– ‘Chinese prefer bold’ –
Susan Lampinen, chief designer, colors and materials, at Ford, said the color was so crucial to some people that they would buy a car purely because of that – never mind the design of the vehicle.
She too identified an Apple ripple effect in propelling white to a best-seller worldwide for Ford.
“White is very clean, very technical, very modern. So most cars look good in white,” she told AFP in Detroit, adding other popular colors included blacks and silvers, while blue is also on the up.
Lampinen identified only “slight differences” in preferences in different countries because, she said, of globalization.
Environment, culture and climate can all effect what color car someone might buy, she added.
Scheepers, however, saw stark contrasts between some countries, particularly when it comes to the United States and China.
“China is going for very, very bold colors. America is still quite subdued. White sells extremely well here and there is still a preference for champagne-toned body colors and a movement towards the reds in America as well,” she said.
“But China is going for gold, extreme greens – it’s a mixture of a green and a brown – very expressive.
“There is a new awareness in China, they are becoming very self-confident, and they are expressing themselves.”
That also applied to vehicle interiors, said Scheepers, with Chinese consumers going for much bolder designs.
Volkswagen research turned up a surprising anomaly, said Scheepers. It found that younger buyers want more sober-colored vehicles — while older consumers go for brighter ones.
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