Why Europe Is Obsessed with Grey?

Grey takes the crown by a comfortable margin, chosen by more than a quarter of customers. White follows at 22 percent, with black close behind at 18 percent. The most popular “real” color is blue, but even that reaches only a modest 12 percent share. Red, green, yellow and orange lag even further behind. The explanation is less about bland taste and more about cold economics: neutral colors simply hold their value better and are easier to sell on the used market.

Yet not everyone follows the monochrome herd. Buyers of more emotional models such as the Fiat 500 and the reborn Renault 5 show a taste for brighter hues, with yellow, gold and red making an appearance. Move up to a more practical choice like the Renault Clio, however, and the vibrancy quickly fades as most customers retreat once again to the safety of grey, black or white, regardless of the kaleidoscopic imagery in the brochures.

The same pattern plays out inside the cabin. German and British buyers are willing to pay an extra €500 to €1000 for leather upholstery, while in southern Europe thrift prevails. In Italy and Spain as many as 75 to 85 percent of customers settle for basic, cheaper cloth seats.

BASF’s color experts underlined the trend earlier this year with the blunt assessment that monochrome still reigns supreme. Yet they also noted a faint silver lining: a slow but steady rise in demand for bolder shades.

The end result is a European car market where grey continues to dominate the landscape, broken only by the occasional splash of color from small, characterful models whose buyers are determined to keep the revolution alive.