[xingamazon]

I have noticed for sometime that every time a new car is launched. Its always displayed in Apple Green colour, is there a reasoning behing such coloring.

But what I have seen is eventually when the car sales kick off, no one finds these apple green color.

Few example I can quote for using this colour are:
1. Chevy Spark
2. European Fiesta
3. Ford Figo
4. Now Nissan Micra. etc.

What is the reasoning behind it.

[prince_pervez]

Green color has a soothing effect on your eyes. Also it is an eye catching gimmick in expos and similar events. Other than that there is nothing I can think of.

[MuraliR]

If i remember right, Santro had a similar colour on offer earlier, maybe 5-6 years ago. That was possibly a shade darker.

[SPARKled]

Even the Xylo had this color when launched.

[kiku007]

Everbody is going green

Well it's a 'Stand out' colour. Personally not my choice!

If you watch closely every new car is launched in a unique colour. The Indian Fiesta came in a muddy brown colour for eg.

[salbin]

For Chevy Beat, the launch colour- Cocktail Green has got maximum demand.
Anyway Beat looks good in green.
Figo is also similar shade.
Nissan Micra seems slightly different green.

@MuraliR: the green colour of Santro is different from what is mentioned by xingamazon.

[zavegur]

I think green colored cars are quite new for us, so that may be the reason behind the preference of green.
And it can glow under lights which makes it more photo friendly and eye catchy!

+++to what others have said!

[rohanjf]

Originally Posted by MuraliR

If i remember right, Santro had a similar colour on offer earlier, maybe 5-6 years ago. That was possibly a shade darker.

Yeah. And I have seen many such Santros in the Hertz outlet near Koramangala.

[Latheesh]

Do not know why, but Beat and Figo looks good in green shade.

[PAVAN KADAM]

Have seen most of the recent car release in this color, me too feels why ?

Looks like all major Auto makers have taken the word "GO GREEN" tooo seriously.

[xingamazon]

Also add Fiat Palio to the list of apple green color launch. Cant someone think of other color at all.

Of course, not to mentioned Estilo screwed up trying to get with a non-green launch color a pale pink. Which was a turn off for all the guys.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

This makes a very interesting read:

A History of Automobiles and Color before the Age of Chromophobia Auto Universum

[Latheesh]

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM

Have seen most of the recent car release in this color, me too feels why ?

Looks like all major Auto makers have taken the word "GO GREEN" tooo seriously.

Pavan,

I think bug green looks different than the others, it is not flouroscent. I have seen 1-2 last week, it looks bad in that colour. Best colour for the bug is yellow and red.

[ashutoshb]

IMHO, such kind of color emotes youth, vibrance.. Many hatchbacks are the first buy of the youth when it comes to buying cars. And you will find such a colour in hatchbacks only.

[Rehaan]

Three comments on this :

1) "Green" IS the theme for this decade. ECO-everything, environmentally friendly, zero-emission, planet friendly et al.
This year's auto expo - GREEN theme
This year's Geneva show - every major manufacturer has some sort of hybrid on show.

Subconsciously, and metaphorically green colour = green energy. Marketing minds are behind this, and a lot of thought does go into the colour that the car is formally presented in.
Even the red red red Ferrari 599 is being shown in its hybrid form in a bright green colour @ geneva!


2) As seen in the past, marketing also uses colour to its advantage in the sense that it creates the model's unique signature by showing it a uncommon colour.
This does a few things :
- Makes the car in the ad eye-catching (eg. a bright yellow vs a typical grey/white/black)
- Highlights the funkyness or flavour of the car (eg. Nano looks so "cute" in yellow)
- Strongly links the colour to the car in the viewers mind. (eg. if you see a red lambo, or a yellow ferrari - you think something is weird!)

Lambo did a good job of claiming the yellow/orange palette with the Murcielago and the Gallardo. Before those models, they didn't quite have a "signature" colour. Perhaps the purple on the SE30 and other diablos - but definitely not the yellow that we are all now accustomed to.


3) Serious amounts of money go into "forecasting" what colours will be popular in a particular market. Don't underestimate the importance visual appeal plays in sales. Add to that - no manufacturer wants to have a stockpile of a colour that just doesn't sell. That translates to crores of inventory sitting around. Its not just car-makers that put lots of study into colours. For eg. M&M spent a good deal of time and money researching the ideal colours for a new tractor range they launched years back. Infact, studies even showed that farmers in UP might have a totally different colour palette choice than those in Kerala! How many of what colour go to which region are also designated based on these studies.

Since we're on the colour topic: the fashion industry actually has "trend forecasters" or "colour forecasters" who decide what the "in colours" are going to be for the next fashion year, or the one after that.
This goes a little beyond guesswork and trendwatching, as it finally comes down to a level that if the colour 2 years from now is going to be a blue - farmers will grow more indigo, to make the blue dye. Or vice versa.

cya
R