Citation
Bean, J. (2002), "Silver cars rein supreme", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 31 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.2002.12931eaa.004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited
Silver cars rein supreme
Silver cars rein supreme
My wife has been trying to obtain a donation from me to upgrade her transport, a 1988 Citroen BX. However, a recent press release from DuPont Herberts Automotive Systems has come to my rescue. The old BX has a silver finish, and with aluminium and polycarbonate panels, no rust is showing. "Look!", I said, showing her the press release. "Last year was a record for silver finish cars. Your car is in fashion. Keep it!" She has, so far.
Apparently in Germany Silver represented 36 per cent of all car sales, with the UK being not far behind. In Japan it is no different. Silver has been at the top of the popularity scale there for a long time and last year reached 43 per cent. The Japanese market has responded to this boom by offering different shades of silver; up to five can be chosen from one model. In the US silver is a modest 17 per cent. It does show however that the penchant for these colours is worldwide.
Elke Dirks, colour designer at DuPont Herberts Automotive Systems in Germany, has given her reasons for the silver boom. To her it is a reflection of our society.
"Nowadays, trends pass quicker than ever. With constantly changing living conditions, general insecurity and the increasingly synthetic life we lead, the values of society are changing, too", she says. "People are living in a 'zapping' culture, inundated with communication and information, facing global challenges and having to adapt to changing situations. They long for guidance and orientation."
In spite of my "guidance"—to say nothing of my "orientation", my wife is still not over- happy in keeping her silver Citroen.
John Bean