When did the fear of vibrant colors begin?
Once upon a louder, gaudier time, the world embraced colour like a toddler left alone with a marker set.
Cars weren’t just cars; they were peacocks on wheels, flaunting eye-searing oranges, unapologetic turquoises, and yellows so radioactive they could double as hazard signs.
Toaster ovens smirked from countertops in burnt orange and avocado green, gleefully clashing with wallpaper that looked like it had been on an acid trip. It was, in short, glorious chaos.
But now?
Now we’re all swimming in a soulless sea of greige, a colour so noncommittal it can’t decide if it’s beige trying to be grey or grey trying to be beige.
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Remember when cars used to express a personality? A hot-pink roadster said, “Look at me, I’m going places!” A lime-green hatchback announced, “I care more about vibes than depreciation values!”
Today, every vehicle looks like it’s on its way to a very solemn, colour-coded funeral.
The grim reality is that people buy grey cars because they’re “safe.”
New Hyundai cars are displayed on the sales lot of a dealership in San Leandro, Calif., on May 30, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Not safe as in crash protection, though I’m sure they’re fine, but safe as in you won’t blush with shame when you try to resell them.
Heaven forbid you buy a jaunty red convertible and ruin some bean-counter’s depreciation spreadsheet. And so, we compromise.
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