"Unpretentious Beauty"

The colors that the BASF Color Excellence Group thinks will be key to automotive in 2018.

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That phrase is one that is used by the BASF Corporation Color Excellence Group (basf.com) for what they anticipate will be the prevailing automotive color trends through 2018. While their recent research looked at Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America, this term is most germane to the North American market. The researchers indicate that there is a growing relevance to the so-called “flyover states,” those not on either coasts, areas that are sometimes not considered to be generally influential. But they think that the colors that are associated with those areas are going to become increasingly important to society at large.

Speaking to the color pallet, Paul Czornij, Technical Manager for the BASF Color Excellence Group, said, “The colors we’ve chosen will highlight a car’s beauty and create a strong color memory while reflecting both the driver’s desires and the North American consciousness.”

The key colors they’ve determined that should be big in North America in 2018 are:
•    La Garra Charrua. A light blue color that is resonant of the prairies.
•    Haymaker. No, not hay per se, but an orange that might seem dirty, but has the rust hue of an aging factory.
•    Fitted Green. A soft color like a mown lawn
•    Gray Elevator. A dark silver more related to a city.
•    Take 10,000. Brownish but with a bit of sparkle.