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APRIL 15, 2008

Prevalent Styles at the Auto Show


One thing caught my eye at the Detroit International Auto Show this year: color.

I saw plenty of rich, golden yellows and youthful oranges. Warm, bronzy oranges are hot in sedans and SUVs, while Pontiac showed a sports car in fiery orange.

Mini Cooper’s new Mini Clubman wore a coat of glistening dark brown. And reds are turning deeper and earthier, as evidenced by this dark cranberry Rolls Royce with a bright white interior.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, there was plenty of electric blue in the sport luxury category. It seems that blue has surpassed green as the color of choice for environmental messaging. The bio-fuel Ferrari here sported a cool blue hue.

The industry continues to develop exterior finishes that create depth and sparkle. This Jaguar had a finish like liquid silver, matte but rich in luminosity, and almost lavender at certain angles. Other finishes also featured subtle color changes, such as black to deep indigo or green with a hint of gold.

As far as interiors go, contrast welt and stitching details were a huge trend in luxury vehicles. I also saw lots of high contrast, straight grain veneers, white leather seats, and chrome details.