BASF Color Report: paint manufacturer names the most popular car colours in 2024
Consumers are gradually moving away from traditional favourites such as white and silver when choosing a new car colour. This trend is paving the way for the growing popularity of bright hues, warm neutrals and a more diverse palette in the industry, BASF Coatings said in its regular Color Report for Automotive OEM Coatings (BASF Color Report 2024).
Here's What We Know
While white is still the most popular colour in the automotive industry, warm shades such as yellow and beige are becoming increasingly attractive to consumers. Interestingly, green is gaining popularity in all key regions of the world. The share of achromatic colours such as black and grey is also increasing.
BASF estimates that the most popular car colours in 2024 were:
- White - 34%
- Black - 22%
- Grey - 17%
- Silver - 8%
- Blue - 7%
- Red - 4%
- Green - 2%
- Yellow - 1.5%
- Beige - 1%
- Brown - 1%
- Orange - 1%
- Purple - 1%
- Gold - 0.5%
EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
The most popular new car colours in EMEA. Illustration: BASF Color Report 2024
The share of achromatic colours in EMEA has steadily increased from 72% in 2021 to almost 80% in 2024, underlining the appeal of neutral tones. White remains the most popular colour, followed by grey. Notably, beige is gaining popularity, almost doubling its market share.
North and South America
The most popular new car colours in North and South America. Illustration: BASF Color Report 2024
The distribution of colours in 2024 showed a shift towards grey tones, which now hold almost 20 percent of the total market share. Black fell by 2 percentage points compared to 2023, while white cars showed an even more significant drop of 5 percentage points.
Asia Pacific
The most popular new car colours in the Asia-Pacific region. Illustration: BASF Color Report 2024
Achromatic colours remain the top choice for 83% of consumers, with black gaining 2 percentage points in popularity. In contrast, white lost more than 2 points. Meanwhile, chromatic colours, especially yellow, are on the rise, with softer tones such as pastel and grey-yellow leading the way.
Source: BASF
