Axalta’s Starry Night Evokes the Stars in the Night Sky

Consumers have many choices of colors to choose from when they buy cars and trucks. There are classics like blacks and whites, as well as brighter colors.

As one of the world’s leading automotive paint and coatings suppliers, Axalta Coating Systems is well positioned to see what are the hottest colors for vehicles this year. This year, its global team of color experts have selected Starry Night as its 2024 Global Automotive Color of the Year.

As the name suggests, Starry Night, Axalta’s 10th Color of the Year, is a dark black, with light blue and silver flakes. It gives off a look of the night sky and looking out into the stars in the evening. It is an unique choice for Axalta, which has never selected a black shade in its previous nine selections.

“When we look at global color popularity reports, black has consistently been a top color – usually in the top two or three – but we have never featured a black shade,” said Dan Benton, senior manager, global color at Axalta. “With our 10th anniversary, we believe it was time to select one. We were inspired by the innovation of space exploration to create Starry Night and used glass flake and blue pearl to try and capture the cosmos. This year’s color is part cosmic and part classic, but all Axalta.

“Starry Night is inspired by innovation and technology. It’s more than just a simple black share – it is classic, mysterious, elegant, and distinguished. Starry Night is a jet black that when hit with direct sunlight, sparkles and shimmers and captures your imagination,” Benton said. “Inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s painting of the same name, this color is also a nod to the creativity and artistry of his work.”

Benton said that there are several elements that go into Axalta’s Global Automotive Color of the Year selection process, adding that the biggest element is looking at trends, both inside and outside of the automotive industry.

“Our team looks at what is happening in other industries like fashion, clothing, home décor and architectural,” Benton said. “On the automotive side, we host yearly color trend shows that we bring to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) designers, and we receive ongoing feedback that helps shape our selection process. We also look at technology and material trends, as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG), and work to push the boundaries of what’s possible – for example, exploring the use of bio-based pigments. Finally, we select a color that we know looks good on trucks and cars and will be enticing for consumers.”

Last year, Axalta selected Techno Blue as its 2023 Color of the Year. Benton said that Starry Night is a natural follow-up to Techno Blue.

“Starry Night follows the train of innovation and technology that we showcased with our 2023 Color of the Year, Techno Blue,” Benton observed. “However, Techno Blue was more about the metaverse, while Stary Night is more about the universe. Both are dynamic colors that complement our previous Color of the Year selections.”

Benton also noted that Starry Night matches well with other colors, finishes, patterns, and textures.

“Some colors only work on certain vehicle shapes or sizes – that is not the case with Starry Night,” Benton added. “This color looks good on any vehicle and we’re excited to see this next level of the black color space.”