Previously it was
demonstrated that the seemingly age-old mantra about the rising
hemlines of shorter skirts being reflective of rising tide in
economic fortunes, was essentially a misnomer.
This specific hyperbole
emerged in the mid 1960s and saturated the popular opinions of
various commercial sectors, but in fact runs counter to much of the
20th century's corollary of fashion and finance.
Similarly to Part 1,
this Part 2 likewise reviews (but to greater depth) whether the
similarly engrained perception and rhetoric that ”rising economic
fortunes observed via the colours of cars” has much, partial or no
fundamental foundation.
The convention
obviously has it that economic upturns are visibly and tangibly
demonstrated by the purchase of vehicles with brighter, happier,
“optimistic” colours.
Colour in Context -
Colour in nature is
created by the visually recognised material body refraction of a very
specific wavelength from within the multi-coloured 'white light'
spectrum. Very simplistically, an object which scatters all
wavelengths appears white, whilst that which absorbs all wavelengths
appears black.
The discovery of
fire-light and mankind's later invention of gas and electric lighting
types, whilst positive, obviously adulterates the natural daylight
basis of colouration.
Human use of
colouration (and pattern) to depict tribal differentiation and social
order is prevalent through social history and across all continents
The primary ability to differentiate through colour originally
dependent upon the natural availability of multi-coloured pigments
and substances from flora, fauna and minerals.
As is typical with
supply and demand dynamics, rare or new colours, either from distant
natural sources or from new industrial methods have been highly
prized. Such as with Renaissance era artists and their Church patrons
regards the vibrant blue pigment of lapis lazuli of ground-down lazurite. Likewise, in the case of hierarchical display through
vestments, Royal and Church adoption of purple was prevalent until
its 'industrial invention', mass manufacture by German chemists in
the 1880s, paving the way to popular mass application.
The extrapolation of
oil based paints from origins upon the artists pallet into the
commercially driven realms of domestic interiors and exteriors –
applied for distinct identity and as a protective coating over
structural and ornamental woods – meant that oil paints were
inevitably similarly applied to (largely wooden) horse drawn
vehicles. This so from fine carriages to inter-regional coaches to
functional wagons, so as to provide for the instincts of either
social differentiation via personal livery (notionally inspired by
household heraldic colours and much imitated), or specific service
identification such as postal coaches or brewery drays, displaying
corporate colours.
The demand for
difference then created a fervency in industry to create an ever
wider spectrum of both painted colour applications and likewise dyed
applications for textiles and such (clothing, linen, carpeting, flock
wallpaper etc).
As such the 20th
century began with a major wave of 'colour consumerism', with colours
themselves having far greater psychological impact in such advanced
economies given their inferred value laden social overtones – far
more so than today. As with the social language of presented flowers,
those associations no doubt subtly promoted to popularise 'colour
consumption' itself.
20th century
consumerism gained enormously from a seemingly infinite palette of
colours made available, the plethora most concisely displayed by the
extended “colour wheel”.
Yet it has been social
fashions ostensibly created by the collaboration of media and
industry which have paved the way for colour preference, consumers
swayed into typically cyclical periods of colour (and pattern)
choice; necessarily far quicker in seasonal clothing fashions, and
slower regards 'new era' interior designs.
The extrapolation of
association-based consumer psychology – from the 1920s onward -
means that colours themselves have become promoted through the use of
exotic shade-names. Such marketing methodology finessed by the
auto-sector itself in the 1950s, with the variously emotive names of
car models and variants given yet further emotive resonance from the
names of their painted overlays.
Today colour and
'lifestyle' marketing have become so entwined that the once various
shades of basic beige have become 'designer-labelled' (ie Kelly
Hoppen).
The Evolution of Car
Colours -
The very first cars
(horseless carriages) were the low-volume manufactured off-spring of
proven prototypes. With a purely a functional remit little, if any,
colour aesthetic was applied. Thus, the very earliest productionised
cars were inevitably black given functional remit, using hard,
stove-type paints for toughness and ability to visually hide the mud
and dirt from unsealed roads.
Improved capability and
durability of the basic vehicles thereafter prompted further demands
from prospective customers, inevitably wealthy early adopters who
sought a 'carry-over' of horse-drawn carriage equipment. These
included weather protective hood or fully enclosed body, external
forward lighting (used not for forward vision but to warn oncoming
road users to stand clear), and application personal livery (colour)
decoration of the individual or household. This applied to the main
body, as the 'under-carriage' and typically fenders necessarily
remained black.
Such 'brass-age'
(Victorian and Edwardian era) vehicles utilised the range of standard
lead based paints, often applied by the increasing array of
coach-work firms (as the early auto-sector split into chassis and
body producers) with the painted body often incorporating not only
customer requested livery but also specific detailed paint-scheme
'flourishes' (“coach-lines”) which were a form of decorative
signature script.
[NB This artform was
also playfully resurrected during the Californian hotrod era, is used
by the SoCal lowrider groups and more formally is often seen on
contemporary Rolls-Royce vehicles as a marque signature].
Whatever the livery or
associated coach-lines, even before WW1 a vast array of colours had
been created in German, British, French and American paint
laboratories.
Thus, the primary
colours of green, yellow and red were deployed, and mixed to provide
secondary colours of blue, orange and purple, with white and black
also added as whole colours in their own right and as shade
determinants for lighter and darker shades of primary and secondary
colours. Tertiary colours such as brown created by further
cross-mixing. In the cases of natural colours such as brown, as
feasible paint creators might re-utilise the old hand-crafted natural
pigmentation methods of ground minerals mixed with oils, though upon
industrial scale.
This then provided true
customisation possibilities of the wealthy, toward either strict or
loose adherence to family colours; whether truly dynastic or
self-styled by aspirant nouveau riche.
However, much of the
wealth was held by incoming parvenus who often sought approval from
those already holding position, and so decorated their vehicles in
'tasteful' darker shades (green, red, blue) to avoid social faux pas.
Ironically reactionary portions of the upper echelon (often the true
old guard itself) instead intentionally chose bright, even garish
colours, so as to retain social differentiation from their
'underlings'.
As such yellow was a
favoured colour (contrasted with black), since as with the
intentional adoption of white collars and clothing centuries earlier,
it must be kept clean, thus inferring a retinue of household staff
and so wealth. (see the film 'Gosford Park'). (Other examples of such
vehicles re-contextualised appear in 'Goldfinger' per reflective
plutocracy and 'The Darling Buds of May' as per notionally democratic
yet traditionalist social re-orientation].
However, by the end of
the 'brass age' ( ie post 1918) a broader taste for brightness and
specifically yellow had been promoted, especially within the more
liberal, far less war ravaged USA, a taste which spread to the 'young
bright things' of London, Paris and Berlin.
Around this time
progress in paint chemistry was made with the introduction of fine
'paint fillers'. So giving rise to new alternative offerings, such as
“chromium yellow” - a deeper lustre and body than available
yellow to date. Though far too brash for most, it was much sought and
became almost symbolic of the young, monied, hedonistic set. (Aldus
Huxley satirical 1921 book 'Crome Yellow' laments the trend. Its
cover-page picture uses a cropped version of Constable's 'The
Haywain', ousting field and cart to highlight the implicit loss of
venerable countryside values to urban “machine age” ways).
Another major effect on
each nation's consumer preferences was the social impact of
international automotive competition; specifically adoption of
individual national colours: British (Racing) Green, French Blue,
German White and Italian Red. Though originating at the turn of the
century, the sport was not truly in the public eye until the 1920s,
an economically expansionary period when self-identity could be
boosted through vehicle purchase with nationalistic overtones.
[NB Though it is now an
accepted truism that Germany swapped to 'silver' to negate the weight
if white paint, so leaving bare the metal shell, it is as likely the
change was made to demonstrate the prevailing German ideology of
technical, and so national, prowess].
However, as with
earlier domestic and industrial paints, firms seeking to serve the
burgeoning mass market in cars seemingly sought to limit the wide
range of colours available to the vehicle industry; so as to
financially gain from the production of single colour batches in
major volumes, thereby gaining massive economies of scale.
This together with the
visually conservative tastes of late 19th century meant
that in actuality only a relatively small range of colours was to be
popularised for mass market adoption.
For the most part these
included the much darker, less frivolous, shades of green, blue and
red, though this restriction was more prevalent in the UK than
historically more liberal continental Europe.
Over the following
years, this restricted colour palette remained especially on cheaper
small and practical cars. And similarly for practicality and cost
savings, the “chassis-black” treatment remained on chassis,
fenders, running boards (if fitted) and often “coal-scuttle”
engine cover.
[NB so named because of
its overall shape widening from engine to cabin].
As body-styles
proliferated so models from the 'teens and twenties tended to have
“split personalities”, especially so in the USA, regards their
colouration. Much depending upon length of the wheelbase. Shorter
wheelbase 2 doors with folding roofs (runabouts and sportsters)
tended to mid and maybe even light colours, whilst longer wheelbase 4
doors with folding roofs (tourers) tended to mid colours, and longer
wheelbase 4 doors with enclosed bodies (sedans and limousines) tended
darker colour shades.
Colour offerings and
choices then reflecting the perceived formality of the vehicle, even
when the base vehicle was technically very similar.
Furthermore, two and
four door bodied cars were often painted in 2-tone, with a black
upper body to visually balance the black lower chassis items and add
an essence of visually similar sportiness as seen by the black hoods
of sportsters and tourers. Unsurprisingly to add personalisation, the
relatively smaller number of performance orientated SWB open-top back
Sportster and 'Boat Tail' vehicles with often bespoke ordered 'racy'
colour schemes, whilst the LWB 'Landaulette' with both solid and
folding roofs often used a juxtaposition of colour and overlaid
pattern to suggest coach-trimmed craftsmanship and sophistication..
[NB For decades some
vintage car owners seek to renovate their cars what what they
mistakenly view as period colours; bright yellow on black the most
blatant. This was especially prevalent during the 1960s when such
cars were momentarily en vogue in popular culture (wall print
pictures etc). Yet whilst unquestionably such bright colours were
available at the time given technical paint progress, such
“ostentatious” colours were avoided by the majority of
manufacturers and buyers, especially so on low cost populist models]
Though less so in
N.America, WW2 had an obvious affect on private and commercial car
ownership across the UK and Europe, with most materials (especially
steel) and production facilities directed to vehicles and armaments;
likewise with re-appropriation of petrol and diesel fuels. Vehicle
production colours henceforth were largely the military 'drab' shades
of grey, blue, green, brown and beige ordered by the forces
[NB Yesteryear stories
maintained that many family cars were simply “put up on blocks”
for the war's duration given the inability to obtain fuel and drive
very far. Yet much of the upper-middle social bracket with
directorial roles and responsibilities did indeed retain usage of
their cars on an everyday basis, with larger fuel rations ensuring an
ability to travel weekdays for work, and also (with stored petrol) at
the weekend, for country jaunts etc.
So whilst some old
black and white film footage, and critically period film and TV
productions, would have it that UK mobility was reliant upon black
Ford Prefects with white painted fenders edges (so as to be seen at
night by another vehicle's own semi-masked headlamps), the modern
image of the war-time being devoid of car colours is a complete
misnomer].
Wartime privation meant
that immediately post-war, people were ready to resume normality as
quickly as possible. With new car production not yet enabled, the
used car market boomed by the return of decommissioned family cars
and the 'civvy street' influx of ex-military cars. As part of that
period vehicle paint workshops likewise boomed as not so scrupulous
car dealers bought-up previously garaged cars and ex-military cars,
gave them scant attention to get them operable again as needed and
gave them a “new lick of paint” in brighter colours to be sold
onward “almost as new”.
Now effectively
forgotten, it was this commercial process, undertaken in the
back-streets of light-engineering workshops in the inner cities, that
inadvertently influenced the new car colour palette trend for the
1950s.
After the heavy formal
colours of the 1930s and the military drab of the 1940s, though for
the most part such darker shades of green, blue and red were retained
by car producers – themselves seeking to “get back” to normal -
the 1950s saw a new proclivity toward the application of lighter
tones of green, blue and red and cream. Whilst not 'bright' per se,
and only a small percentage of overall new car production volumes,
this was an obvious contrast to the traditional norm. This new-colour
era was also assisted by the application of such shades on new
sports-cars of the day (which actually retained its pre-war colour
preferences), but with trickle-down into small mainstream saloons,
which a new generation was purchasing, often for the first time.
Given that the USA had
intrinsically been more experimental with car colours (utilising
lighter shades earlier), and experienced a greater normality
throughout WW2, when likewise the post-war economy re-grew, its
consumer expectations were obviously higher than that of the UK or
Europe.
To help create a new
1950s consumer era Detroit car-makers recognised that wholly new
visual cues were needed to help fulfil middle-class consumer
aspirations of upward social mobility; oft into new suburban
neighbourhoods. So it was that a true styling paradox was created; a
proliferation of bright-work mated to hard edged jet-age inspired
body styling, itself was ironically coated with very light, soft
shades of pastels. Shades from contemporary Parisienne haute couture
and the art deco facades of Miami's South Beach, both inspired by
18th century water-colours, foreign and domestic
wonderlands attainable via by jet-plane.
Throughout artistic
history subtlety had been imbued by natural pastel shades, as opposed
to the unnatural brightness (read metallica) of the machine-age (see
Futurism). But the chrome-laden land-barges of Buick, Oldsmobile,
Plymouth, De Soto, Mercury and Edsel sought ever new visual
combinations to create a 'love of the new' and likewise believe that
they were serving increasingly educated, informed and cultured
American middle-class. This period, before an age of decals and
mass-customisation, now seen as a golden age of conventional
colour-led car consumerism. Although the American 1950s is recognised
for its application of pastel shades (on much from cars to fridges to
typewriters), as with earlier eras, it must be noted that the public
predominantly bought cars in 'safe' traditional colours. The media
blasted high lifestyle adverts were indeed appealing, but many felt
happier with convention.
By the very end of this
decade however two distinct body and colour trends were emerging from
the paint laboratories and styling studios and of the leading
corporations. Firstly, those much vaunted Parisienne pastels were
being supplanted by a new wave of more technological “metal-flake”
colours, which started to promote new, extended possibilities and
personalities for standard dark and mid colour ranges. Secondly, a
simpler, far more restrained 'Internationalist' (modernist) European
design influence started to assert itself over the engrained domestic
“Jetson's Futurism”.
[NB the path of paint
technology is somewhat paradoxical to style trends, since the
metallic paints created would have been far better philosophically
suited to the 1950s 'tail fin' era, whilst pastels would have been
better suited to the 'block surfaces' of the 1960s]
As is well recognised
by now, even with the 1929 stock-market crash, the USA experienced a
very different 20th century evolutionary pathway compared
to far more war torn UK and war ravaged Europe. This marked
difference very apparent by each region's respective standard of
living by the mid 1950s, even if some European car marques owned by
one American interests (GM) sought to mimic the ideology of 'in-built
obsolescence' (in the Opel Olympia Rekord) for the remaining thin
cohort of the semi-comfortably-off European middle classes. However,
the 1960s would see a greater coupling of transatlantic economic ties
and also critically automotive trends.
So by the early 1960s,
even though the social cautiousness and traditionalist
social-conformation of the UK's middle classes still meant that the
majority of new car sales were in the 'classical' darker shades of
green, blue and red, aswell as brown, off-white and lessening black,
an increasing acceptance of lighter shades for these core colours had
filtered through.
This very much helped
by the the increasing prevalence of smaller 1950s cars (eg Austin
A30) in mid and light tones, and by the indirect influence of
American films and direct influence of Detroit' increasingly
pan-regionally harmonised product planning, paint procurement and
marketing activities. Such efforts perhaps best exemplified by the
synergised efforts of Ford USA, Ford of Britain and Ford of Germany
with products like the Anglia, Consul Capri, Mk1 and Mk2 Cortina, Mk
1 Escort and Mk1 Capri. All gaining American flavours, including mid
and light shade colour options, and specifically by late decade the
adoption of metallics (typically silver, gold and bronze) on the Mk4
Zephyr and top-trim level on Mk2 Cortina.
[NB the metallic silver
initially used mid decade by premium makers such as Aston
Martin and Mercedes-Benz 600 'Pullman', so giving mainstream market cars with such colour immediate
cache].
The fact is however,
that the far slower post WW2 economic rebound of Europe demonstrated
itself into the 1960s; with much mobility still via scooter and
motorcycle, this reality the very opposite of the received (export
culture) wisdom about French fashionability and coffee-culture led
Italian Modernism. As American families were effectively downsizing
from over-bloated full-size into mid-size cars (eg Ford Falcon), and
the British families were transcending up the ladder from small cars
(eg Austin A30) into compacts (eg Austin 1100), so European families
were at last gaining enclosed mobility from affordable utility and
small cars (eg VW “Kafer” [Beetle] / Citroen 2CV / Renault 4 /
FIAT 600 “Seicento” and new 500 “Nuovo Cinquecento”.).
Such cars had been
intentionally designed prior to and after WW2 as low cost, affordable
products for the masses, but given the necessary fact that mass
mobility had been initially served by lower priced scooters and
micro-vehicles (Vespa, Vespa Ape, BMW Isetta) based on low incomes,
there was an unavoidable consequential time lag in the re-appearance
of “proper cars”.
In order to gain as
affordable price as possible yet also provide profitability for
vehicle manufacturers, paint scheme options were initially very
limited. The vast majority of early cars produced in light and mid
grey, and light, mid and dark blue, with later appearances of green
(dark and mid), red (dark) and white. Thereafter other colours such
as beige. There origins, tendency for very limited feature
improvement and typically far longer production life-spans meant that
manufacturers relied upon paint colours far more so than typical
cars. As seen with the earliest mass market cars, to initially reduce
supply-side BOM (bill of material) procurement costs, and latterly to
try and boost demand-side consumer appeal, as part of its innate
character, given the product's lack of absolute specification,
options and accessories.
Fortunately for VW,
Citroen, Renault and FIAT, the emergence of the late 1960s and early
1970s recession, coupled with the 1973 oil crisis, meant that the
lifespan of such fuel efficient and inexpensive cars – which were
previously threatened as theoretically obsolete - was indeed
extended.
Yet recognising that
lightweight structures and simple mechanics were not enough in the
growing competitive climate – especially so by imported Japanese
cars that were “value for money”, reliable and feature-packed –
European producers turned back to the realm of colour psychology, as
previously practised by 1950s America.
This time however,
rather than subtle hues of pastels, marketeers turned to the visual
vibrancy of the late era counter-culture hippy movement; portions of
which had actually adopted their cars as their own. That very
audience and those on its influenced fringes were now older,
proactive consumers, yet with a retained sense of counter-culture
spirit, even if ironically communicated through purchase choice.
Thus for what was
effectively the first time in the mainstream UK and European car
market, an explosion of what could be described as
“bright...happy...optimistic” colours were introduced:
specifically vibrant orange, yellow, red, green and blue. The VW
'Jeans' Beetle perhaps the best example of the genre, itself
including edition decals and dedicated denim seat coverings.
However, having seen
the loud colour-schemes of US muscle cars in the late 1960s and early
1970s, closely allied the marketed use of 'colour psychology', and
the resurgence of yesteryear utilitarian cars, the previously
conservative Japanese by way of Toyota, Datsun and Honda, released
their new product lines in equally audacious colours. Soon to follow
were the larger and more expensive mainstream models, by Ford, GM and
Chrysler-Rootes, with bright colour options made available.
The 1970s was then the
defining era of “bright coloured cars”. Yet this decade was one
of economic stagnation, not growth. And those bright colours
effectively acted as a consumer band-aid, which along with media-led
trends such as space-age futurism, novelty and disco music and the
cultural hub of television, maintain a level of desperately required
economic momentum, which under stagflation reality and union strikes
across the west could have been far worse.
Whilst economic malaise
persisted into the early 1980s, economic reforms (especially so in
the UK and USA) soon created a contrasting zeitgeist. Though much
media-hyped, the 'go-getter' attitude of entrepreneurship and
collective capitalism became very apparent in the broad consumer
popularity of aggressive shades of mid red; that colour impetus
deriving from 'City Boy' 911 and 944 Porsches (the phenomena helping
to spawn lowly 924) and fabled as deriving from the red braces of
era. That trend transmuting to the Golf GTI (previously oft black),
into other hot hatchbacks and throughout the majority of car types.
This increased trend, together with a renewal of darker shades of
blue, black and predominance of metallic silver (ie Ford Sierra)
markedly diminished market interest in green.
The early 1990s saw
recession. To counter a decline in car purchase behaviour, insightful
manufacturers returned to the powerful notion of colour psychology
allied with affordability, character and functionality. Essentially
a back to the '70s perspective. Whilst less well managed others (eg
soon to be defunct Rover Group) were unresponsive, typically burning
cash.
Renault created the
landmark Twingo, which managed to merged the traits of Clio's
youthful aspiration with monobox packaging, flexible interior and
importantly the application of pastel hues taken from youth fashion
and the prominence of post-modernism architecture. The car stood very
separate from a 'me-too' crowd of competitors, yet was far more
relevant to 'in-crowd' early adopter buyers across the age range. The
very obscurity of pastels in auto circles made it fresh to fashion
informed new eyes. Moreover, unlike America's Euro pastel
applications on chrome barges during the 50s, the hues suited
Renault's friendly product size and 'face'.
Similar understanding
was appreciated at Nissan, when during the same product development
period, less radically applied pastel to its various retro-inspired
PIKE series cars (Figaro, S-Cargo, Pao, Be-1).
However, the recession
period was relatively short, and manufacturers maintained standard
colour schemes. Further progress in paint technologies meant that by
mid decade a new pallet of pearlescent colours had become available.
More subtle than metallic with greater in-colour contrast (by the use
of dark and light filler materials). Initially viewed as a
breakthrough for yet another new era of colour, its very
sophistication and greater susceptibility to UV light created
complexities for old vs new paint colour matching on crash repair
work, so stalled its mass adoption. As part of its own corporate and
MG marque rebound strategy at the time Rover Group used it on the
MG-F sportscar (typically purple). Since the paint has primarily been
used by after-market customisation / personalisation companies and by
the youth market on used performance cars.
Of greatest note for
the 1990s was the mass adoption of mid red and return of black, both
seen as aspirational colours, greater influx of mid and dark blue
(the latter essentially a sibling to black), whilst green tended to
disappear (except as mentioned in Europe in pastel form on Twingo).
The 2000s continued the
ideology of 'mass aspirationalism' and likewise the generally
preferred car colours across the USA, UK and Europe remained static.
The only difference being greater proclivity for mid blue in the USA
and UK, whilst Europe took on a proportionately greater increase in
mid red (possibly a lag effect from).
Similarly, the 2010s
have remained relatively constant, the only real trend of late being
the shift from “classic black” to “neo-white” for some buyers
amongst premium badged cars, no doubt seeking their own
differentiation from the 'me too' mainstream crowd in B and C segment
vehicles. (And of course the
expected re-re-introduction of pastels on retro inspired models such
as New Mini and New 500 to inject a further sense of their predecessor's
spirit; and so apparent brand integrity and value)
Interestingly, this
shift to white appears to have been manufacturer promoted, previous
years of international motor-shows more concentrated with white
display vehicles. Hence promoting this trend to white appears to have
more than a sense of the 'fashionista' about it.
In the post 2008/9
period, with previously heavily declined sales volumes and major
impact on top and bottom lines of the income statement, producers once
again returned to notions of basic business practice regards input
costs and ex-factory pricing elasticity. Given that within the
manufacturing process of the paint shop under-coat primers tend to be
white and grey (mustard now much less used), it is only logical that the promotion of similar coloured paints will require less coats (layers) to provide the
required visual depth and sheen; so saving costs.
Thus in a small sense
the 2010s have seen a return to Henry Ford's rationalisation of his famed black. Furthermore, the public's preference for a more limited range
of classic upscale colours as solids and metallics, somewhat echoes
the more limited colour options last seen in the 1910s and 1920s.
This coalition of colour demand and supply where perceived consumer
taste meets reduced procurement and process variation, will aid
producer's input and operational costs during what presently is a
better, but still largely cautious operating period.
Conclusion
This web-log sought to
better appreciate whether there is indeed an irrefutable truth in the
social observer's adage that “brighter car colours reflect consumer
optimism and a growing economy”. This rhetoric hailed historically
by social observers and various fund managers.
It was shown in Part 1
that the similar belief regards the height of skirt hemlines was
effectively unfounded, based upon a hyperbole that had seen the
truism in the mid 1960s.
But does this same
miscomprehension also apply to “brighter car colours” reflecting
a growing economy?
The basic learning
captured herein demonstrates the answer as both “yes” and “no”.
Yes, in so much as
during the first quarter of the 20th century those regions
experiencing comparatively rapid economic growth (USA and Europe) did
see a profusion of lighter shades of green, red and blue in
mainstream purchases as contrast to traditional darker shades, with
also for the wealthy, young and daring a liking of pale and bright
yellows.
Yes, in so much that
such lighter colours became more of a mainstay in the conspicuous
consumer peak that was 1950s America, this move prompting Detroit to
offer relatively radical pastels on its mass aspiration 'near luxury'
marques.
No, in so much as
during the late 1960s, when the USA was experiencing contraction and
Detroit saw volume sales decline, it reacted with ever greater focus
on high margin muscle-cars and personal cars, with bright yellow,
orange, green and purple paint-schemes with decals. The cars have
become icons, but the economic backdrop forgotten.
No, in so much as by
the beginning of the economically stagnant 1970s the use of
pro-consumption consumer colour psychology (in bright yellow, bright
orange, bright green) was re-deployed by the producers of
characterful utilitarian models, toward an ironically anti-consumer
audience. The gambit was successful in partially supporting the
overall poor VM profitability of the period, but certainly did not
reflect notions of strongly growing (USA, UK or Euro) economies.
To
investment-auto-motives these chronological case studies highlight
the fact that there is both partial truth and partial untruth about
the “bright colour” economic hypothesis.
The fact is that given
the enormous manufacturing and retail facilities costs, capital
equipment costs, overhead costs and labour costs within the
automotive sector – from its earliest days – the industry has
always sought to battle the headwinds of short, mid and long-term
economic downturns as best it can. To this end (as demonstrated) it
produces and offers light coloured and brightly coloured passenger
cars – typically small, functional and affordable - to what it
knows to be a relatively down-beat mass consumer base. Recognising
that in any recession there will be a relatively small audience for
an up-beat proposition.
However, the ultimate
success of such a car (in the eyes of the buyer, VM and domestic
economy) depends upon a combination of factors including: the
severity of the recession (B2C and B2B confidence and credit
contraction), the fundamental USP of the specific 'bright car' and
the societal context (ie social strata) it can surpass. The early
1960s Mini and early 1990s Twingo where each pitched perfectly as
classless cars riding strong economic rebound years.
The big picture
pertinent point here is that Mini reputedly became only profitable by
the late 1960s, yet partially promoted other Austin-Morris cars for
the overall good of the UK economy at the time, whilst Twingo was
profitable early in its life-cycle, so boosting Renault's fortunes
and the French economy.
Parting Shot -
With this recognition,
auto-sector investors should not necessarily believe the all too
easily promoted idea about “brightly coloured cars”, and should
instead be hectoring the VM auto-producers about the necessity to
create meaningful and affordable consumer products during an age when
consumer credit is still rightly constrained across the western
hemisphere.
