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Noticed recently on my daily commute quite a few new cars in white. Not just compact cars like Pandas and the like but prestige models like Audi and Bentley. Makes a change from every other car being metallic silver but hardly practical for hacking along the motorway especially at this time of year? Silver seemed to be the best colour for not showing the dirt but white? The ones I've seen were all gleaming so they must wash them every day. Bit of a pain in summer too with all the dead insects
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White is the new black........
Actually for showing the dirt white is a better bet than black: a layer of grime will be more conspicuous on a black surface than a white. I agree silver and grey are boring but in this respect at least they are ideal.
It's strange how white looks good on some cars and not on others. A white Golf GTI looks terrific but a white Focus estate (still a very good car) looks as if you've come to mend the photocopier ( :) - apologies to any members of that profession in the Backroom!).
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Red!
My first car was red. Great if you're young, enthusiastic, with unlimited time to wash and polish.
My next red car was when I was in my fifties. Nuff said. :>(
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dark blue, with beige leather...that's the combo that does it for me.
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Me too, WP - although I'd prefer nice fabric to leather. My 1998 Saab 9-3 in Cosmic Blue was the best I've had in this respect.
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I have certainly seen many more new white cars in my area.
The most surprising was a Defender ( with no UN signs on it)
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My 205 GTi is white .. :-p
There was a time in the 70s when visibility of cars was a minor selling point - white was second best, buttercup yellow was top, and I even had a Maxi in that colour :-( Dam' good car too ..
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The boss's new Focus (not an estate!) is white, as was her last car. Looks very nice, I think.
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White is also the best colour to hide small dents etc, especially in the summer, try examining a white car on a summers day, easy touch up too, a sight easier than metallics.
Its probably a better bet now than it was 25 years ago, when cars would rust badly and trails of rust cloured stain would travel down from all the nooks and crannies.
The first modern white car i really noticed was a 307SW when they were first launched, it looked so much better to me than all the other colours, the considerable amount of smoked glass around the window edges relieved the starkness some, and the black rubber/plastic inserts in the bumpers etc complimented too.
SWMBO chose dark blue for our pick up, out of the heady choice of 6 colours (not 6 blue's, 6 colours total), and it may look quite nice if you like that sort of thing when clean, but the work it takes to keep it clean...big mistake.
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try examining a white car on a summers day >>
Not my experience (Alpine White BMW 316 for 18 years). Had to choose the right time of day for attending to it because it was literally dazzling otherwise.
Funny reading this new thread now because, only this morning, we saw a brand new Jaguar XF in white and my wife commented that it didn't really go. Since I think the car is pretty hideous anyway, it didn't bother me.
Most small cars are best in plain red. Found ourselves in a convoy of 3 small red ones this morning, for 10 miles or so, and it seemed like a club outing. Stunorthants, one of them was a Sirion and it looked good. Saw another Sirion later, so are they on a boom?
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>> try examining a white car on a summers day >> Not my experience (Alpine White BMW 316 for 18 years). Had to choose the right time of day for attending to it because it was literally dazzling otherwise.
Did a 'full monty' on the astra the other day - bought a compound which buffed off all the old paint, then applied two lots of colourmatch type wax, and it now looks stunning, but as you say, very eye-punishing when the sun hits it!
I realised how much toll the years had taken on the finish when I parked near the office. When I returned to the car, there was identical model parked behind, and the difference between his car and mine was extremely noticable - his 'white' was at least 4 shades closer to cream.
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'yellow was top,'
playing motorway snooker a few years back it took ages to pot a yellow,an easy one in the days of Telecom vans.
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I avoid metallic paint (mainly because of the extra cost) and choose a highly visible colour to minimise the chance of being bumped by someone else. In the days when I favoured dark colours (dark green and dark blue) my cars suffered lots of bumps when parked in carparks. I'm not really bothered whether it "looks nice" or whether dirt shows. I buy cars to drive, not to stand and look at.
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>I avoid metallic paint
As one who has never bought new, I find that non-metallic cars are not that common. But I'm not sure whether the ~£300 premium persists into used prices - I haven't been able to detect any difference, so do buyers of 'new' who fork out lose their money straight away?
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White, to me, is a complete no-no - very few white cars look good, to me at least.
I've always found silver cars to be the best compromise for looking smart and not showing up the dirt, but darker coloured vehicles look much more "solid" with a greater presence on the road.
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The current model Astra 3dr looks very sharp in white, see a fair few of them around, usually with fancy wheels.
Anyone think metallic lilac will make a comeback? :-)
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Have you noticed that the colour on the car you buy is always the least popular colour when you come to sell it?
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Late '80s I had two Golf GTis, one in white followed by a black one. Both seemed to be permanently dirty. I think the airflow around the tailgate caused the rear of the car to collect muck very quickly.
Wouldn't know if the modern ones do the same.
One of my favourite combinations on larger cars is dark metallic green with tan (preferably leather ) interior. Had a Rover 800 in that spec which I thought looked quite good. Had plenty of chance to admire it as it was often immobile.
I usually buy boring old silver these days though for all the usual practical reasons. It does seem to keep cleaner longer and I read somewhere that it keeps its value better for some inexplicable reason.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 28/12/2008 at 11:24
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One of my favourite combinations on larger cars is dark metallic green with tan (preferably leather ) interior.
I'd second that but MB had a lovely combination of it, they have a wonderful green/black which goes strikingly with mushroom leather, that would be my ideal colour car. I've already got the mushroom leather but the body is ruby red met.
I keep looking longingly at E39 BMW M5's, as they are at their used best value ever, they do come up in that combination quite regularly, should i still be in work come March don't be surprised to find my allegiances changing slightly.
(any ideas for mitigating circumstances i can plead for going back to manual against my better judgement?..;)
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Avoidance of deep vein thrombosis?
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Avoidance of deep vein thrombosis?
Noted, thankyou, any more i can store for the future gratefully received.
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Easy GB....
MB = auto (cruiser's car)
BMW = manual (drivers car - more sporty)
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MB = auto (cruiser's car) BMW = manual (drivers car - more sporty)
Thats not a help ST, but thanks for the thought.
Not in your wildest dreams could i ever qualify as a sporty chap, which should i try and use your suggestion i fear would render my case untenable.
I should i suppose really be considering a B10 V8 alpina which came as auto, but there is something so compelling about that 5 litre V8, such a pity they didn't make an auto.
Sorry to drag the thread off topic...i'm sure its only the first time..;)
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A Jaguar XJS 4.0 (tinyurl.com/9g676k) looks great in white.
Estate cars in white look like rather large fridge-freezers tipped onto their back...
Edited by Honestjohn on 29/12/2008 at 05:58
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Good find MM, that truly is a stunning looking car.
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>>Good find MM, that truly is a stunning looking car.
Sooo tempting.
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Which reminds me, back to 1985 during a former life as a student and peering out of a college window I spied an XJ12 in dusty pink. Don't scoff: it was possibly the most macho car I've ever seen; a bit like a bodybuilder wearing a frilly apron!
Back to topic. I had a white Cavalier which was really easy to keep clean. If I was feeling lazy I could just pass the sponge around the dirty parts. Rust was easy to spot and remedy too. Not so the black Mondeo estate that followed it. Even a light coating of dust around the sills made it look dreadful. Mind you, the Cavalier had its drawbacks, it was a diesel and at Christmas time it was not unknown for people to throw themselves at the car assuming I was minicabbing
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I wonder why there are no 'hard copies' of the service history available. If you're meticulous enough to service your 1991 Jaguar at a main dealer, then surely you wouldn't throw away the dealer's invoices and just rely on their stamp in the book?
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If it's only a matter of gaining agreement from SWOSTJBA (She Who Occasionally Sees The Joint Bank Account)
Suggest simply firing up an M5 and gently blipping the loud pedal. I think even the the most reasonable of objections will simply melt away as rapidly as the sound fades on the breeze......
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Suggest simply firing up an M5 and gently blipping the loud pedal. I think even the the most reasonable of objections will simply melt away as rapidly as the sound fades on the breeze......
That wouldn't be my problem, SWMBO positively encourages this sort of thing, a true female petrol head and far quicker driver than i'll ever be, no prisoners taken, Greek you know, my biggest problem would be getting to drive it meself, i would become the main user of a hilux pick up in an instant.
I'm more thinking of other road users, i do have a great burden of responsibility on my ageing shoulders, she's bad enough in the old MB.
The mitigating reasons for a manual were really for those here, don't worry though the DVT one should provide all the cover that i need as far as the BR goes.
Actually now i think about it, SWM hates manuals more than i do, so maybe i would get to use it....hmm...
;);)
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Anyone think metallic lilac will make a comeback? :-)
I'm afraid it's been and gone in the 2001-2004 Citroen colour scheme. Audi have a slightly pinker version which I have seen on some newish A3's.
I am one of the lucky ones with a Misty Lilac Citroen C5.
Speaking of which, today off work would be a good opportunity to wash it!
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It's making a bit of a comeback on 2 wheels too. The new Ducati was all white earlier this year and it caused a storm. White wheels on a bike never go out of fashion, however this doesn't apply to cars. I'm a sucker for metallic red on cars. Had our first black one a year ago. It must have been a popular colour considering the amount of scratches it received from local miscreants in car parks!
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I remember seeing a R/R Spirit in Orange with a Cream roof;it did look good suprisingly!!
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White cars remind me that no matter how great the sytling or good the handling, someone will ALWAYS chose a colour (in this case white) to make it look:
HORRIBLE.
White is for mortals who have no colour imagination.
Whilst pink , tartan or yellow are for those who have too much.
I'll get my coat.
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The fiat 500 has to come in white - its just the right shade of creamy white. Avant is right certain cars look stunning in white, others look horrid.
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I'll stick my head above the parapet here and make a sociological connection re car colour choice and fashion.
The last time we saw a plethora of wacky colours being chosen was the mid '70s, shortly after the privations of the early years of that decade. I propose that it was in part to do with a collective desire to brighten an otherwise gloomy habitat.
I have spent my whole life earning a living from the fashion industry. It has long been true that the people who live in the most economically challenged locations have the greatest propensity to adorn themselves with the most conspicuously coloured and indeed labelled garments. Some would argue that if your environment is of a "dark satanic" nature that this is some form of subliminal attempt to cheer it up. Conversely, those who live in the traditionally more prosperous areas have a greater propensity to classicism and quietness in their apparel choices.
This trend can also be seen in the automotive sense where the prevalence of conspicuous car modification in deprived areas is much greater than that seen in locations of stronger economic stability. For your own straw poll, count the proportion of aftermarket big wheels etc you see in a deprived area versus a more prosperous one.
As we enter and hopefully in due course emerge from this latest economic downturn, I predict that we will see a return to a trend of brightly coloured cars as people try in their own small way to bring a little cheer to their grey streets.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 29/12/2008 at 09:00
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The current Golf GTI looks fabulous in white, IMHO.
Also agree on the 205 GTI, and would add the old mk2 Astra GTE which also looked good in white (until the sill/arch rot kicked in).
Must be a hot hatch thang.
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>>hot hatch thing
Aren't they best in red? I think they look awful in white. White is for saloons or big coupes like that Jaguar (I guess that's a saloon too).
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I'd prefer to call it a coupe, but not so much that I'd want to argue the point!
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 29/12/2008 at 09:30
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Just as police forces are moving away from white and onto silver to protect used values. But then does a bog standard astra/fiesta look nice in white at any time?
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Just as police forces are moving away from white and onto silver to protect used values. But then does a bog standard astra/fiesta look nice in white at any time?
as good as a mondeo
in other words - awful.
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>I'd prefer to call it a coupe
Me too, but I guess the only difference is 2/4 doors. And whilst an MR2 is a coupe, the Jag is big enough that you cannot quite tell the difference until you look very carefully.
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>Aren't they best in red? I think they look awful in white [205 gti]
To be honest, I would have preferred a red one. But the supply of decent 17-y-o specimens was so limited I settled for white - quite happy. Pug scarlets and cherry reds were always nice to see. Incidentally, the cabrio was scarlet - a bit towards orange from the standard cherry.
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On the subject of the new Fiat 500, (and also on the subject of 'white'), there is something that has been puzzling me.
'Bossa Nova White' is free, most colours are £245, but 'Funk White' is £685. What is it about 'Funk White' that is so desirable / expensive?
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Talking of 70's retro colours making a comeback. If you wanted to be really authentic, at least one door and/or body panel should be a completely different colour to rest of the car.
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According to the AA ..........
"The top 10 most popular colours for new cars are
1 ?Blue, 2 ?Red, 3 ?Silver, 4 ?Green, 5 ?White,
6 ?Black, 7 ?Grey, 8 ?Gold, 9 ?Mauve, 10 ?Yellow."
tinyurl.com/89kow3
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