Vibrant colors forecast for cars

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
We've seen orange and mint-green clothes on fashion runways recently and pink and blue household appliances on the market. Now make way for banana yellow and luminous teal automobiles.
It's the inevitable trend in Detroit, says The New York Times.
People are in a better mood. The economic outlook is a bit brighter. Terrorism fears have faded. People are ready to lighten up and move away from the black and white that was the mode since 9/11 and the neutrals that so dominated car hues in the 1990s. Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld bought a Hummer recently and had it painted deep burgundy.
One outspoken advocate is Christopher Webb, the color trend manager in North America for General Motors. A former fashion student, he thinks it's time for liquid metal shades. He's pushing for metallic eggplant and a silvery cappuccino frost. And with new technologies, expect unique combinations such as green that shifts to blue as you move side to side, he told the Times.
It may be awhile before you see an eggplant Cadillac in showrooms. Fashion colors turn quickly, and automobiles are planned two to three years before they hit the road.