Axalta Unveils StarLite as its Automotive Color of the Year 2018

StarLite is a modern, technology-savvy, premium color for vehicles of today and tomorrow. Borne from Axalta’s ChromaDyne™ line of color coats which are developed for automotive OEMs, StarLite is a light and reflective hue that contains synthetic pearl flakes which create an eye-catching, pearlescent effect. StarLite is designed to look great and add a luxurious shine to all vehicle sizes, while providing functional benefits.

“Highly reflective colors can contribute to the functionality of driverless vehicles because lighter colors, like StarLite, are more easily detectable by LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems,” explains Nancy Lockhart, Axalta Global Color Marketing Manager. “So, while StarLite may not apply to all autonomous detection systems, Axalta believes these shades will become increasingly important to automakers.”

A study by Berkeley Lab’s Energy Technologies Area also shows that white and other light and reflective paints can have sustainable results and help reduce automotive emissions.

Axalta also selected StarLite as the 2018 Automotive Color of the Year because of a notable rise in the global popularity of automotive white colors. According to Axalta’s recently released 2017 Global Color Popularity Report, nearly 40 percent of car buyers chose white in 2017 and it is the seventh consecutive year that white is the most popular color in the world.

The first automotive event to feature this rising star will be the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. 

To read The Detroit News’ feature article on StarLite, click here.

To read Axalta’s Press Release on StarLite, click here.

Farewell to Gallant Gray

As we look forward to launching Axalta’s 2018 Automotive Color of the Year (COTY) this month, we reflect on the last 12 months of Gallant Gray, our 2017 COTY. It’s clear that Gallant Gray was an excellent choice as COTY, as Axalta’s Global Automotive 2017 Color Popularity Report shows that gray’s popularity increased in Asia, South America, and Europe, while holding strong in North America. We can’t take all the credit for that, but we like to think Gallant Gray had something to do with gray being a rock star color!

We kicked off our Gallant Gray campaign at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A Detroit Free Press story helped introduce Gallant Gray to the world. The story sparked much interest around this color space, and Gallant Gray was off and running. The celebration continued at the Auto Show where we unveiled Gallant Gray pedal cars (painted by our custom builder friends at MobSteel and students at Drive One Detroit) and debuted a Gallant Gray video. 

Gallant Gray pedal cars made an appearance at the North America International Auto Show

After the Auto Show it felt like Gallant Gray was everywhere. Events started around the world highlighting Gallant Gray at shows, customer meetings, and educational events. Gallant Gray was the first COTY on the racetrack since Jeff Gordon drove his No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet with the inaugural COTY in 2014. Driver William Byron raced the No. 9 Axalta Chevrolet to victory lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a sparkling Gallant Gray car. At the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Burtin Racing gave their No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro a distinct edge with a Gallant Gray paint scheme. And, of course Gallant Gray stole the show at the 2017 SEMA show in Las Vegas on a stunning 1965 convertible that was expertly restored by the Hot Rod Barn. Show goers agreed – Gallant Gray accentuated the beautiful lines of the classic American sports car.

Throughout the year we had fun on the Color Block blog looking at popular grays over the years (50 of them, in fact) and what comprises the anatomy of Gallant Gray.

The Anatomy of Gray post on the Color Block blog explained the parts of Gallant Gray

Though Gallant Gray will be missed, gray is here to stay! Axalta color experts predict it will increase on car builds worldwide in 2018. We first noticed this surge in gray popularity early in 2016 when our 2016 Global Color Popularity Report showed a steep drop for silver and a rise in gray. Moreover, gray and silver tied for third in global popularity behind white and black, the first and second most popular colors in the world, respectively. In 2017, the shift shows there is less of a margin between black and gray, but white still holds the number one spot on the charts by a large margin.

Gallant Gray may have started the year as an underdog, but for many of us it will be our favorite color of the year. So farewell, Gallant Gray. The 2018 COTY has some big, gray shoes to fill.