How much does it cost a manufacturer to ad one color to it's pallet for a vehicle?

After thinking about one of the few diappointing things about CTS-V... the fact that it's only available in silver or black, I started thinking about the number of color offerings on most of GM's cars today...

It's frustrating to me that every color that is normally available on a CTS is not available on a CTS-V... same with Z06 compared to an LS1 Corvette. :irk:

Then, take it a step deeper... why not offer 4 more colors on some of these cars? Is 12 colors really that much more expensive to do then, say, 7 or 8?
In 1984, the C4 Corvette offered around 12-14 colors (didnt look it up)... today, Corvette offers only EIGHT total colors... One is restricted to the 50th, so only SEVEN on the LS1 cars... and only FIVE on the Z06!!!

Why?!? It can't be that costly to do... :no:

This is a little bit out of my field, but I'll take a stab at it...

The real issue for cost is the complexity that is added at the plant. Different colors are run in batches and the paint line has to be cleared completely for each batch, which basically means that it is down for that amount of time - which causes scheduling issues and lost efficiency.

Originally posted by PacerX
This is a little bit out of my field, but I'll take a stab at it...

The real issue for cost is the complexity that is added at the plant. Different colors are run in batches and the paint line has to be cleared completely for each batch, which basically means that it is down for that amount of time - which causes scheduling issues and lost efficiency.

Ya, I can understand that...

What got me to thinking it wouldn't be such a big deal, though, was when I toured the Bowling Green Assembly about a month ago...

Corvette was run in a rainbow of colors down the line... so there wasn't a run of 40 white cars, then 40 red cars, etc... all colors were sprinkled in here and there.

The bumper covers and body panels looked to be stored on racks, and pulled as the were needed according to the job run. So, I imagine they paint out a bunch of parts for stock, and pull them as needed.

Now, I was told that the VAST majority of Corvette build out are made as "SOLD" orders... so that may have an effect on the process versus, say Cavalier, which is most likely a huge "STOCK" order build out, and they may run a ton of the same car down the line...

But, if they stock the panels pre-painted, would it be that big of a deal...

Also, how long is the paint booth's down time when doing a color-change?

What's truly sad is that my wife's 1968 Mustangs were available in something like 22 different exterior colors and 10 interior colors.

For example, you could get a aqua car with an aqua interior, or a darker teal car with a darker teal interior. And the interior color wasn't just carpet, seats, and doorpanels--it was steering wheel, painted dash, dash pad, etc.

Today: "Choose from four fabulous exterior colors! Interior? Oh, we have grey and tan."

BOOORRRING.

Originally posted by centric
What's truly sad is that my wife's 1968 Mustangs were available in something like 22 different exterior colors and 10 interior colors.

For example, you could get a aqua car with an aqua interior, or a darker teal car with a darker teal interior. And the interior color wasn't just carpet, seats, and doorpanels--it was steering wheel, painted dash, dash pad, etc.

Today: "Choose from four fabulous exterior colors! Interior? Oh, we have grey and tan."

BOOORRRING.


Ya, don't even get me started in interior color choices... :shame:

I know it is a different world now than in 1968, but why is it so impossible to do similar things today?

Originally posted by Darth Xed
I know it is a different world now than in 1968, but why is it so impossible to do similar things today?

Honestly, it probably makes more business sense to offer limited interior and exterior colors. People buy the cars they do because they like the car,for many people I think color is really a secondary consideration. 20 different exterior colors and 10 different interior colors and patterns mucks up the manufacturing process and in the end you're probably not going to sell the extra units it would take to recoup the money lost in the inefficiency of the process. I am positive this study has been done numerous times over the years by auto manufacturers.

Yup, colors should be readily available, both to order as well as on the lot. It results in a wider base of appeal to impulse buyers as well as casual shoppers.

Get this, the Focus has 12 colors and 6 interior combos to pick from...
linky (http://www.fordvehicles.com/pdf/FCS03_brochure.pdf) (pages 12 and 13).
Mustang has 11 colors and 8 interior options to pick from...
linky (http://www.fordvehicles.com/pdf/MST03_brochure.pdf) (pages 9 and 10).

All I can add to what pacerX had to say is that the scheduled time to assemble includes paint and trim, and there is an averaged set-up time included in the car's build time too. They will back-order a particular color until they have enough orders to justify the change over based on the per-unit spec. This pertains mostly to off-line body panels and components (like doors and hoods) that meet up with the body itself much later.

There is much work going on to try to minimize any in-process change overs on the actual body lines. I know of a project my company is involved with that actually has multiple spray nozzles on the end effector of a robotic sprayer, and each tip has it's own supply line to a reservoir of different color paints. A solenoid valve remotely selects the tip (and therefore paint color) that get sprayed almost instantly. In a statically charged deposition process, there is very little "overspray" so reclamation and waste becomes unimportant. This system has virtually NO changeover time, and can paint one car one color, and the next car another - no problem, no slowdowns.

So the color offerings are more likely tied to basic costs associated with purchasing in quantities. Common colors used a ton get better pricing. Offer less colors and you are supposed to sell MORE of the remaining colors, thereby getting better leverage to buy with quantity pricing.

Last thought - if Ford can offer 12 colors on a car that they make 300k units/year, why can't GM offer more than 2 on a car they plan to make 30k units of? TIME?!?!:irk: :no:

Originally posted by Z28Wilson
Honestly, it probably makes more business sense to offer limited interior and exterior colors. People buy the cars they do because they like the car,for many people I think color is really a secondary consideration. 20 different exterior colors and 10 different interior colors and patterns mucks up the manufacturing process and in the end you're probably not going to sell the extra units it would take to recoup the money lost in the inefficiency of the process. I am positive this study has been done numerous times over the years by auto manufacturers.

Well, I can honestly see why interior choices have become more limited... stocking supplier made parts in more colors can mean a lot more money... seats, carpet, door panels, vent outlets, seat belts, etc etc etc...

But, the exterior color thing , at least from what I can see, is a lot simpler solution... you just add a few paint colors to your inventory.

You may have a bit more downtime, and there would be some costs involved with stocking additional paint, and pre-painted parts for the line, but I don't see a whole lot more than that... maybe some cost for supplying additional color chips in your brochure... ;)

Could it have anything to do with the way the cars are made compaired to the 60's. I dont know, but mabey the paint was apllied differant then so they had the oppertunity to use more colors.

Or mabey the gerneal public just doesnt car any more. Show my 10 peolpe who want a mint green car with mint green interior. My bither making something people dont want, even when they will still buy you car anyways.

I'm sorry, but when the world's most popular automotive "color" is silver, you know that radical colors are not going to be in high demand. :rolleyes:

I honestly question if the public cares about color on their cars much anymore because of that fact. Silver? No offense to silver owners out there but why even paint the car? I think a nice shade of primer would look just as slick. :p

Another issue is all the different materials body panels are made in nowadays. Anyone remember the Camaro MY2000ish Hugger Orange?

It took GM several years and afew bucks to get the color finish in different sheet molded pastic compounds in the fascias, fenders and doors to match the metal quarter panels. And in the end...the color looked so faded, it looked nothing like orange.

Well, I suppose you guys do make a point about the demand for more colors. :think:

Would more choices bring in more business? Hmmm... Maybe... maybe not.

I know that color is a very serious consideration when I buy a car... I also think that the same color may look great one one car (Sunset Orange Metallic on a Camaro SS) and rotten on another (Suburst Copper, or whatever Cadillac calls SOM, on a Cadillac CTS).

I'd love to know how much it costs to add a color to a line though... it's got to be relatively low...

Look at the "new" impala's. The wife wants a 2000 black or red one. Ya good luck, All they have are silver.

Originally posted by Darth Xed
I know that color is a very serious consideration when I buy a car...

I also bet you liked the camaro/firebird too, but that doesnt mean they are going to keep around. (untill 2007 at least)

How is it PROGRESS, how it is BETTER, that we have less color choices today? If our superior technologies and supposedly superior processes can't offer better selection at lower cost than something produced 35 years ago, then are they truly superior?

Originally posted by centric
How is it PROGRESS, how it is BETTER, that we have less color choices today? If our superior technologies and supposedly superior processes can't offer better selection at lower cost than something produced 35 years ago, then are they truly superior?

I'm kind of saying this just to mess with you, but....
Just beacuse you can, doesn't mean you have to.

Originally posted by Z28Wilson


I honestly question if the public cares about color on their cars much anymore because of that fact. Silver? No offense to silver owners out there but why even paint the car? I think a nice shade of primer would look just as slick. :p

LMAO @ the primer statement, I almost fully agree w/ you on that...

But about the public not caring about what color a car is? Totally wrong. I've been to a car dealer with other people more than a hundred times, and on these occasions I've had my friends/family buy a car, maybe 5 or 6 times. The reason why the person I was with those other times didnt buy a car is because they really weren't looking for a car, or that dealership didn't have the car they were looking in a certain color that they liked. And those 5 or 6 times that somebody did buy a car, I can remember at least 2 of those people buying a car solely because they liked the color on the car. (one being Sunset Orange Metallic, that SOB stole my car :cry: ) Of course those people test drove the cars, seeing if they really wanted it, but the reason they wanted the car in the first place was because of the color.

Originally posted by Meccadeth
LMAO @ the primer statement, I almost fully agree w/ you on that...

But about the public not caring about what color a car is? Totally wrong. I've been to a car dealer with other people more than a hundred times, and on these occasions I've had my friends/family buy a car, maybe 5 or 6 times. The reason why the person I was with those other times didnt buy a car is because they really weren't looking for a car, or that dealership didn't have the car they were looking in a certain color that they liked. And those 5 or 6 times that somebody did buy a car, I can remember at least 2 of those people buying a car solely because they liked the color on the car. (one being Sunset Orange Metallic, that SOB stole my car :cry: ) Of course those people test drove the cars, seeing if they really wanted it, but the reason they wanted the car in the first place was because of the color.

Thats like saying, I really like mellenuim yellow so I better save up for 2000 vette. you I really like that maroon color so I better save for an Aniv. vette. I personally love yellow and orange color on cars beacuse they are so differant and nobody else has them, (becuase they all have silver) but that doesnt mean that when the 5th gen comes out and doesnt have yellow or orange that I'm going to buy a mustang. I'll just get in a differnat color. I'm shopping for a car, not a box of crayons.

Originally posted by jawzforlife
Thats like saying, I really like mellenuim yellow so I better save up for 2000 vette. you I really like that maroon color so I better save for an Aniv. vette. I personally love yellow and orange color on cars beacuse they are so differant and nobody else has them, (becuase they all have silver) but that doesnt mean that when the 5th gen comes out and doesnt have yellow or orange that I'm going to buy a mustang. I'll just get in a differnat color. I'm shopping for a car, not a box of crayons.

True, but what if a striking color is what made you fall in love with the car?

I love the C5, but until Electron Blue came out, I really never had a color that I totally fell in love with on it.

I see your point... but what is wrong with a little more choice when buying a new car? You drop a lot of cash on a car... you should have more choices, IMO.

Originally posted by Darth Xed
True, but what if a striking color is what made you fall in love with the car?

I love the C5, but until Electron Blue came out, I really never had a color that I totally fell in love with on it.

I see your point... but what is wrong with a little more choice when buying a new car? You drop a lot of cash on a car... you should have more choices, IMO.

Ya, you should have more choices (than the 2 for the cts-v) but that is what makes that blue corvette so special (same with the yallow or maroon) It makes those vettes stand out as having that paint scheme. How would you like to pull up in your blue vette next to a chevy metro with the same blue. I bet you sould loose a little respect for that blue.

Any wasy back to the subject, how much more would it cost to do more colors on a car?? If it not that much money, than money isnt the issue. If it is the the cost is the issue and there you go.

Originally posted by jawzforlife
Y How would you like to pull up in your blue vette next to a chevy metro with the same blue. I bet you sould loose a little respect for that blue.



Oh, I toally agree...

I know GM buys the paint in bulk, so spreading the same colors out over more models is practical and more cost effective....

I am not saying every color GM makes should be available on every car it makes... I am saying more along the lines of adding some new colors to their catalog, and spreading them out over their selection of vehicles.

IMO, 12-14 colors on a single model should not be that crazy to think of as possible.

Add to that the whole thing of Z06 not getting Corvette's full pallet, which is already shallow... same with CTS-V.

I cant speak for all the chevy cars (i cant remeber all of them), but when I was at the auto show they had the board will the cars and what colors they have. From what I remeber each car had 4-8 colors if not more. So I think for the most part there are enough colors to make people happy. There may be afew cars that need more colors like the CTS-V, or the impala. Sure the impala has 9 colors, but 3 of them ar "tan". I would love to see 20 differant colors per car. But it comes down to "you cant make everybody happy" with the color choice. If you have yellow, than you have to have purple, than green, the dark mettalic orange with a hint of yellow when the sun hits it right. So instead of picking some colors that will make a few people happy, they stick with the "SAFE" colors, red, black, silver, tan, and white.

The question still, how much more does it cost to add more colors. My quess it probabally doent cost a bunch more. But it comes down to GM wanting to add the color to the car. So I dont think it is the cost of the color, but the logic of GM.

Originally posted by centric
How is it PROGRESS, how it is BETTER, that we have less color choices today? If our superior technologies and supposedly superior processes can't offer better selection at lower cost than something produced 35 years ago, then are they truly superior?

Great post! The more choices, the better IMO. I know, at least in my family, color is very important. This is especially so for the women. Would a lack of colors turn me off from a specific car? No, but it would definitely turn my sister off. To non car people like her, I think color is a larger factor. I agree with Darth, we need more choices. I look at new vehicle brochures quite often and have noticed that there is not only a lack of choices, but also that the colors themselves are relatively closely related. If you're going to have a small number of color choices in the first place, at least make them significantly different from one another. It seems like every brochure has about 3 shades of silver now :rolleyes:


-Mike

Originally posted by transam8
Great post! The more choices, the better IMO. I know, at least in my family, color is very important. This is especially so for the women. Would a lack of colors turn me off from a specific car? No, but it would definitely turn my sister off. To non car people like her, I think color is a larger factor. I agree with Darth, we need more choices. I look at new vehicle brochures quite often and have noticed that there is not only a lack of choices, but also that the colors themselves are relatively closely related. If you're going to have a small number of color choices in the first place, at least make them significantly different from one another. It seems like every brochure has about 3 shades of silver now :rolleyes:


-Mike

I think we all agree there should be more colors, But the question is why insnt there more, Is it because of the cost to at add another color to a car, or is there another reason.

You have to understand that many of the components - door latches, bumpers, ground effects, trim panels, mirrors, etc. are painted by vendors and shipped into the vehicle assembly plant. The only painting that usually occurs there is the body.

So, more colors = more inventory = more money = less floorspace for other things (like options).

Now, all of those suppliers have to make sure their parts match - not an easy task since they are usually made out of different materials and in different places.

Don't get me started on all the steps they go through to pick a color and coordinate everything between the assembly plants and suppliers...

So needless to say, it is a complex and expensive process. But I still think they could find a way to support affordable "special order" colors.

I have heard that You can buy a Silverado in any color you want as long as you buy at least 7 trucks (that # could be different).

We have all seen yellow Silverados that Highway Depts. and Airports use, and the Yellow Suburban school busses.

My point is if they make extra colors for Fleet buyers, why couldn't they make a run of 200 "insert color here" Cars. Just paint all 200 or what ever # in a row, it's a one time deal, it wouldn't be any harder than switching between other 2 colors right.

Originally posted by WERM
But I still think they could find a way to support affordable "special order" colors.

There was a lot of talk of exactly that back around 1992-4 or so when Bowling Green got it's painting facility upgraded.

The talk was that painted tiles or some sort of sample would be sent to the customer for final approval after the selection process and then the job would be executed, and the car built...

This obviously never came to be...

Unfortunately, I havent heard any fresh rumors this time around as the BG facility is getting another paint facility refit thanks to Cadillac. Cadillac was not satisfied with the quality of BG's painting facility for XLR, so they are reportedly footing the bill for a multi-million dollar paint booth re-do.

More colors = more variety = more cars sold = return on any initial investment into providing more colors.

Sorry but strictly from a consumer's point of view, it's like this: SCREW all the excuses! Anyone ever look at ANY brochure from the 60s and 70s? There's always 10 to 25 color choices. Not to mention fabrics/material choices for the interior, but I'll give you that; forget about material choices, at least provide the color choices we used to have. If they could do it then, I don't want any excuses as to why they can't do it now.

We want more colors. There is a silent majority out there that would buy something unusual if you gave them the opportunity. I want something that's not gonna get lost in the parking lot, you know? People vote with their money. Color choices are THE deciding factor for more people than you'd think. I see nothing wrong with a pale metallic lime green CTS or a white Impala SS (90s era); cars that clearly were never made, but would've sold.

One example off the top of my head: the 1992 Firebird: Pontiac went to the trouble of making just TWENTY-THREE Firebirds in Jamaica Yellow. If they could take chances like that as recently as a decade ago, they should be doing it now too, as demand warrants. No excuses, period.

gt

Originally posted by kizz
More colors = more variety = more cars sold = return on any initial investment into providing more colors.

Sorry but strictly from a consumer's point of view, it's like this: SCREW all the excuses! Anyone ever look at ANY brochure from the 60s and 70s? There's always 10 to 25 color choices. Not to mention fabrics/material choices for the interior, but I'll give you that; forget about material choices, at least provide the color choices we used to have. If they could do it then, I don't want any excuses as to why they can't do it now.

We want more colors. There is a silent majority out there that would buy something unusual if you gave them the opportunity. I want something that's not gonna get lost in the parking lot, you know? People vote with their money. Color choices are THE deciding factor for more people than you'd think. I see nothing wrong with a pale metallic lime green CTS or a white Impala SS (90s era); cars that clearly were never made, but would've sold.

One example off the top of my head: the 1992 Firebird: Pontiac went to the trouble of making just TWENTY-THREE Firebirds in Jamaica Yellow. If they could take chances like that as recently as a decade ago, they should be doing it now too, as demand warrants. No excuses, period.

gt
To add to what kizz is saying, I can give you oodles of documentation and sales sheets on Mustangs that CLEARLY show that the older cars in rare colors bring a hefty premium over an exact duplicate car in a common color. The '70 Mach 1 in Grabber Blue (http://www.69mustang.com/puffer.htm) , Grabber Orange (http://www.dealsonwheels.com/search/dealerbig.cfm?Autos__ID=000369-200302-000008) , or Grabber Green (http://www.mustangsandmore.com/ubb/clevelandstyle.html) will bring an easy $3 to $5k more than a '70 Mach 1 in Wimbledon White or Medium Blue. There were 16 exterior colors available in '70, 17 in '69, 21 in '68, and 25 colors available on the '66 Mustang, and 28 colors on the '67!!! :shock: (Go here (http://bradbarnett.net/mustangs/timeline/67-68/67/index.htm) and look 1/2 down page on right side.)

So offering special colors on the cars could not only help clinch "impulse buys" on the lot, but help collectors and resale values down the road to boot. I say do it.