by Sean Milmo
European Correspondent
milmocw@rodmanmedia.com
Satisfying the color preferences of car buy- ers across the world is becoming more challenging for producers of OEM coatings and their raw materials.
The choice of colors has been broadening
because of the development of new materials
and application methods. The technical requirements of the car companies, particularly
in the way the vehicles are manufactured, have
become more demanding.
Nonetheless the top coatings makers are rising
to the task of responding to these needs through the
development of new technologies in areas like effect
pigments, particle processing and coatings systems.
The test is whether they will be able to main-
tain the pace of innovation to keep up with a
mix of global, regional and local trends in peo-
ple’s color tastes.
All these factors were highlighted at a press
conference on color at the world headquarters
of BASF Coatings at Muenster, Germany, in
early July.
The event was used by the company’s color
designers both to issue their forecasts of automotive color trends for 2014/2015 and to predict some changes in the choice of colors of car
owners over the next several years.
These shifts in preferences will be dictated
by a range of influences such as fashion, contemporary art and culture and economic and
political tendencies. A significant tendency will
be a move to the ‘hyperlocal’ with communities
wanting more control over their lives while at
the same time people will also want to show
their own individuality.
“The increase in individuality can be seen
as a reaction against globalization,” explained
The choice of
colors has been
broadening
because of the
development of
new materials
and application
methods.
BASF Forecasts Color Trends for
Global Auto Industry for 2014/2015
