Local Color: Unusual Paint Hues at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show

Tom Appel

8 years ago

Damon takes a closer look at the most-interesting colors seen at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show.

New Car colors for 2017 — Damon takes a closer look at the most-interesting colors seen at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show.

Bored with beige? Sick of silver? Weary of white? Tired of tan? Chagrined by champagne? Troubled b… OK, sorry, we’ll stop. Though muted, conservative colors seem to dominate in the new-vehicle marketplace, most manufacturers offer at least a couple unusual hues in their factory-paint palettes. Auto shows are a great place to see these colors up close and in person on a new vehicle, instead of looking at a computer screen or a paint chip at the dealer. If you’re an extroverted type who wants your ride to turn heads, an out-of-the-ordinary color is a great way to do it. Keep in mind, however, that these colors can fall out of fashion much quicker than the “safe” standby colors, which can be an issue come resale time.

We took a quick lap of the 2017 Chicago Auto Show with the mission of finding interesting, off-the-beaten-path colors that are a bit bolder and more expressive than your average ho-hum hues. Our gallery is not a comprehensive list; it’s simply a sampling of production-car colors and finishes that caught our eye on the show floor. (Note that we avoided straightforward fire-engine reds; those are certainly eye-grabbing, but not particularly unusual.) These are all factory-available colors; some are extra-cost or available only as part of a special package, others are on the standard options list. Yes, a couple of these vehicles are expensive, but most are very affordable and accessible. It’s doubtful that you’ll like every color here, but we bet you’ll find at least one that tickles your fancy. Enjoy!