attitude.”
PPG also observed an increase in automotive colour stylings in a place that has long been a key point of personalization for drivers—the wheels.
“We consider all surfaces and features of the vehicle as part of our colour styling process,” said Yeomans.
“As one example, we’re seeing increased use of specialized wheel coatings and colours to complement the styling cues of the vehicle body.”
