“Knight Rider” returned for the fall, yet this time the talking car KITT is no longer a Pontiac Trans Am as in the original 1980s series. It seems Ford pitched its case strongly, and its Shelby Mustang is now the lead character.

Chrysler secured its new Ram pickup for prominent placement on two shows: Fox-TV’s “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” and on NBC’s program “America’s Toughest Jobs” reality show. The Ram also will be focused in regular advertising during the programs, of course.

And General Motors worked two of its newest cars onto one show, NBC’s new drama “My Own Worst Enemy” – where the program’s main character has two personalities, and hence a need for two different cars.

When he’s a suburban father, he drives the new Traverse crossover; as a secret agent, the character zooms around in the new Camaro sports car scheduled to hit dealerships early in 2009.

When new-car sales are at a 15-year low, and advertising might prove too costly, why not give it a shot? After all, aside from the free advertising aspect, such cars on the small screen can develop into their own characters, or cultural icons.

Product Placement and Selling Used Cars

The thrust, of course, is to boost car sales. If you were selling a used car today, it’s wise to cover multiple angles.

And today, when most households have digital video recorders that allow viewers to skip commercials, you’ve got to get the word out somehow, right?

Plus, most of the time a show will feature a car if you give it to them free. It seems a nominal investment when the vehicle is shown on multiple episodes.

Don’t forget reruns and syndication. How many motorists out there remember General Lee, the bright-orange Dodge Charger from “The Dukes of Hazzard”? And “Starsky and Hutch” made the Ford Torino famous.

So what’s this mean to the Average Joe who might be considering buying a new car, or selling a used car? Probably not much, but it’s too early to tell.

It seems the product placement phenomenon is here to stay, with car-makers finally getting into the loop. Actually, they’ve been involved with television more and more in recent years, particularly in reality shows where an automobile is given away as a prize.

 Sell a Used Car Based on Past Brand Recognition

In terms of selling used cars, past roles by cars on popular shows can’t hurt. The Pontiac Trans Am didn’t really get a chance to reprise the KITT role – since the model is no longer in production.

But souped-up used versions are still out there, and buyers no doubt are out there interested in scooping up a “Knight Rider” clone. Well, that is if they can swallow gas costs.

And take Jeep, for example. Its models were featured in so many war-related movies and television shows through the years that it almost exudes “strength.” “MacGyver” from the 1980s drove a Jeep, and use of Jeep Wranglers in the 2005 film “Sahara” kicked up interest in the model, according to officials from Chrysler, which now owns the brand.

Regardless of the new KITT, owners of classic-model Mustangs can benefit in selling a used car by movie-goers’ memory of films like “Bullitt” starring Steve McQueen racing through the streets of San Francisco.

Sometimes it’s not just about a particular model. Any brand, such as Ford with the Shelby Mustang, can reap rewards if public perception of the company improves with some TV exposure. There are some auto executives out there banking on it.

The post Buy a New Car – Because You Saw It On TV? appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

For those of you who want to stay up on the latest news there are several ways to do it, but the easiest is probably to turn on your computer.

How Cool Can You Afford?

Type “cool new cars” into an Internet search engine and you might be surprised by what you find.

For example, there’s actually a site called New Cool Cars where you can click “Top 10 Coolest Cars” and wonder if you’ll ever be able to afford No. 1, the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster.

With its $336,000 to $378,000 price tag, perhaps the name should be Mercy-elago.

It’s fascinating to view the photos on the website. Interesting to note that all four of the top-listed vehicles have doors that open upward, instead of swinging out.

Heck, even No. 10 is out of reach for most of us. A new Bentley Continental GT – called Hollywood’s Coolest Car – lists for $175,000.

Imagine a loan on that sucker, it’s more like a mortgage…

Here are the others on the list, top to bottom:

9. Hummer (Huh? Maybe when gas cost $2 per gallon)
8. Saleen S7 Twin Turbo (750 horsepower, yikes)
7. Porsche 911 Carrera
6. Dodge Viper
5. Ferrari 360 Modena /Ferrari 430 Modena
4. Lamborghini Diablo Roadster
3. McLaren F1
2. Ferrari Enzo
1. Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster

We’ll take one of each please.

Cool New Cars With Reasonable Price Tags

Not everyone searches around for “cool new cars” just to dream. Some search the Internet trying to find a car that will trigger comments from friends, family and passersby.

Kelley Blue Book lists a top 10 cool new cars under $18,000 for 2008

• Ford Focus
• Honda Fit
• Jeep Patriot
• Mazda3
• Mitsubishi Lancer
• Pontiac Vibe
• Scion xB
• Subaru Impreza
• Suzuki SX4
• Volkswagen Rabbit

Buyingadvice.com lists a series of “cool new cars” that “combine roadster glamour and performance without the price tag,” including the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, and Mazda MX5.

Car Tuning Central asks, What makes cool cars cool?  Among the reasons: style, engine power, safety and uniqueness. “Style is one of the most important aspects of cool cars, considering if it doesn’t look nice it probably won’t sell.”

Don’t know about that. There are some pretty dorky-looking box cars out there that many people think are cool.

Defining Cool

In this age where blogs are dime-a-dozen, hundreds of them list their own “cool new cars”. They can differ greatly because, well, everyone has their own definition of coolness.

Wikipedia defines cool as “an aesthetic of attitude, behavior, comportment, appearance, style and Zeitgeist. Because of the varied and changing connotations of cool, as well its subjective nature, the word has no single meaning.”

And, “It has associations of composure and self-control and often is used as an expression of admiration or approval.”

Theories abound about what is cool. “Cool is a knowledge, a way of life,” Lewis Macadams said.

“Coolness is the proper way you represent yourself to a human being,” said Robert Farris Thompson.

Some say cool can mean a sense of exclusivity. That makes sense considering the first list of cars above.

Others might say cool means an attitude of self-assurance. That seems appropriate for car owners. Someone might feel self-assured in that Scion, and if so, they must be cool. Right?

The post Cool New Cars: To Each His Own appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

Imagine being able to change the color whenever you feel like it, and change it to any color you can imagine.

The technology is in the works and we may see it emerge as soon as 2010.

How It Works

The human eye sees different colors because of the way light is reflected off of different objects.

Using this principal, a polymer undercoating was developed which contains paramagnetic iron oxide particles.

The particles in these polymers change formation (and subsequently the way they reflect light) when stimulated by an electrical current.

In other words, when you apply electricity, in less than a second they change the color of your entire car.

This coating is called paramagnetic paint and it is applied to the vehicle prior to painting.

A constant electric currant is required to sustain the color, and the default color is white. So when the vehicle is off, so is the color.

The Future is Here

Being able to change the color of your car with the touch of a button still seems like science fiction.

What Might Happen If This Technology Takes Off

The coolness factor alone is enough to move this trend into the consumer market.

However there are a few factors to consider

1. You will probably need to buy that GPS unit just to find your car in the parking lot at Wal Mart.

2. Sooner or later, someone will learn how to hack into car computers and change the color of your car for you.

3. As if car wrapping weren’t bad enough, people will get paid to drive around with high tech advertisements on their cars.

4. There will be a lot more ugly colored cars out there.

There Are Still Reasons We Want One

We’ve just ordered our GPS, and eagerly await this paint’s emergence on the market.

A few reasons we love the idea

1. It WILL impress the ladies.

2. If you are on the run from the police, instantly changing the color of your car could come in handy.

3. Buying an environmentally responsible car won’t sting as bad if it does tricks.

4. They say the color of your car says a lot about you, we can be someone new every day.

The Future of Color-Changing Technology

We can think of many avenues this technology may take in the future.

This polymer can take any metal object with a power source and make it colorful.

Imagine camouflage suits of armor, and appliances that can change color to reflect the users mood.

We are hoping that if these particles can change color, they will be able to display video too.

Hopefully someday we can drive around in Youtube.

The post Change Your Cars Paint Color Instantly appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

A strange topic to invest money in, Hiscox went on to test something Italian car owners knew all along…

The Test

The test is simple, 40 men and women listened to recordings of three exotic Italian sports cars and one mid sized German car rev their engines.

Cars They Tested

• Maserati
• Lamborghini
• Ferrari
• Volkswagen Polo

After listening to each recording a sample of the test subjects’ saliva was collected and analyzed for testosterone levels.

It seems that testosterone levels are a good indication of positive arousal in both the male and female human animal.

Interestingly enough, there were significant spikes in the testosterone levels (of the women especially), even in those who don’t have an avid interest in cars.

Results
Woman really like Italian cars.

• All of the expensive cars spiked testosterone levels in the women
• Women agree that the Maserati has the sexiest sounding engine around
• Men preferred the growl of a Lamborghini
• The Polo got no love whatsoever
• Men should re-think hybrids

So the Hiscox experiment concludes that revving the engine of an expensive car really can get a woman hot.

What Do You Think?

What’s your call? Does the the well-oiled engine of a sexy European sports car get you warm under the collar? Or do you think the new green hybrid trend is far sexier?

The post Research Proves it – Expensive Cars Really Turn Women On appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

The lack of a strong public transit system certainly contributes to our need for cars.

But it’s fascinating to look at which types of cars are popular in certain areas of Greater Los Angeles or the sprawling San Diego County.

Something Different for Every Californian

For example, in family-heavy east Ventura County, the minivans heyday through the 1990s crowded roads with them in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Moorpark.

Same for conservative Orange County, though the sport utility vehicle seemed to be favored over minivans in places like Anaheim, Santa Ana, Yorba Linda and Fullerton.

It seemingly did not make sense to buy a sports car if you lived in areas like West Hollywood or even downtown Los Angeles, because you could rarely let that engine roam freely on congested streets.

However, once your consider the thousands of miles of freeways and highways in the area, connecting the beach in Newport, to the snow of Big Bear, to the swimming pools and golf courses of Palm Springs, perhaps it does make sense.

Of course, in L.A. a household can often have more cars than driving-age adults. That way, you could pick the right vehicle for that daily commute, and switch out cars for weekends.

So Cal’s Varied Landscape

Then there are the areas dominated by recreational sports. If you get your kicks by skiing in the San Bernardino Mountains, odds are good that you are not interested in that Mini Cooper to save on gas.

You need something that can haul those skis and all the warm clothing needed to hit the slopes.

Ditto for the beach lover. Surfing and general beach visits come with lots of accessories, such as boards, blankets, towels and ice chests.  You need something large enough to haul it all.

Of course riding around in a SUV today is not as chic as it was just a few years ago. Poor fuel economy is one thing, but appearance means a lot in La-La land, and SUVs aren’t the next big thing.

Perhaps crossovers, such as Ford’s Flex, the Toyota Matrix or Pontiac Vibe are more likely to grab hold in this particular market.

Even station wagons are making a comeback of sorts – though today’s wagons don’t look anything like the large, lengthy beasts of “The Brady Bunch” days. They are more like miniaturized SUVs.

The Corvette in Hollywood, Mustang in San Diego

What about the pickup truck? Sure, there are media stories out there about how people are dumping their truck, or not buying a new one, due to high gas prices.

But in an area like Southern California that continues to grow fast, there are a lot of construction jobs demanding the ability to haul tools and materials.

Plus there’s the connection to the beach and the truck’s ability to haul long boards. The pickup truck is not close to extinction in So Cal.

What we may see are more sedans replacing vans. Families that need extra seating for children may turn to sedans, and take with them the better fuel economy.

And aside from gas prices, smaller cars are easier to maneuver through congested streets. More compacts, such as the Mini Cooper, or even Toyota Prius hybrid, are being driven by Angelenos.

And then there is the cool factor. Nobody walks in L.A., right?

So if you’re going to have a car, it might as well make a statement, like the Chevrolet Corvette in Hollywood, or the Ford Mustang on the Golden State Freeway ripping down for a weekend in San Diego or Mission Beach.

And how many of us have taken a trek to Tijuana or Rosarito in an old VW bus, or an International Harvester Travelall?

You don’t see many on the roadways anymore, but closer to the border you’d be surprised how many young adults are still taking advantage of an old beater for a fun getaway south of the border.

The post Southern California: Land of the Cars appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

But one of the strangest areas to add more classifications is the minivan. 

What Exactly is a Compact Minivan?

By the 2007 model year, only two compact minivans remained on the American market, the Mazda5 and the Kia Rondo, and in the years before that pickings were slim.

The history of the small minivan dates back to the late 1980s-early 1990s, with the Mitsubishi Expo and Nissan Axxess, according to Wikipedia.

The Mazda5 is called a four-door minivan, while the Kia Rondo is mostly listed as a four-door wagon.

What the compact minivans have in common is their appearance as a hybrid between a minivan and station wagon.

It’s as if the automakers believe families appreciate everything a station wagon can offer…they just don’t want to be seen in one.

Therefore – voila! – the consumer got a tall station wagon, renamed as a minivan.

It seems to be working, at least for the Mazda5, which was so successful in 2008 that Mazda hardly changed anything for the 2009 model year.

Basically the Mazda5 is based on the compact Mazda3, albeit longer and taller, and with seating for up to six.

All three models, the Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring, are motored by a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine getting up to 159 horsepower. With 21 to 27 miles per gallon for a vehicle that can carry some weight, the Mazda5’s popularity is understandable.

Judge Your Van by its Length

So how can you tell the difference between the types of minivans?

The first minivan to gain large-scale acceptance in America was the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager. They were descendants of full-size vans such as the Ford Econoline.

So basically the minivan boom began with the large minivan segment. The Chevrolet Astro, GMC Safari and Ford Aerostar followed shortly thereafter.

From there, minivans are basically segmented according to length.

There are four types of minivans

1. Large – More than 180 inches
Chevrolet Astro, GMC Safari, Ford Aerostar

2. Compact – Between 165 – 180 inches
Mazda5, Kia Rondo

3. Mini- Less than 160 inches long
Toyota bB, Nissan Cube

4. Micro – Tall city cars with heightened hatchbacks.
Hyundai Altos, Chevrolet Matiz

Some argue these models, such as the Hyundai Atos and Chevrolet Matiz, should be classified with other small cars, and not with vans.

You don’t see many microvans on American roads, as they are essentially Japanese kei cars, built for affordability and business uses.

Where the Compact Minivan is Going

So what can we expect of the compact minivan? Let’s take a look at the Kia Rondo, introduced in the United States for the 2007 model year.

Kia calls the Rondo a crossover, but many auto watchers say its more like a car than a sport utility vehicle. It is the most affordable vehicle in North America to seat seven people.

For the price it comes with a nice standard package, many of them family-friendly, including:

• Air conditioning
• Power windows and door locks
• A complete air bag package
• Four-wheel disc brakes
• 16-inch allow wheels
• Electronic stability control
• Child safety seats and door locks
• Front and rear 12-volt outlets.

The big difference between its biggest (only?) competition, the Mazda5, is that it has no sliding doors. Side sliding doors became popular, almost standard, on minivans in America in the 1990s.

Will more competition surface? If so, would it remain in the compact minivan class, or would a fifth type of minivan surface? (Man, we hope not).

How many kinds of minivans can the market bear? It would be hard to imagine many more, considering the automotive trend shift to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

But the Mazda5 keeps doing well, offering a glimmer of hope for the niche.

The post Compact This, Compact That … Compact Minivan? appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

But the German-based automaker wants to remain edgy. Word is out that the company is working on a new version of its rejuvenated-yet-old Beetle.

Apparently the New Beetle is not so new anymore, and, well, VW is learning that its demographics are proving to be a bit limiting.

The New Beetle is A Chick-Ride

It’s hard to increase sales when the target market doesn’t include men from the ages of 16-35.

So off to the drawing board Volkswagen went, and it expects to launch its new creature in 2010.

Rumors are that the 2010 Beetle again will be designed in California, and engineered in Germany. The California angle is key.

Volkswagen aims for a more hip, aggressive, coupe-style body for the Beetle of the future.

Gone will be the perfectly rounded roofline, and overall bug shape. The new new Beetle will lean back more, with more height to the rear end, as opposed to the center roof bookended by a symmetrical front and rear.

It will be a bit bigger, and more roomy inside. Some automotive journalists hope there will be speedster and roaster versions of the Beetle.

Plans are for it to share a platform with the upcoming Scirocco – talk about a car from the past re-emerging – as well as a newer Rabbit.

It sounds bold, as the move could backfire and cause heartburn for both the New Beetle and new new Beetle.

Sub Out the Brand, Sell More VWs

Volkswagen is likely thinking of creating a sub-brand of the ever-popular Beetle. Think Mini and BMW.

Not everyone has a taste for the New Beetle. But most everyone today would prefer a car that is easy on the pocketbook at the gas station.

So aim for basically the same product, only tinker with minor details and variants to present something for everyone.

The new new Beetle is being designed as a hatchback, with thought of offering a soft-top cabrio soon thereafter.

Other ideas are a sport wagon trim, and maybe even a micro-van, pickup, or crossover.

Micro-van? Could it be a return to the VW van of the 1960s?

Maybe it’s a push to continue nostalgia for VW. The Beetle first arrived in America in 1949, and by the 1960s became somewhat of an icon, capturing 7 percent of the U.S. market.

But by the 1970s the popularity began to wane.

After a lengthy hiatus, the New Beetle arrived in 1998, resembling the old “Bug” greatly but with modern automotive features and amenities.

VW Wants to be America’s Darling Again

Some say Volkswagen is working again to reconnect with American car buyers. Sure, baby boomers and other adults are familiar with the products of yesteryear.

But what about those just getting driver’s licenses?

That falls in line with the company’s plans to build a $1 billion plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The plant is scheduled to open by 2011, and start by producing 150,000 cars annually.

Currently Volkswagen’s share in the American auto market is 2%.

So there is talk of producing autos with “significantly improved fuel consumption,” and even hybrids.

Will it connect with today’s American motorist?

It’s hard to say, since the new new Beetle is planned for production in Mexico, according to Auto Business News.

By the time it reaches showrooms, Americans may be facing record unemployment rates and could backlash against cars not built through local jobs.

Then again, the economy might recover in perfect timing for the new new Beetle. Perhaps timing is everything.

The post Aiming for a New, New Era for Volkswagen appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

That’s not to say you won’t see any on roadways. Some older models remain, and a new model might surface from year to year. However the days of mass production – and consumption – for the station wagon are over.

Station Wagon Defined

Most station wagons have bodies that essentially are modified sedans. They are passenger vehicles, but with an expanded rear cargo area, and almost always a rear window that is nearly vertical.

That description darn near fits an SUV. The difference is station wagons are cars, while most SUVs are based on a truck platform.

Land Rover’s parent company actually describes some of its models as station wagons.

Station wagons get their name from train travel. Literally they were wagons that carried people and luggage to and from a train station.

Early station wagons did not have glass around the passenger and cargo compartments, and had only bench seats. Station wagons began to become enclosed in the 1920s.

By the end of that decade, Ford was the biggest station wagon seller.

Many early station wagons had wooden bodies, until in the mid-1930s General Motors introduced the Suburban wagon. Soon all steel versions ruled the day.

Recent Wagon Trends

Bucking the trend was the 2008 Volvo V70, a compact wagon that actually enjoyed some success in the American market.

However Volvo has run into some roadblocks due to Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle regulations, and the challenge of meeting those requirements.

Other station wagons have come and gone in recent years. Ford stopped producing its Focus wagon for 2007, and Subaru dropped its Impreza wagon in favor of a five-door hatchback model.

In 2003, Toyota unveiled the Matrix while Pontiac showed off its sister vehicle, the Vibe, but again the companies chose not to continue with production.

Most newer models are compact station wagons. The last full-size wagons were the Buick Roadmaster and Chevrolet Caprice, discontinued in 1995. In 2005, Dodge tried the Magnum, but it is not a true full-sized wagon.

The last subcompact station wagon built in America was the 1992 Toyota Corolla.

Smaller Wagons Don’t Sell Either

Automakers seem to keep tinkering with smaller station wagons, apparently in hope that consumers will appreciate more affordable alternatives to minivans or sport utility vehicles.

Ford, Mercury and Saturn kept domestic wagons in their lineups until around 2004, when they began phasing them our in favor of car-based crossover SUVs and small minivans.

So automakers are still trying to present the station wagon to American motorists – only they’re calling them something else.

From Hollywood to Skid Row

The station wagon’s heyday was the 1950s to the 1970s. Television shows featured them often – including Mr. Brady’s beast in “The Brady Bunch.”

Smaller two-door versions arrived in the 1970s, including the Ford Pinto and Chevy Vega.

Then a series of events occurred that eventually resulted in the station wagon’s demise

• The 1973 oil embargo resulted in laws that got rid of rear-wheel drive in favor of better fuel efficiency
• American automakers soon thereafter started a trend of going with smaller vehicles
• Fans of larger vehicles during the late 1970s were stuck with sport utility vehicles like the Chevrolet Suburban
• Then Chrysler in 1984 introduced the first minivans, completing the end of the station wagon’s relatively impressive 30-year run.

Will its halcyon days return? Well the record gas prices recently began a slow death for the SUV, and to a lesser extent the minivan.

Stranger things have happened in automotive history. Trends come and go, and it remains to be seen whether the station wagon gets hot again in American culture.

The post The Station Wagon Primed for a Comeback? appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

How far the automotive industry has progressed these days. Some might even argue that it has digressed.

So Many Choices Almost Makes it Hard to Decide

Take for example the 2009 Toyota Corolla. It’s not so simple to just take one and roll from a dealer’s lot.

The compact comes in six different styles, differing in price from a little over $14,000 up to almost $20,000.

You can choose from the standard manual or automatic transmission, but from there, start thinking what makes your purchasing mind tick.

The base five-speed manual transmission comes with a 1.8-liter I4 engine getting 132 horsepower. The 27 to 35 miles per gallon is quite attractive.

Compare that to the Corolla XRS with a five-speed automatic transmission and its 2.4-liter I4. Sure, only 22 to 30 miles per gallon, but boy that 158 horsepower is what you need.

All these choices just for a Corolla?

Times have changed, and not just for cars. Think about the time you last bought a computer. Could you just pick one off the shelf, pay, zip home and plug it in?

Choice is What the Consumers Demand on A Universal Level

Choice dominates American consumers and retailers alike.

Computers come in many shapes and sizes, to cater to those who like a light laptop, as well as those who might want more memory for all those MP3s and videos.

Even homebuilders got into the groove. KB Home’s big marketing tool is its Built to Order model, where you can select your lot and floor plan – and then visit a retail-like studio to choose options to spruce up your home.

Sure it takes three or four months to wait for it to be built, but it’s built to your own lifestyle and desires. No leftover nail clippings or the like.

Automakers have followed suit, let’s look at the 2008 Ford Mustang.

Having eight trims to choose from seems nice, but c’mon, it’s a Mustang. It’s hard to go wrong with the new stylish exterior and known entity under the hood.

Compare that with the 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago: you get just two trims to choose from even though you’ll pay $313,600 to $345,000 for a new model.

Apparently this “choice” thing hasn’t caught fire in Europe.

The Build-a-Car Era

Yahoo! Autos even has a “Build a Car” feature, where a few clicks will let you “See how features and options will affect the price of your next car.”

Say, for example, you want to build a MINI. You’ll then be asked to choose between three styles of the two-door Cooper: the Clubman, the Convertible, or Hardtop.

Not knowing what a Clubman is, you click it, and learn that you have to choose between a Coupe and a Coupe S. Choosing the S will cost you more than $3,000 more.

Click that and you get rows of boxes to select from:

• Two types of transmission
• Eight types of seat trims
• Two paint types
• Five wheel types
• Three roof types
• 51 “Additional Options”

All these add costs to the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $21,850. It seems $21,850 is about the right price someone would pay for a MINI Cooper.

Apparently the company believes otherwise. We don’t have the time to click every single “Additional Option” to learn what the ultimate price would be for a fully-loaded Cooper. But you get the picture.

And these build-a-car mechanisms are not unique to Yahoo! Autos. Almost every auto website around has something similar.

Anything to overwhelm you with all of the choices your heart desires.

The post Can Too Many Choices Make it Harder to Buy A Car? appeared first on Cash for Cars Selling Tips.

The way technology is advancing, someday you’ll be able to change the color of your vehicle depending upon your mood.

Until then automakers are wowing consumers with a wide assortment of interesting colors.

Alubeam

For the 40th anniversary of its CL65 AMG, Mercedes-Benz announced the limited use of a new color that takes its traditional silver to a new realm.

The new Alubeam is said to gleam like liquid metal and appear to have been stretched over the car’s body. The effect would be emphasizing the 2008 coupe’s eye-attracting lines.

The German automaker said the metallic color is created by use of smaller pigment colors for a new, robust reflection of light.

Image from New Launches

Consumers Drive This Market

It’s not the only carmaker to focus on new and exciting new colors. They are aware that studies indicate exterior color is a big factor when consumers look for a new car.

According to the Color Marketing Group, color can be 85 percent of the reason someone buys a certain product.

That said, the list of most favored colors is changing like the wind, and even finishes with texture and a matte look are surfacing.

Some of it is consumer-driven – perhaps they are getting sick of seeing all the silver cars on the road – and some by technology that is expanding the ability of automakers to offer something new.

The Latest Trends In Car Colors

White
Forbes Auto recently reported that white overtook silver as the favored car color choice. Silver has been at the top of the list for the past seven years.
Image from Motive Mag

However, it was also indicated that the gap between silver and white was not insurmountable and the list could change. Also in the top three was black, which presents a strange picture of autobuyers shying away from more expressive colors like yellow and red.

Brown
On the other hand, General Motors recently noted the resurgence of brown, which it said in the past had “very negative connotations; it was earth, dirt and mud.”

However with coffee shops popping up all over the place, the “Starbucks Effect” took over and we’re seeing more brown cars on roadways.

Often the way we see cars can differ from other items. For example, red in North America often exudes the stop sign, or danger. Yet many owners of red cars think hot, or fast.

Image from All World Cars

It would be hard to find the driver of a red sports car thinking “Stop.”

Green could indicate lucky, or money, for many Americans. It’s not the most popular color for an automobile – but maybe it will grow in popularity, considering the current “greening” trend.

Orange
Some automakers are noting the comeback of orange, which according to Wikipedia can convey enthusiasm, or aggression.

Sometimes trends in car colors can frame the consciousness of the American public. Maybe the current seemingly never-ending Presidential election is influencing choices in auto colors.

Image from Madle

The Color of Cars, Technologically Speaking

Consumer Reports in August 2007 reported that emerging technologies are letting automakers come up with new stylish or even unique paint jobs to wow consumers.

A GM concept car showed off the company’s experimental matte finish. 

While a matte finish can be a challenge to produce consistently, the company apparently is progressing toward making it easier and more producable.

Technology also is allowing use of paints that can add texture, or even allow the eye to detect a change in hue. What’s next, the stucco exterior?

Image from Autospies

Some are pursuing finishes of multi-layer flakes that can make the car appear to change color depending on the angle viewed.

For example, for a special-edition 2006 Scion xB Release Series 4.0, you can choose a color called “Scorched Penny” that changes from a copper tint to black.

There is something known as “color psychology,” involving the effect of color on human behavior and feeling. It seems automakers are aware.

But what would one make of white, which can change depending on the eye of the beholder?

White today can symbolize purity, innocence, or peace. But in past history people in parts of Japan and China wore white to funerals. It also can conjure up winter, or blandness, to some.

Yet according to Forbes Auto, people are choosing white for cars more and more. Clearly for enough people, white has significance.

Image from CNN

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