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Numbers are percentages of vehicles manufactured during that model year in North America. |
DuPont's annual Global Color Popularity Report cites silver as far and away the most popular color for cars in North and South America, Asia, and Europe. And silver's popularity is expected to grow. "Silver is a sophisticated styling cue for automobiles," says Robert Daily, the color styling and marketing manager for DuPont. "We're seeing new vehicles with clean lines and sharp edges that are enhanced by silver."
An ongoing retro trend, according to DuPont, is the rise of yellow into the top 12 over the past two years. Luxury vehicles usually use it in pale shades and as soft golden metallic while stronger shades of yellow add punch to sport cars and light trucks. Yellow tints are spreading to traditional, nature-based colors including green. Meanwhile, larger, high-end cars and SUVs are often black, reflecting a sense of authority and mystery. DuPont predicts that dimensional flake effects will add new life to traditional colors, especially metallic red, while neutral colors continue to gain popularity over the next two to three years.
Recyclable trim seal
Toyota Motor Corp. is using a recyclable thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) rear-door opening trim seal on its bB SUV sold in Japan. The Santoprene TPV/metal part, from Advanced Elastomer Systems, Japan, is completely recyclable in the olefinic recycle stream. The part weighs only 1.6 lb, 30% less than one of traditional PVC.