Fiat has confirmed it has stopped producing cars in a particular color – not because of a lack of customer demand, but because it does not represent the brand’s ‘New Dolce Vita’ values, the Italian company said.
As of today, the company no longer sells gray cars.
It said the decision was made to “improve the importance of colors in life, the epitome of the Italian way of life’.
But the move could backfire significantly when it comes to demand for new Fiats in Britain, with gray having been the country’s most popular car color for half a decade.
Fifty shades of gray! Fiat confirmed today that it will stop offering its new models in gray because the color does not “embody the Italian way of life”
The decision to cut availability of gray Fiats was made as part of efforts to “reaffirm the value of the brand’s New Dolce Vita,” automaker bosses said this week.
The company adds that a brighter paint palette is part of a “distinctive feature” sales strategy to make Fiat cars stand out in the wider car market.
As of today, the colors in the current and future Fiat range are said to be “inspired by the Italian sea, sun, earth and sky”.
“We broke the rules: we decided to stop production of Fiat gray cars,” explained Olivier Francois, chief exec and global chief marketing officer at Fiat’s parent group, Stellantis.
“This is challenging and disruptive and is intended to further strengthen Fiat’s leadership as the brand of joy, color and optimism.
Italy is the land of colors and, from today, also of Fiat cars.
“This choice further communicates to people the new Dolce Vita values and the Italian DNA embodied by the brand.”
The official statement continues that the move to sell only new models in bright colors “inspiring people to live with optimism and positivity’.
Paint options that will be available include Gelato White, Sicilia Orange, Paprika Orange, Passione Red, Blu Dipinto di Blu, Italia Blue, Venezia Blue, Rugiada Green, Foresta Green, Rose Gold and Cinema black – all with ‘evocative names’ based on ‘Italy’s beautiful landscapes and dolce vita mood’.
The decision to cut availability of gray Fiats was made as part of efforts to “reaffirm the brand’s new Dolce Vita value,” carmaker bosses said this week.
Customers can no longer access a gray Tipo as in the photo
Fiat’s bold move will see the gray paint completely removed and two shades of orange offered: ‘Sicilia orange’ and ‘Paprika orange’
It means customers wanting a new 500 supermini, 500X SUV, Panda or Tipo will no longer be able to order one from showrooms painted gray.
And the first new model to launch without a gray color option is the brand’s new 600e – an electric car designed for families, which will be unveiled on 4 July.
Why the decision to clear gray can backfire in Britain
While Fiat’s decision to end gray paint is intended to inspire motorists to be more upbeat, the move could have a serious impact on sales of its cars in the UK.
That’s because gray is the most popular color for new models in the UK – and it has been for some time now.
More than one in four new cars bought from UK dealers last year were grey, official data shows.
Some 25.7 per cent of motorcycle registrations were in colour, the fifth consecutive year that this is the most popular palette for Britons.
While many people – including Fiat bosses – may find the color boring, experts say drivers choose it for financial reasons rather than personal taste.
With about eight in ten new cars financed rather than bought outright, motorists are more aware of vehicle resale value. And color can be an option that has a dramatic impact on the selling price of a used motorcycle, experts told This is Money.
Official data from the SMMT shows that gray has been the best-selling new car color since 2018.
More than one in five new cars bought by Britons in 2022 were grey, data shows
While red cars were hugely popular in the 1990s, they now account for just 8.5% of all new registrations. Other bright colors, such as green and yellow, are also scarce
Hugo Griffiths, consumer editor at carwow, told us: ‘Because the vast majority of private buyers today finance new cars using PCP financing – which pays for vehicle depreciation – monthly installments can be even higher for cars in unusual shades, which faced with lower residual values due to reduced demand on the second-hand market.’
Simply put, a gray, black, or silver car is likely to be more valuable in the used car market than a more daring hue, such as hot pink.
Hugo says black, gray, white and blue cars are by far the most popular used car colors sold on his website last year — accounting for 74 percent of sales.
“By contrast, green, orange and brown cars made up only 2.4 percent of carwow’s used sales volume,” he said.
“Basically, when choosing the color of a new car, it pays to play it safe, and who wants anything else these days?”
It means Fiat’s decision could backfire on bosses as sales of its cars are already lagging in the first five months of 2023.
Fiat dealers shifted a total of 8,190 new models between the beginning of January and the end of May.
That is almost 12 percent less than in the same period last year, when Fiat showrooms were moved by 9,282 in the first five months of 2022.
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