Surface World January 2019 Surface World January 2019 | Page 10
INDUSTRY NEWS
Axalta showcases customisation
with Golden-Bronze Sahara as
2019 Automotive Color of the Year
Eye-catching Sahara brings warmth, luxury and
ruggedness for auto designers and car customisers
For the fi rst time in its fi ve-
year history, Axalta’s (NYSE:
AXTA) Automotive Color of
the Year is showcasing a
colour primed for vehicle
customisation both at
manufacturing facilities and
in the aftermarket. Sahara,
a golden bronze tone,
radiates warmth, richness
and strength for vehicles
of all sizes – especially the
expanding global truck and
SUV markets – and can
serve as the principal colour
for two-tone possibilities
including black roofs.
“At Axalta, we are seeing car designers
leaning toward options for two-toning,
accent roofs and stripes,” said Nancy
Lockhart, Axalta Global Colour Marketing
Manager. “When it comes to mass
customisation, Sahara is the type of
colour that can serve as the foundation
for these premium options.”
Borne from Axalta’s ChromaDyne™ line
of colour coats formulated for global
automotive manufacturers, Sahara is partly
inspired by global trends for warmer shades
highlighted in the company’s Global
Automotive Color Popularity Report.
Yellow/gold vehicles are most popular in
India and China, while brown/beige vehicles
increased in North America more than any
other region.
Sahara is Axalta’s fifth Color of the Year
following Radiant Red (2015), Brilliant Blue
8
(2016), Gallant
Gray (2017), and
StarLite (2018).
StarLite, a
pearlescent white,
introduced coatings
technology into the
autonomous vehicle
discussions. Axalta
colours under
development are
tested for readability
by autonomous
sensors, and Sahara
is formulated for
visibility.
According to Ann de
Clerck, Axalta Refinish Colour Service
Manager in Europe, the Middle East and
Africa, Axalta’s Color of the Year is another
example of how Axalta transfers OEM
technology to the aftermarket and repair
businesses. “We get calls every year from
some of the industry’s best custom builders
looking to use colour to differentiate their
products,” she said. “We have Sahara
formulated and ready-to-go in our industry-
leading refinish brands including Cromax ® ,
Spies Hecker and Standox.”
the industry as it brings together timeless style
and luxurious customisation for a fashionably
fierce finish.”
Axalta kicked off a year-long celebration
of Sahara during the 2019 North American
International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
Highlights included a video reveal at the
EyesOn Design awards programme on
15 January 2019 and prominent display
during the Axalta-sponsored Charity Preview
on 18 January 2019.
Lockhart said, “Sahara will excite and inspire
JANUARY 2019
For more information on Axalta,
please visit www.axalta.co.uk
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