DuPont technology for color and aesthetics will keep automotive designers and stylists in step with tomorrow's trends.
The marraige of technology and aesthetics is of paramount interest to today's automotive design engineers, stylists and brand managers. Color effects and tactile aesthetics combine with vehicle styling and engineering features to define and differentiate vehicle brand character. The ultimate result of applying such art and science is increased sales.
Based on our deep involvement in the fashion apparel, home fabrics, graphics and automotive industries, DuPont is in a unique position to network its consumer research and apply advanced polymer science to help automakers achieve optimal vehicle aesthetics, durability and cost. As a baseline for automotive stylists' decision-making, DuPont has researched and reported on vehicle finish color popularity for nearly 50 years. And DuPont's fashion and home furnishings trend analysis is used as a leading indicator for interpreting salable trends in colors and effects as many as four to six years ahead of a model launch.
Color Trends
DuPont is showing automotive stylists more than 100 innovative new colors for the year 2003 models, and leads in the number of new colors chosen for new vehicle production throughout the world. "These are exciting times for the automotive industry," says Robert S. Daily, color styling and marketing manager, DuPont Herberts Automotive Systems. "Designers are pushing back boundaries, and vehicle concepts once considered too wild for mass production are now hitting the show rooms. These bold new vehicle designs demand fresh colors. Improved coatings technology, especially in more durable clearcoats, continues to open the door for a wider range of color choices."
According to DuPont fashion Director Roseann Forde, the recent shift toward blues and metallics reflects a growing emphasis on ingenuity and creativity. "Cool hues and colors such as blue reflect a balance between a desire to be buttoned-down while staying true to creative passions," observe Forde. "We are seeing an explosion of new color choices that advances in technology are making possible, which also mirrors a growing number of product choices that science is giving consumers every day."
Looking ahead, Forde predicts that the hot colors of the first years of the new millennium will continue to reflect a trust in technology, but also convey a financial optimism. "Silver is hot right now," she says, "but in the future, look for shades of gold to seize a growing share of market. Gold shows a sense of grandeur and prosperity, relating to a luxurious lifestyle that people want."
