Chevy Says: Name That Color

Many, MANY moons ago (eons before we had this blog about color), fellow LIFC writer April Clark and I found ourselves at a party in a web of a conversation with two guys who wanted to know what ‘we did for a living’.

Without missing a beat April replied, ‘We work for Estee Lauder. We’re the ones that come up with the color names for lipstick’. Knowing full well that we would never see this duo again and because they both seemed very impressed by our colorful jobs ( truth be told we were at the time simply overly-imaginative waitresses) I of course played right along.

Soon after as we made our way out of the party I looked at April and asked, ‘Where did that come from?”.  She laughed and said “I don’t know-but wouldn’t that be a cool job?”

I had to agree…this many years later I’m still thinking naming colors would be a cool job.

So when I heard about General Motors sponsoring a competition to put a name to a color to one of GM’s first ever extended- range electrical car ( or E-Rev)- the Chevy Volt, I figured here’s April’s and my (and yours too) chance to make this little white lie into a full spectrum reality!

Okay here it is- the Volt in all of it’s pre-production glory.  The current name-less color is described as a Silver exterior with an Emerald hue. The color will be available exclusively on the Chevy Volt which will begin production in late 2010.

Once offically named, the color will join a palette of other Volt exterior colors including Black, Cyber Gray Metallic, Crystal Red Metallic, Silver Ice Metallic and premium White Diamond Tri-Coat.

The Volt gets a test drive.  Very exciting considering the car is expected to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline or producing tailpipe emissions. When the Volt’s lithium-ion battery is depleted of energy, the engine generator seamlessly operates to extend the total driving range to more than 300 miles.

So here’s a quick round-up of the contest from Maria Rohrer, Director, Global Volt & Global Marketing Operations at Chevrolet-

‘Think of a creative name that conveys what the Volt represents in Eco innovation, technology, and the Chevrolet spirit. To enter the contest, simply click on the “Submit Your Name Here” link below beginning at 8 a.m. ET on October 22 and follow the instructions to submit your color name. You can submit a name through 8:00 a.m. ET November 4. We’ll then review the entries and pick three finalists to enter a final round of consumer voting.

Check back on November 16 to find out which three finalists we selected and vote for your favorite name through December 1.  Who knows, maybe you will be the one to join us in Los Angeles for a final “vote-off” and a chance to drive a pre-production Chevy Volt.”

Read the rules and submit your color name here

Okay we’re getting a little bit of a late start since the contest ends in only a few days so April and I will be here racking our brains all morning.  A little bit of a spoiler alert- if reading others submissions throws you off (I know it does me) then avoid scrolling down over what has already been submitted.  ( FYI, you have to be a US resident to eligible to win.)

Here’s a few more images of the Chevy Volt in need of a color name.  So get your creative engines revving (or should I say plugged in) and name that color- Good Luck!

It’s so fascinating to me just how important color is when it comes to our automobiles.  GM’s own study found that 39 percent of consumers will leave a dealership and go to a different dealership, even a different brand if they are not able to find a vehicle in a color to their liking.

It’s no wonder that car companies spend so much time and energy forecasting up and coming consumer trends.  It’s also no wonder that in return, color forecasters for home and fashion keep an eye on what is happening in the world of automotive color.  Funny to think that the latest palette coming down a runway may ultimately have been influenced by what was being seen at an auto show a season or two before.

Check out this video with GM’s own Chris Webb (I remember he took part in one of my favorite Project Runway challenges ever- the week when they had to make an outfit using only car parts from a GM Saturn!).  Here he talks about just how important color and color technology is in the world of General Motors.

Did color choice come into play when you bought your last car?  See what the color of the car you drive says about your personality- a fun rundown of meanings by color guru and Pantone director Leatrice Eisman as featured on Sensational Color.