Why aren’t all cars available in all colours?

[Arnd]

Interested to know the issues. How hard can it be?

Looking at the manufactures websites and seeing only a few colours, just got me thinking.

I seem to remember TVR offering any colour. But I may have got that wrong.

Anybody able to shed some light?

[eybic]

Very basically, it's down to cost. If they know they will sell 20,000 cars in one colour then it means no messing around changing paint over etc. etc. Don't forget they won't be painted by hand so I guess it's more of a task changing colours over than if it was a bloke in a shed painting with a gun.

[s55shh]

the skoda configurator in Czech has about 40 different colours. In UK they only offer about 10. Same factory. Why? Miserable buggers.....

[Arnd]

s55shh said:

the skoda configurator in Czech has about 40 different colours. In UK they only offer about 10. Same factory. Why? Miserable buggers.....

Exactly, it can’t only be cost, we pay for optional extras.

What else is involved?

[ukaskew]

Supply and demand I guess, so not worth the hassle of even putting it in the brochure if market research suggests nobody wants different colours.

The vast majority of conventional cars are only available in various shades between white, silver and black, usually with a token dull blue and red thrown in.

If people were banging on dealership doors asking for orange that might change, but most cars sold aren't even the token blue/red, I think grey was the most popular colour in the UK last year. Wasn't it Fiat that advertised one of their models with the Italian colours, with a disclaimer under the ad that you couldn't actually buy the car in any of those.

I went to buy some trainers at the weekend, went in 3 shops and it was a sea of black or white. Literally no interesting colours to note from the likes of Nike and Adidas.

[Pica-Pica]

Each colour undergoes substantial testing in varying and extreme conditions. some of this involves panels in desert sunshine for a considerable period, to check for UV degradation of colour. This can be done in a lab, of course, but is supplemented by real world usage.

[300bhp/ton]

Arnd said:

s55shh said:

the skoda configurator in Czech has about 40 different colours. In UK they only offer about 10. Same factory. Why? Miserable buggers.....

Exactly, it can’t only be cost, we pay for optional extras.

What else is involved?

There isn't a reason and there will be know rational answer. Just excuses.

But it boils down to many perceptions that Britain is boring in it's choice and everyone wants, black, grey, silver or white. So that is what they offer by and large. And foolishly far too many of us choose such colours.

[Pica-Pica]

ukaskew said:

Supply and demand I guess, so not worth the hassle of even putting it in the brochure if market research suggests nobody wants different colours.

The vast majority of conventional cars are only available in various shades between white, silver and black, usually with a token dull blue and red thrown in.

If people were banging on dealership doors asking for orange that might change, but most cars sold aren't even the token blue/red, I think grey was the most popular colour in the UK last year. Wasn't it Fiat that advertised one of their models with the Italian colours, with a disclaimer under the ad that you couldn't actually buy the car in any of those.

I went to buy some trainers at the weekend, went in 3 shops and it was a sea of black or white. Literally no interesting colours to note from the likes of Nike and Adidas.

My ‘trainers’ (Saucony) are a very mundane grey, but they are supportive, don’t rub, and absorb shocks pretty well. That will do me.

[J4CKO]

They can do it, BMW has the Individual programme but for the normal cars they just pick the colours that will sell and set everything up for that.

[Doofus]

In the UK in particular, the majority of new cars are leases on business fleets. The conservative nature of the UK market means that pink, yellow and gold cars are harder to sell on the used market. Therefore, keeping to a conservative palate supports used prices and therefore keep lease costs down.

Demand/Supply/Demand. Or something.

[Arnd]

Doofus said:

In the UK in particular, the majority of new cars are leases on business fleets. The conservative nature of the UK market means that pink, yellow and gold cars are harder to sell on the used market. Therefore, keeping to a conservative palate supports used prices and therefore keep lease costs down.

Demand/Supply/Demand. Or something.

That may explain why they don’t, but it doesn’t explain why they can’t.

If I want a yellow C Class, and I’m prepared to pay for it, resale value is my problem, surely.

I’m interested to know if there is any technical reasons why they can’t, or is it, as suggested, simply easier not to?

[300bhp/ton]

Doofus said:

In the UK in particular, the majority of new cars are leases on business fleets.

Is this really different to the EU, USA, Canada or Australia? I see it posted a often on here. But are there any numbers to support this?

[Doofus]

300bhp/ton said:

Is this really different to the EU, USA, Canada or Australia? I see it posted a often on here. But are there any numbers to support this?

Company cars really aren't as common in many countries around the world as they are in the UK.

[Jimmy Recard]

Pica-Pica said:

Each colour undergoes substantial testing in varying and extreme conditions. some of this involves panels in desert sunshine for a considerable period, to check for UV degradation of colour. This can be done in a lab, of course, but is supplemented by real world usage.

My understanding is that both Volkswagen and Vauxhall forgot to do this with their red paint

[Rawwr]

ukaskew said:

I went to buy some trainers at the weekend, went in 3 shops and it was a sea of black or white. Literally no interesting colours to note from the likes of Nike and Adidas.

You were looking in the wrong shops.

[eybic]

Jimmy Recard said:

Pica-Pica said:

Each colour undergoes substantial testing in varying and extreme conditions. some of this involves panels in desert sunshine for a considerable period, to check for UV degradation of colour. This can be done in a lab, of course, but is supplemented by real world usage.

My understanding is that both Volkswagen and Vauxhall forgot to do this with their red paint

DDR can't be manufactured, it has to be produced by many rays of sun

[Gilhooligan]

It is annoying when car makers do this. My gf was interested in a Volvo V40 but they seem to have dropped ‘rebel blue’ from the range. She’s only really interested in leasing new cars (apparently having older cars that need an mot is massively scary and expensive) that’s now been ruled out. Shame!

[Riley Blue]

I'm sure manufacturers could offer all of their models in all trim levels and in all colours if customers were:

A) prepared to pay for such a bespoke service and
B) prepared to wait for their car to be custom coloured

but how many customers would want it?

[g35x]

Doofus said:

300bhp/ton said:

Is this really different to the EU, USA, Canada or Australia? I see it posted a often on here. But are there any numbers to support this?

Company cars really aren't as common in many countries around the world as they are in the UK.

In USA/Canada if people are required to drive for work they typically get a mileage or car allowance or car, in all my group of friends i'm not aware of anyone with a company car. People still do a lot of personal leases though, but i can see the more extreme color choices being really unpopular if it impacted the GFV and spiked the monthly lease rate.

[Cloudy147]

Porsche will paint your car any colour you want.

This is RSJ's stocklist of used Porsches:

https://www.rsjsportscars.co.uk/porsche_for_sale/

Of the 35 cars in stock, 4 are blue. The rest are black, white or grey.

I don't know why Porsche bother either. So for all other manufacturers, I'd say they only need to offer a handful of colours for the majority of sales. Shame really.