The Gallant Gray Q&A

Axalta’s year-long celebration of Gallant Gray is more than half way through. Over the last eight months, it has been great talking with Axalta customers, colleagues and fans all around the world about the beauty and depth Gallant Gray provides, as well as gray’s rising popularity in the automotive market.

During these valuable discussions, a few questions kept cropping up, so we thought a Gallant Gray Q&A can help answer the most common questions that you may have. Leave a note in the comments if you have a Color of the Year question we didn’t answer.

Q: How did Axalta come up with Gallant Gray?

A: Axalta’s color experts put a lot of time, thought and energy into crafting the Color of the Year. Hard data, daily inspirations and knowledge of the automotive market led Axalta to the color.

Data shows that a high percentage of the market is interested in a neutral palette. Adding slight hints of hues can add life to these colors. Statistically, gray’s popularity on vehicles is on the rise around the globe and silver continues to fall. Behind white and black, gray tied silver in 2016 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). 

Q: Can I buy a Gallant Gray car?

A: Yes and no. Gallant Gray, like each of Axalta’s Color of the Years, is a concept color devised using data from global automotive trends and inspired by nature and culture. The shade is not currently on any production vehicle. However, after its release, custom painters were eager to use Gallant Gray on their projects and so you may come across Gallant Gray on a hotrod or custom car near you! Axalta will feature one of those projects at this year’s SEMA show, so stay tuned for more. Gallant Gray is also at the track. Axalta sponsored driver, William Bryon drives a Gallant Gray Chevrolet in NASCAR’s Xfinity series races.

William Bryon drives a Gallant Gray Chevrolet in NASCAR’s Xfinity series races.

Q: Can I paint my house Gallant Gray?

A: Turn on any home improvement show and there’s a good chance you will see gray inside. Especially in kitchens and living rooms. Axalta’s Gallant Gray was specifically developed as a metallic automotive coating. If you just have to have Gallant Gray in your house, check out Pantone color 430 C for a similar solid color space.

Q: Is it "gray" or "grey"?

A: They are both pretty much acceptable. “Gray” seems to be more popular in the US while “grey” reigns in the UK. 

Q: How do different generations react to Gallant Gray?

A: Gallant Gray is designed to look spectacular on any size vehicle and has had great response globally.  With color complexity and a fresh look to this classic color space, the intent of the color is to have not only global appeal but multi-generation appeal. It may be working, a New York Times story titled, “For Millennial Men, Gray Hair Is Welcome” details several cases of young men going for a Gallant Gray look and reports that Amazon has “seen a threefold increase in the last year in customers searching for gray hair dye.”

Q: Can you tell me next year’s Automotive Color of the Year?

A: Yes! Check back with us around the North American International Auto Show in January 2018.