From the earliest years of breakthrough enamel technologies, to today’s generation of more environmentally compatible products designed to deliver durability and performance, Axalta Coating Systems and its legacy organization have helped transform the coatings industry. Color and color effects tend to be an important influence in the design of new technologies, and advancements in applied color science and paint technology are among the contributions the company has made.
Henry Ford once said, “You can have any color, as long as it’s black.” That was true, but only because during the initial era of Model Ts, black paint dried the fastest. By the mid-1920s, the opportunity to choose more vehicle colors introduced the concept of color styling across the industry, which was widely adopted. The process included working with automotive designers to match color with the brand image and design aesthetics of particular vehicles. This advancement of trends in color, as well as consumer desire to have the vehicle they purchased match their individuality, helped contribute significantly to the auto industry “revolution” that occurred in the 1920s. During this time, average workers no longer had to settle for basic transportation and could afford vehicles with options tuned to their own tastes and needs.