Have you ever wondered what happened to the pink cars that we used to be able to buy or see driving on the roads of the United States? Why don’t we see them in dealerships anymore? When buying a car, we can choose the brand, size, color, number of doors, model, whether we want tinted windows or not, whether we want to add color to the interior design… but we can’t choose it to be pink? All these characteristics define the driver to a greater or lesser extent, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. It happened with Elvis Presley’s Pink Cadillac, or the Porsche Pink Pig that competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
And how can we forget Barbie’s convertible? Having such iconic models existed, why are they not found anymore? The color pink has a historical background different from the current one. According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and color expert, the color pink was more associated with boys and blue with girls, but with Mamie Eisenhower’s public appearances in 1950, this concept changed. This fact, along with the emergence of the Barbie doll brand, led to an association with women and girls.
The main reason these models were discontinued has to do with market research on color trends in the automotive industry. And not only that, but it also represents a higher cost for the buyer in the long run. This type of shade has issues with the metal of car bodies, causing the color to fade much faster, requiring repairs more frequently. The analysis also revealed that there was market segmentation when it came to the demand for this color in vehicles, making it unprofitable to rely on a small market niche.
Customization of your new car
The quantity and variety of options we have when choosing a car is gigantic. Different brands, models, sizes, number of doors, accessories, wheels, extras, different options for interior design… but one is missing. Exactly, the color. The most popular colors are white and black, but blues, reds, and silvers are not far behind. Green and orange colors are reserved for the more daring, but they can also be seen on the roads.
All these characteristics of the car define the driver to a greater or lesser extent. Think that, even if it’s unconsciously, a sleek black car does not define the same as a van with stickers. Choosing what is better depends on preferences, but it is inevitable to associate a type of car with a type of owner.
Where are the pink cars?
Many consumers wonder what happened to pink car models. Are they no longer being manufactured? To answer that, we need to go back a bit in time. As Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and color expert, explains, ‘[Pink] was related to the mother color of red, which was fiery and passionate and more active, more aggressive. Although the shade level is reduced, it was a color associated with children.’ However, with the public appearances of figures like Mamie Eisenhower, the paradigm completely shifted, associating pink with girls and women.
What does that have to do with pink cars?
A lot. With this new association that pink was for women, the automotive industry researched color trends, and it turned out that pink wasn’t very popular. In the past, cars were produced as appeals for young female drivers, but it was considered that basing production on such a small market niche was not profitable.
Pink cars of the past
Although we no longer have the option to choose if we want our car to be pink, we can still remember iconic models that are part of our history, such as Elvis Presley’s Pink Cadillac, Barbie’s famous car, or the world-renowned Porsche Pink Pig, which competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.