Axalta releases its 2019 Automotive Color of the Year

Eye-catching Sahara brings warmth, luxury and ruggedness for automotive designers and car customisers.

For the first time in its five-year history, Axalta’s Automotive Color of the Year is showcasing a colour primed for vehicle customisation both at manufacturing facilities and in the aftermarket.

Sahara, a golden bronze tone, radiates warmth, richness and strength for vehicles of all sizes – especially the expanding global truck and SUV markets – and can serve as the principal colour for two-tone possibilities including black roofs.

"At Axalta, we are seeing car designers leaning toward options for two-toning, accent roofs and stripes,” said Nancy Lockhart, Axalta Global Colour Marketing Manager.

"When it comes to mass customisation, Sahara is the type of colour that can serve as the foundation for these premium options.”

Borne from Axalta’s ChromaDyne™ line of colour coats formulated for global automotive manufacturers, Sahara is partly inspired by global trends for warmer shades highlighted in the company’s Global Automotive Color Popularity Report.

Yellow/gold vehicles are most popular in India and China, while brown/beige vehicles increased in North America more than any other region.

Sahara is Axalta’s fifth Color of the Year following Radiant Red (2015), Brilliant Blue (2016), Gallant Gray (2017), and StarLite (2018).

StarLite, a pearlescent white, introduced coatings technology into the autonomous vehicle discussion.

Axalta colours under development are tested for readability by autonomous sensors, and Sahara is formulated for visibility.

According to Ann de Clerck, Axalta Refinish Colour Service Manager in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Axalta’s Color of the Year is another example of how Axalta transfers OEM technology to the aftermarket and repair businesses.

"We get calls every year from some of the industry’s best custom builders looking to use colour to differentiate their products,” she said.

"We have Sahara formulated and ready-to-go in our industry-leading refinish brands including Cromax^®, Spies Hecker and Standox.”

Lockhart said, "Sahara will excite and inspire the industry as it brings together timeless style and luxurious customisation for a fashionably fierce finish.”

Axalta will kick off a year-long celebration of Sahara during the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

Highlights include a video reveal at the EyesOn Design awards programme on 15 January 2019 and prominent display during the Axalta-sponsored Charity Preview on 18 January 2019.