Why not charge more for boring colors?

"Jim Spanfeller" (awesomeaustinv) 10/21/2020 at 22:26 • Filed to: None

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I think we can all agree that cars ought to come on more interesting colors, right? What I’m wondering is, i f white, black, grey, and silver are the most popular colors for cars, then why don’t manufacturers charge a premium for them? Like, if everybody insists on being dull, then why don’t automakers take advantage of that and make a little extra money off of cars painted boring colors? They could still advertise the same lower base price... for cars painted in colors like teal, orange, purple, etc. But if part of the reason why colorful cars are rarer is that manufacturers charge a premium for them, then wouldn’t it make more sense to flip that so that the most popular colors are the most expensive? I think a lot of people also buy cars in dull colors simply because dealers have more of them on their lots, but if colorful cars are less expensive, then maybe that would provide a bit of incentive to buy a colorful car. At the very least, more money would be made off of dull cars and us enthusiasts would be able to obtain brightly-colored cars more easily.

Wh at do you think?

Just Jeepin' > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:29

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(As much as I love bright colors, that’d never fly.)

pip bip - choose Corrour > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:29

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Agreed 

S65 > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:30

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Won’t work because most people don’t want a bright lime eyesore just want to get to work and back

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:32

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That would never actually work but it's nice to dream. Because dealers often find it hard to get rid of colorful cars and often the fun cars are more expensive to produce in the first place. And they still have those $1500 polar white tricoat options that look almost the same as the base white. 

Jim Spanfeller > S65 10/21/2020 at 22:33

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Not necessarily bright lime, but even just something like a nice shade of blue would be better than nothing.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/21/2020 at 22:36

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So call it a “fun color discount”?

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:36

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The problem is dealer inventory, at least here in the US. Since our sales model requires dealers to stock inventory, no dealer wants to be stuck with “possibly offensive/uns alable ” colors on the lot. A customer may *want* a red vehicle , and they won’t buy a blue or green one, but they may be convinced to take a grey, black or white one. Also, dealers want to have as little money as possible tied up in thier inventory, hence cheap, boring colors. I applaud your plan, as the past owner of many colorful cars and the current owner of vehicles colored “surf blue” and “blu e jeans" both of which required extensive searching and long distance travel and/or dealership transfer to acquire... But the stealerships won't play your game. 

Jim Spanfeller > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/21/2020 at 22:38

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Maybe it would work for a company like Tesla that doesn’t use a conventional dealer network?

PatBateman > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:38

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#TeamTeal

facw > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:39

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Economies of scale make the boring colors cheaper. Charging more for them would make more money but also make their cars less price competitive.

Also keep in mind that customer doesn’t really pick the colors, the dealers (the automaker s’ customers ) do . And dealers don’t want something that’s going to sit on the lot because it’s got a niche color. And of course with leases, the company handling the lease has the same concern about cars coming back.

A direct to consumer company like Tesla probably should offer more choice now that they have enough volume (at least on the 3). They’d still have to charge more, but at least the incentives would aligned correctly.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:40

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I'm guessing part of the reason we do so many boring colors is because they charge more for the exciting colors. People looking for their next econobox or soccer crossover aren't willing to cough up the extra for a fancy color.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:42

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Now that’s more like it. Not just red but greens and blues and yellows and even purples! Hey, if the Mirage can pull off a genuinely delightful shade of or ange you should be able to get it on your midrange crossover .

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:51

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My problem with colourful cars (especially in terms of ownership) is that most of the colours offered are a) derived from metallic or pearlescent bases which are not very durable; b) matt colours that fade like cheap denim and c ) all look terrible when the car is even slightly dirty. Plain white on the other hand, can’t fade, can be durable, is cheap to repair and manages to hide road grime and dust reasonably well...and it’s why all our cars are white.

Silver (and all shades of it) on the other hand should simply be banned as a paint finish for a motor vehicle.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 22:55

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It might. Also, in most of Europe dealerships rarely car ry any inventory, just a couple different trim “testers”. As a result the customer orders the car they want, as opposed to picking it off lot inventory. T he boing colors are still common, BUT many brighter, more interesting ones make it into the hands of owners and onto the road.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/21/2020 at 22:58

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I like to break up the depressing monotone landscape with a fun colored car. I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to match the superb autumn metallic on my Cruze with my next car. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 10/21/2020 at 23:00

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True about white being durable (unless it’s on an older Chevy Express in which case it literally falls off) but extreme practicality isn’ t everything. I don't begrudge white and lots of cars loom great in it but I don't want EVERY car to be grayscale. 

Nauraushaun > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 23:01

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The first company to do it would lose sales to every other car in the segment, then stop.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/21/2020 at 23:03

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This is exactly true. I know of a lady with a bright orange Pruis C. She bought it because the it had sat on the dealer lot for a long time so it had was priced at discount. Great for the buyer not so great for the dealership. That same dealership had a Spring Green Scion iM for a long time. 

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/21/2020 at 23:11

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We’re on a blue kick right now, the F150 is in offensive but undeniably blue, the Kona has a real kick to it when it’s clean and shiny (which it rarely is, dirt road living will do that..) but I’ve had many red and orange cars in the past and am a big fan of a good one. I really loved the red on my ‘98 Volvo V70AWD. Just a bright, intensely red, red. Nothing fancy, just very red.

I also had a Chilli Pepper Red Hyundai Elantra Touring and a Molten Orange Fiesta  ST. 

Bandit > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 23:11

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Boring colors are cheap to paint since they’re usually non-metallic  and are bought in a much higher quantity leading to bulk commodity discounts. 

AdverseMartyr > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/21/2020 at 23:14

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Isn’t that a Maroon car way back there in the American photo?
But honestly, I don’t think your European photo shows that much more variety. You’ve got about 3 times as many cars in the European photo and only a few cars of a different color. It could just be a statistical anomaly. :) I really only see two cars of a significantly different color than the American photo, and one car with racing strips to make it stand out.

Shiny silver is silver, and that blue Focus in the foreground might as well be black - I think it may even be the same color as the front car in the American photo but with different lighting.

AdverseMartyr > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/21/2020 at 23:16

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I’m immediately thinking of Top Gear, “You’ve gotten a brown car.”

“It isn’t! It’s Burnt Orange.”

“It’s Brown.”

“ It is, isn’t it.”

qbeezy > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 23:20

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It’s easier to make bland colors, when majority of your customers are the equivalent of natty light and white claw. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/21/2020 at 23:25

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That is quite a history of fantastic auto colors. I’m currently one for one in great colors. It’s this great earthy dark red/orange with a bright bronze metallic flake that’s very dynamic. I’ve not seen another paint quite like it. Sort of a red clay color. Autumn metallic is so dynamic no two photos of it look the same.

I do enjoy a good unapologetically pure shade of a color. The longroof pulls off the red well.

I just like bringing joyful color to a grayscale world. Gives a car more personality too. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > AdverseMartyr 10/21/2020 at 23:28

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I have gone through the same thing with my own car as it does indeed appear brown in the dark. Not that I dislike brown but it simply isn't brown. That is an all time classic. Color disputes are funny and I feel like I always lose. 

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > AdverseMartyr 10/21/2020 at 23:32

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Hard to tell, might be a 90's Lincoln back there in th at dark maroon they had... These were first google hits, I did no searching for extra boring or extra bright, and I did say the boring colors are still there (‘cuz they are).

Gerry197 > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 23:50

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Some do, they make them a “special” metallic or something and charge $500 or more for them.

Typically white is the “free” color choice. Then everything else costs more.

Gerry197 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/21/2020 at 23:53

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I remember when I bought my first new car, a 1995 Acura Integra RS. I wanted a silver one, but all they had was white. Everyone at the time wanted silver, so all of us potential buyers at the time ended up with white cars.

The following month, they had a ton of silver cars, but everyone who wanted them got white and they then had too many silver cars sitting on the lot.

Spasoje > Jim Spanfeller 10/21/2020 at 23:56

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As the owner of a special-order yellow car, I wholeheartedly agree. But the color is probably also why my car sat in the showroom for close to a year, effectively  waiting for me haha

Gerry197 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/21/2020 at 23:56

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I lived in Europe, it’s the land of white, silver and black cars. US has way more colorful cars, especially compared to the UK or Germany.

Other than than one lighter blue and yellow car, it’s pretty grey as well.

A couple of random street shots is not very representative to be honest. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/22/2020 at 00:46

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Here’s a few random photos I took as a sample. I think the ratio really isn’t all that different.

gettingoldercarguy > Jim Spanfeller 10/22/2020 at 04:01

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I think I read through all the comments. The beautiful colours so frequently missed are incredibly expensive to produce. White, black and their varying shades are cheap. They’re also the beige of the automotive world, so they  make everybody happy (mostly).

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/22/2020 at 04:36

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In my world, if it’s not practical then it’s probably useless. Or going to be...

White is far and away the most popular (not the right word really) car colour. Given that most of our most popular vehicles  are fleet sale utilities of the Hilux or Ranger variety, this should come as no surprise...

TheRealBicycleBuck > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/22/2020 at 07:41

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” And they still have those $1500 polar white tricoat options that look almost the same as the base white.”

We ended up with an Explorer that had that option. Woe be to the man who came up with it. It’s nearly impossible to color match it. Here’s t he ir first attempt after it was rear-ended:

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > TheRealBicycleBuck 10/22/2020 at 08:24

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Yeah I don't think I'd like to even attempt that. Those have a whole lot of depth and especially after they've spent some time outside its really hard to replicate. 

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 10/22/2020 at 08:55

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That makes a lot of sense. White is clean, professional, cheap, durable, and easy to match (usually). For extreme practicality there is no alternative. 

onlytwowheels > Jim Spanfeller 10/22/2020 at 10:27

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Bring back the color choices, interior and exterior.

AdverseMartyr > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 10/22/2020 at 19:17

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Yes, this is the way to do it with statistics. Find the numbers that support your argument; ignore the rest :)

Or is that politics...

In reality I think cars are pretty boring because no one wants to stand out. Here in Japan I feel it is worse than other places. a used car search with black, white, and grey/silver excluded returns something like 20% of the total found before the filter was applied. (think if you added in the other most basic color options like red, and blue it dropped to 5-7% left.)

Though I will say that certain models of car seem like that is not the case. The Suzuki Swift Sport seems to be common in yellow.