It comes up quite often in posts, that Mazda is failing because it does not offer lairy colours for the MX-5 and that the colour option is boring and missing the mark.
This probably why. And it is bourn out by the colours seen at any national rally. Even when Mazda did offer “bright” colours, compared to the “safe” colours, there are very few in evidence.
New statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have confirmed that grey was the shade of choice during 2021 for a fourth consecutive year, with a 24.8% market share.
It was followed closely by black (20.5%), with white and blue lagging behind on 17.2 and 17.0% respectively.
Red had an 8.8% market share while silver, once the default choice for most new car buyers, has dramatically fallen from grace. In 2021, just 6.8% of buyers opted for the shade, down from 8.7% in the previous year.
Yellow and bronze were last on most buyers’ lists, with market shares of 0.5 and 0.3% respectively.
Prior to grey’s reign at the top of the sales charts, silver occupied the number one spot from 2000 to 2008.
It then gave way to black for four years, with white emerging as top dog from 2013 to 2016. Black returned to the number one spot in 2017, but since then grey has been most popular.
SMMT Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, said: “2021 was anything but normal, but British drivers stuck to their familiar favourites of grey, black and white cars.”
I can see the argument for mainstream vehicles…but the MX5 is more niche and colour should play a bigger part within its DNA. Why did we not get that lovely bright yellow NC that some markets did ? Because the importers/dealers like to play safe and ultimately do not recognise the demograph the car should be aimed at.
I remember when going through Autotrader in my search for an MX-5… Largely passed all the red and blue ones, but this one, the one I went on to buy really stood out in my eyes. I really like ceramic, but others may liken it to “primer”. I was tempted to view 30AE’s, but for me, the orange was a no-no…
Because go to any national rally and the colours are at least 50 to 1 in favour of “safe” colours. Having the availability and actually getting the car out of the showroom is two very different things. If Mazda thought that Yellow cars would increase sales, they would be in UK showrooms. I expect the reality is that the last time that had bright colours they ended up having to offer significant incentives to move them.
I’m a fan of Red & Black personally, although having had larger black cars previously I’d never have one again, the Smart Car is small enough for it to be manageable to cope with.
The colour palette for the ND is abysmal, it’s a fun sports car lumbered with paint choices for a rep mobile, mostly somewhere between black and white, sometimes with a suggestion of colour. The exceptions being Soul Red and 30AE Orange. The NC seemed to get a better range of colours with metallic green and punchy blues.
If the Mini Hatch and DS3 superminis can sell in bright colours in the UK, I fail to see how an MX-5 sports car couldn’t, if they were actually available. Porsche shifts 718 and 911 in yellows, greens and that interesting MIami Blue despite them often being quite expensive options.
But they don’t sell!
My wife likes yellow cars, she has a yellow Aygo. Years ago she had a yellow Puma. How many yellow Puma’s did you ever see in the early 2000’s?
Once again, this is the reality of what MX-5 drivers opt for when they go into the showroom and part with their money. You could get a yellow MK1 and MK2, I can see very few here.
If you’re gonna sell it on in a few years, you buy it in a generic colour.
That’s what most folks think.
For others, some colours carry a stigma. “Girl colour”, “gay colour”, “child’s colour”.
And look at the stick that guys with ginger hair get…
I ordered my car (which is hopefully only a few weeks away now) in Soul Red.
I’ve seen pictures of NDs in black, and the blues and greys and they look fantastic, but my wife’s car is black, so that’s ruled out. I currently own a dark grey Golf, so that was ruled out. I didn’t want the base white. Apart from the dirt showing properties of white cars, I’ve owned 3 white cars in the past and didn’t want another one. Back in the early 90s when I coveted an MX5 but couldn’t own a real one, I made a model one and sprayed it red, so Sould Red it had to be, apart from the reasons I’ve already given, I do think it’s the best colour currently available.
The American Youtuber Engineering Explained has (or had) an ND that he bought in black and wrapped in yellow, that’s a really nice car. I think yellow suits the ND.
If I’d have bought second hand I’d have probably gone for a 30AE in the orange, although I’ve never seen one in the flesh, only pictures.
Considering there are only about 60 Mk1 California left and and at most 150 Yellow Arizona on the road, then why would you expect to see a lot of Yellow cars in the pictures?
So are you saying yellow cars rust more or deteriorate quicker than red, black or silver cars? To me it just says they were bought in far, far fewer numbers and hence why Mazda are not offering that colour. If the green Sport Black had flown out the door and had customers clamouring for them, there would be that option on the MK4. It is pure economics from Mazda.
Last year there was a “panic” that Mazda had stopped production, or at least import of the MX-5 until this year. Weather that was the “chip shortage” or other reasons. Why would you make a colour that is going to be less desired when you can easily sell, or sell far more easily, the car you make in “normal” colours?
