Silver cars are so boring. Blue is the new silver

"Speedmonkey" (Speedmonkey)
09/11/2013 at 10:26 • Filed to: Blue cars

Silver cars have !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! as cars have been around. But the original Silver Arrows were a product of weight saving and bare metal. I've no idea when the first silver cars started to become really popular.

My own car is silver. My last car was silver. But I'm bored of silver. Silver is so old. My next car will definitely not be silver.

I'm just observing here (i.e. I didn't look into it thoroughly or anything) but from memory silver cars started becoming popular in the late 90s. That's when the shiny, deep silver with sparkly bits in it started to appear.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It's a survey from New Zealand which claims drivers of silver cars were 50% less likely to have an accident than those in white cars. Silver was never seen as sexy, but it was regarded as pretty cool for a decade or so.

Until now. When did you last see a silver car that looked cool because it was silver? New paint techniques have seen some previously humdrum colours really stand out. Silver is now so safe it's boring.

My current favourite is blue. Mica Blu, Blu Sofisticato, Frozen Blue. All damn fine colours that enhance the car. I also love the Jaguar F-Type in Firesand, which is a deep orange. I saw one in the factory. In the metal it looks awesome. A silver F-Type would look terrible.

Reds, yellows, greens, even !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! look good on modern cars. I don't really like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! but plenty of people do.

Just, please, nobody mention chrome, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or matte black.

Here's a gallery of my favourite blues. I took the first few photos. It's so easy to photograph in almost any light. The penultimate is the Jaguar F-Type in Firesand. Under that is a Liquid Yellow Clio which looks ace.

What's your favourite car colour?

DISCUSSION (19)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 10:33

My car is mostly a silver car because its top coat of a more gold color is worn off and faded, and the silvery under-layer is visible.

HURR

Sparf > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 10:42

I can't stand silver or white cars, so this post gets my recommend!

Mikeado > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 10:45

I too love a good shade of blue, but any deep rich shade generally works for me. The only silver car I'd buy is a NISMO Z-Tune.

A lot of people buy silver cars now because the residual values are marginally higher, mostly because... a lot of people buy silver cars. It's a dull circle. I suppose silver is also inoffensive and named after a precious metal. But it's SO BORING .

Brian Tschiegg > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 10:46

I agree. Silver is a pretty safe color now. It's starting to get beige. Blue is definitely where it's at for most of the new sports cars/cars in general. The only problem it has is that you can't have a red interior and a blue exterior.

The other day I saw a (surprisingly) beautiful 997 in brown. It attracted a lot of attention for a brown car, but the deep metal flake (and the fact that it was driven by a man/woman) really attracted people at the gas station. I will refrain from calling cars in brown poop cars from now on; that might just be the adult in me speaking up though.

Speedmonkey > Brian Tschiegg
09/11/2013 at 10:48

Some browns can look good. The Ghibli looks good in brown. This doesn't though

Kinja'd!!!

Speedmonkey > Mikeado
09/11/2013 at 10:49

Exactly. Its all about residuals rather than character. The 911 in yellow looks awesome

Speedmonkey > Sparf
09/11/2013 at 10:49

Cheers dude

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 10:53

Definitely blue. It's colourful enough to stand out, but not in-your-face like red. Azzurro Fantasia, Valencia Blue, Ecurie Ecosse. All excellent colours, and

I'm also rather partial to a good green, or a yellow on a delicate-looking classic, or that deep burnt orange you've mentioned. Reds can look great too, especially if it's a deep burgundy/wine red.

Forgetful > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 10:53

I love my Ultramarine FR-S, but I did just wash it on Monday and just yesterday there was a visible layer of dust that does the colour no favours.

Kinja'd!!!

Brian Tschiegg > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 10:54

OH GOD. TAKE IT AWAY.

Speedmonkey > Forgetful
09/11/2013 at 10:55

Lovely motor. That's true of most colours other than silver and brown! Black shows up the dust pretty quick too

Forgetful > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 11:00

Probably a reason why silver is becoming so common (and why beige had its time too)

willkinton247 > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 12:28

I am a huge fan of dark green cars (not light green at all),

Kinja'd!!!

but blue is also gorgeous.

Kinja'd!!!

BJ > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 12:36

I knew it - I'm not the only one who dislikes silver ! I don't really have a favourite colour, it depends more on the car I guess.

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As you mention, modern cars seem very flexible when it comes to the colour. It could also be that our perception of modern cars as accessories, or as a form of personal expression, allow us to use a wider range of colours without overstepping the limit of what's "acceptable". Could you imagine the fury if someone painted this car in a modern orange, yellow, or even some of those blues?

Kinja'd!!!

As far as finishes go, I'm a fan of the BMW's frozen colours that have a satin sheen - a nice balance between matte and gloss that would probably look good on a very wide range of classic and modern cars.

Justino6969 > Speedmonkey
09/11/2013 at 16:12

Is it bad that at first glance I was wondering why someone put those stupid fake fender vents on a BRZ, only to realize that it's not a BRZ at all? (For the title pic)