Axalta Coating Systems has published its annual automotive color popularity report for 2013. The report, produced since 1953, is the most comprehensive in the industry as regional automotive market color preferences are continuously tracked, the company reported. This year’s report includes “Say it with Color! “Axalta’s forecast of four color megatrends for automotive designers around the world.

“Our customers count on our data every year to drive market decisions,” said David Fischer, vice president of Axalta’s global OEM business. “Our global team of color specialists relies on our advanced forecasting to formulate the next generation of coating colors. The result is an ever-evolving color palette for automotive designers. As the industry continues to evolve and strives to innovate for customers worldwide, Axalta is committed to partnering with our customers to provide the best possible coatings available.”

2013 World Color Highlights

White strengthened its position as the most popular automotive color among consumers worldwide in 2013, growing in popularity by six percentage points over the prior year.  Within the white space, 22 percent of vehicles were solid white and seven percent were pearl white.  Black was the second most popular color globally, with 20 percent of sales, but effect black was preferred more than solid black.  Silver at 15 percent and gray at 12 percent waned in popularity, while red held steady at eight percent.  Blue and brown/beige spaces each held five percent of the global market.  The remaining color choices revealed low popularity for green, orange, purples and other spaces, although there was a small increase in the yellow/gold area.  Overall, neutral colors have been widely popular over the last decade and make up 76 percent of today’s vehicles.