Global Color Studies Show Ford Customer Tastes: Germany, Norway Like Black; U.S. Coasts Choose Silver

  • Ford adds new colors to 2012 models: Blue Candy, Race Red, Ginger Ale
  • Vibrant colors give customers more choice

DEARBORN, Mich., April 22, 2011 Blue Candy, Race Red and Ginger Ale are among the new colors coming on Ford Fiesta, Focus and Explorer for 2012.

Over the past four years, Ford has redesigned its approach to color adding bright and vibrant to the classic and sophisticated.

Weve refreshened, weve added new colors, were continuing to evolve our paint color palette, said Susan Swek, Fords group chief designer for Color and Materials. Theres always new colors coming out because customer tastes change, just as they do in fashion.

Ford analyzes its sales data to better understand unique consumer color preferences. Fords annual look at U.S. car buying shows bright colors are popular in warm cities like Phoenix and Miami. Muted colors gray and silver are big on the coasts. And the Midwest likes red.

New brights like Blue Candy, with a tinted clear coat, and Race Red are being added to Fiestas current eye-popping color choices of Lime Squeeze, Bright Magenta, Grabber Blue and Molten Orange.

The best way to describe the new Blue Candy is juicy, said Swek. Its clear coat isnt clear at all — its tinted blue and is absolutely gorgeous.

Focus, too, gets Blue Candy and Race Red. Additionally, a new silvery green called Frosted Glass is coming for 2012.

Explorer gets a paint color called Ginger Ale. It has bronze highlights with a green twist, said Swek. At some angles it appears like a yellowy-bronze. Its beautiful.

Swek and her team continue to identify trends and select signature colors.

Its important to get the right color into the market at the right time, she said. Too early and it wont have registered on the customers radar. Too late and the popularity of a particular color may have already reached its peak.

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

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