MUTTENZ, Switzerland – Specialty chemicals company Clariant suggests a sea of underwater-inspired shades to bring more color to our roads in 2019 in its new global Automotive Trendbook. The “Marine Magic” collection of automotive styling shades is based on Clariant’s color know-how and observations of social trends, topics and industry developments.

Clariant’s biennial global Automotive Trendbook presents the color areas that will play a role in the automotive industry in the future. It includes analysis of color popularity and offers innovative solutions based on its organic pigments. Clariant is one of only a few pigment producers worldwide spearheading color trend forecasting for the automotive industry.

For the year 2019, Clariant explores the colors of the oceans and reefs, and the strikingly colored and camouflaged “outfits” of marine life. It delves into the infinite variety of hues and nuances found in the depths, and thinks about what meaning they convey above the water. The result is a presentation of four color families that are likely to attract different types of personalities and mindsets.

Fancy Flexibility: SHINY MULTITUDES

Some colors are like a common denominator, something everybody can live with even when they come in multitudes. They bring a sense of optimism into our technology- and efficiency-focused lifestyle, but do not attract attention. Because of their simple effects, they require only little maintenance and remain beautiful even at low light.

A taste for Tradition: SOLITARY ELEGANCE

These colors provide a car with a touch of timelessness. They are decent and low-key, yet the effects appear valuable, but un-intrusive. This is why such colors stand for traditional and rock-solid values like respect and appreciation, but also for sustainability and a careful use of resources.

A sense of Curiosity: EXPLORER BY NATURE

The car is becoming »smart«, and the consequences on how we travel will be as revolutionary as the transition from mobile phones to smartphones. So there are lots of surprises ahead, and it can be thrilling to discover. The intrinsic optimism of such drivers is represented by the choice of bright chromatic colors, too.

Eager for Excellence: LOOK AT ME!

Some people are definitive individualists. They enjoy power and speed and show this in their choice of exclusive and outstanding car colors. Individualists are by no means egotists. However, they operate their lives and machines at the limits, paving the way for those to follow.

Clariant communicates the trends using color samples coated with original paint and through meaningful imagery. In the new Automotive Trendbook 2019, Clariant displays a wide variety of future shades, made possible by the use of Clariant Hostaperm^® and Novoperm^® grades with new opaque, sparkling effect pigments and tinted clear technology.

Bernhard Stengel-Rutkowski, Senior Global Technical Marketing Manager at Clariant, said, “We have observed a global color megatrend towards achromatic car colors since the beginning of the millennium. Now, it’s time for the chromatic shades to stand out and add more color. Clariant’s biennial Automotive Trendbook is a highly appreciated source of inspiration for the automotive industry, from paint and coatings manufacturers, and designers and trend analysts for automotive colors, to the OEMs and their designers. We are looking forward to sharing this journey into Marine Magic with them.”

Clariant launched the Automotive Styling Shades 2019 Trendbook to the paints and coatings industry at the European Coatings Show.