Axalta Coating Systems, a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, has announced its Automotive Colour of the Year 2017 – Gallant Gray.

This colour is enhanced by blue and silver flakes that produce a unique sparkle effect and dark undertones that enrich the finish, adding sophistication. The company commenced a year-long Colour of the Year celebrations commenced with a variety of events during the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Preview Days in Detroit.

Daily inspirations, coupled with extensive research, helped Axalta colour designers and product experts select Gallant Gray as the Automotive Colour of the Year. The company says a high percentage of the market is interested in a neutral palette and adding slight hints of hues can add life to these colours.

“At Axalta, we monitor automotive trends and forecast how colour tastes are changing in the automotive market,” said Nancy Lockhart – Axalta Global Color Marketing Manager. “We are pleased to partner with automakers by using our coatings to give their vehicles beauty and character, and we’re confident customers will appreciate Gallant Gray. With hints of blue and green, it exemplifies modernity and elegance. Taking everything into account, we think Gallant Gray is the new silver.”

Axalta’s recently released 2016 Global Automotive Colour Popularity Report, which documents vehicle colour trends by geography, showed a rise in the popularity of gray shades around the world. Neutral colours have dominated the market over the last 10 years. Although white and black maintained the top positions worldwide, gray is now tied with silver for third place at 11 percent. Gray leads silver in popularity in Europe (by six percent), North America (five percent), and South Korea (seven percent). Gray is most popular in Europe (17 percent), North America (16 percent), South Korea (19 percent), and India (12 percent).