Clinton Township, Michigan, USA – January 6, 2017: Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings, is excited to announce its Automotive Color of the Year 2017 – Gallant Gray. This luxurious colour is enhanced by blue and silver flakes that produce a unique sparkle effect and dark undertones that enrich the finish, adding sophistication. A year-long Color of the Year celebration will commence with a variety of events during the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Preview Days in Detroit, Michigan, including a video reveal at the EyesOn Design awards program on January 10, 2017. The colour will also be prominently featured at the Axalta-sponsored Charity Preview on January 13, 2017 that raises funds to support services for children.

Daily inspirations, coupled with extensive research, helped Axalta colour designers and product experts select Gallant Gray as the Automotive Color of the Year. A high percentage of the market is interested in a neutral palette and adding slight hints of hues can add life to these colours. Gallant Gray is designed to look spectacular on any size vehicle. The complex colour is dark in value with various sparkling flakes that add depth and colour.

“At Axalta, we monitor automotive trends and forecast how colour tastes are changing in the automotive market,” said Nancy Lockhart – Axalta Global Color Marketing Manager. “We are pleased to partner with automakers by using our coatings to give their vehicles beauty and character, and we’re confident customers will appreciate Gallant Gray. With hints of blue and green, it exemplifies modernity and elegance. Taking everything into account, we think Gallant Gray is the new silver.”

Axalta’s recently released 2016 Global Automotive Color Popularity Report, which documents vehicle colour trends by geography, showed a rise in the popularity of grey shades around the world. Neutral colours have dominated the market over the last ten years. Although white and black maintained the top positions worldwide, grey is now tied with silver for third place at eleven percent. Grey leads silver in popularity in Europe (by six percent), North America (five percent), and South Korea (seven percent). Grey is most popular in Europe (17 percent), North America (16 percent), South Korea (19 percent), and India (12 percent). Axalta’s Global Automotive Color Popularity Report is in its 64th consecutive edition.

To learn more about Gallant Gray visit axalta.com/color.

About Axalta Coating Systems

Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and providing customers with innovative, colourful, beautiful and sustainable solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the materials we coat to last longer. With 150 years of experience in the coatings industry, the approximately 12,800 people of Axalta continue to find ways to serve our more than 100,000 customers in 130 countries better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and technology. For more information visit axalta.com/color and follow us @Axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn.