Trends in exterior paint colors
06-29-2011, 09:50 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Trends in exterior paint colors
I've made several trips recently to my local Mercedes dealer (Mercedes-Benz of South Charlotte), in the course of ordering my new ride (see signature line). As I stood in the showroom, and gazed out upon the hundreds of beautiful automobiles, I was struck by the colors of them.
Or, perhaps more accurately, the lack of color. It was like being in the suit department of a good men's clothing store. Let's see, we have charcoal, dark grey, medium grey, brownish grey, bronze, several silvers, light grey, black, dark blue, etc. The whites stood out, but that's a conservative color, too. A few reds, but dark, almost maroon -- "real" red permitted only on the C Class and the roadsters. No green, orange, yellow, purple, gold, etc.
This is by no means a complaint (trust me, I'm not lusting after a violet S Class), but merely an observation, which may generate some discussion -- or not.
A few things I've noticed in the area of recent external colors:
• Metallics have come to dominate. Even whites -- I've ordered one -- are available only in metallic versions on some Mercedes lines. Non-metallic black is available on most (all?) Merc models; non-metallic whites and reds are available in some lines. And that's pretty much all for the non-metallics, as far as I know. I wonder why. A non-metallic car, if well-maintained, can show a mirror shine a metallic (even Alubeam!) can't match. But even a touch of road film is evident on a non-metallic, so I suppose I've answered my own question. Still, I fondly remember a non-metallic SLC a friend of mine had -- a dark brownish-grey, which sounds unappealing, but trust me, when freshly waxed, it was amazing. And I still remember an S Class owned by the father of a childhood friend, in a non-metallic navy blue, equally spectacular when clean. Will non-metallics ever make a comeback?
• Greens seem to have vanished. Even conservative dark greens -- "British Racing Green," "Oxford Green," and so forth. Brighter and lighter greens have been gone for years. (Full disclosure: I once owned a BMW M Roadster in "Evergreen," which was a loud non-metallic teal informally known as "Gumby Green.") Can't say I miss green as a car color, but I'm a little surprised it has disappeared almost completely.
• Browns, or at least "earth colors," seem to be making a comeback. If I recall correctly, they were popular in the '70s and '80s (yes, I'm old), but went away. They seem to be back, in metallic form only, sneaking in as light bronzes a few years ago, but now seen as true browns (such as "Cuprite Brown" on the 2012 CLS63). I don't hate them. But I wonder if they'll catch on.
• And finally, some may be old enough to remember that peculiar Mercedes color often seen on old 240Ds and the like: I don't know what the name was, but it was a very light yellow, or a dark ivory; non-metallic, of course. What ever happened to that color?
Or, perhaps more accurately, the lack of color. It was like being in the suit department of a good men's clothing store. Let's see, we have charcoal, dark grey, medium grey, brownish grey, bronze, several silvers, light grey, black, dark blue, etc. The whites stood out, but that's a conservative color, too. A few reds, but dark, almost maroon -- "real" red permitted only on the C Class and the roadsters. No green, orange, yellow, purple, gold, etc.
This is by no means a complaint (trust me, I'm not lusting after a violet S Class), but merely an observation, which may generate some discussion -- or not.
A few things I've noticed in the area of recent external colors:
• Metallics have come to dominate. Even whites -- I've ordered one -- are available only in metallic versions on some Mercedes lines. Non-metallic black is available on most (all?) Merc models; non-metallic whites and reds are available in some lines. And that's pretty much all for the non-metallics, as far as I know. I wonder why. A non-metallic car, if well-maintained, can show a mirror shine a metallic (even Alubeam!) can't match. But even a touch of road film is evident on a non-metallic, so I suppose I've answered my own question. Still, I fondly remember a non-metallic SLC a friend of mine had -- a dark brownish-grey, which sounds unappealing, but trust me, when freshly waxed, it was amazing. And I still remember an S Class owned by the father of a childhood friend, in a non-metallic navy blue, equally spectacular when clean. Will non-metallics ever make a comeback?
• Greens seem to have vanished. Even conservative dark greens -- "British Racing Green," "Oxford Green," and so forth. Brighter and lighter greens have been gone for years. (Full disclosure: I once owned a BMW M Roadster in "Evergreen," which was a loud non-metallic teal informally known as "Gumby Green.") Can't say I miss green as a car color, but I'm a little surprised it has disappeared almost completely.
• Browns, or at least "earth colors," seem to be making a comeback. If I recall correctly, they were popular in the '70s and '80s (yes, I'm old), but went away. They seem to be back, in metallic form only, sneaking in as light bronzes a few years ago, but now seen as true browns (such as "Cuprite Brown" on the 2012 CLS63). I don't hate them. But I wonder if they'll catch on.
• And finally, some may be old enough to remember that peculiar Mercedes color often seen on old 240Ds and the like: I don't know what the name was, but it was a very light yellow, or a dark ivory; non-metallic, of course. What ever happened to that color?
06-30-2011, 01:46 PM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Yes, I recall visiting Germany in the early 1990s and this color thing exactly as you describe was already in full bloom.
The older W123s in their wierd greens, oranges, and browns really stuck out. Most of these of course were owned by USA servicemen who didn't have to have their cars TUV tested--there aren't many old cars in Germany.
The older W123s in their wierd greens, oranges, and browns really stuck out. Most of these of course were owned by USA servicemen who didn't have to have their cars TUV tested--there aren't many old cars in Germany.
