The first thing many people notice about a car is its colour – only afterwards do form, #design and details follow. A certain colour can give a car character, make it stand out or blend into the cityscape. And, perhaps even more importantly, colour choice gives customers the opportunity to express something about themselves or their relationship with the car. A relationship that is the very definition of Jinba Ittai, the oneness between car and driver which inspires all #Mazda models.
Progressive colour schemes can be traced all the way back to Mazda’s early models. The company’s first mass-produced passenger car, the #Mazda R360 Coupé, hit the market in 1960 with a choice of refreshing colours including mint green, sky blue and bright red, delighting customers with both the vibrancy and variety of colour options. The model even included a few two-tone options – a rarity for affordable microcars at the time.
In the years that followed, #Mazda continued to offer unusual and advanced colour choices for the whole line-up. The iconic #Mazda Luce, for example, was available in glamorous gold and silver finishes. And the #Mazda MX-5 has been bringing vivid colours to the streets of Europe for the last 30 years. From classic and sophisticated ‘Racing Green’ to the blazing 30th anniversary ‘Racing Orange’, fans of the iconic racer have always had a wide choice of unique hues.
Then as now, most people choose cars in a colour that they feel corresponds to their personal identity: In Western cultures, for example, red conveys qualities like boldness and dynamism – a colour that has long held a special significance for #Mazda and the brand’s loyal fans.
A darker shade like ‘Deep Crystal Blue’, on the other hand, expresses a sense of calm sophistication. Black stands for individuality and self-assurance; green signifies natural, easy-going and cheerful.
In general, bright and vibrant colours suggest youthful playfulness, while neutral and darker colours exude an air of elegance and restraint. Driving a lime green sports car is a bold statement, demanding to be noticed; a #Mazda CX-30 SUV in ‘Polymetal Grey’ might hint at more understated tastes.
Which colours prevail on the road? That depends on where you go. Cultural traditions and values have a big impact on the popularity of colours in certain markets. Black, for example, was the second most popular vehicle colour in 2020 globally. But while more than 20 percent of newly registered cars come in this dark hue in Europe and Japan, the number is only 10 percent in South America and around 2 percent in India. White, on the other hand, tops the list in every region except one: Europe.
