But why do so many modern cars look the same?
Jim Carroll’s wind tunnel theory is certainly one reason. Another is that the automotive giants are increasingly sharing vehicle “platforms” between the many brands they operate. And Ian Callum, who led design at Jaguar-Land Rover for two decades, offers a third theory.
“There was a time when you could identify the country the car came from. But today basically every company makes cars for basically every country (…). Now cars are designed for the wider audience possible, in the widest possible number of countries, so that they are manufactured in the most efficient way possible.”
Callus continues:
“Before the typical car designer can even begin to draw a model, the packaging department gives him the specifications (…). Measurements may vary in millimeters. These tight dimensions are painstakingly chosen to meet the needs of the wind tunnel, to meet government safety regulations, to properly fit the average American family’s collective weight of 78,000 pounds, and to allow enough cargo space for all your shit.”
These three theories explain why the three-dimensional design of cars has been converging over time. But they do not explain why the color of the cars has also converged.
According to data shared by Jökull Solberg, about 40% of cars sold in 1996 were monochromatic (black, white, silver, or gray). 20 years later, this figure had increased to 80%.
There are many suggestions as to why this might be. Maybe these colors come standard and everything else is an optional upgrade. Maybe brighter colors fade faster. Perhaps people buy less vibrant colors when times are more turbulent. Perhaps the monochrome car resale market is more dynamic. Or perhaps the combined design of smartphones informed stylistic trends in the automotive industry.
Regardless, the result is the same. Where parking lots used to be a kaleidoscope of reds, blues and greens, today they capture a sea of desaturation.
And what else? The visual identities of car brands seem to follow suit. In September 2020, Vauxhall launched a modernized and minimalist brand. According to Henry Wong in Design Week:
“Vauxhall unveiled its new logo last week, a ‘trustworthy British’ look, which reworks the griffin icon and introduces a blue and red color scheme. The highlight is its new flat style: a simplified version of the previous 3D look of the logo Vauxhall calls the redesign the “progressive face of the brand”.