why are white cars 7K baht more?

[wanderluster]

i have been doing a little car shopping lately, and most dealerships are charging 7K baht more for a white car then any other color??? why is this???

[speedtripler]

ive heard white is the toughest colour to paint match many years ago

but that was from a guy who paints damaged cars

assume they paint now by robot arm but who knows ? TIT

[David48]

ive heard white is the toughest colour to paint match many years ago

but that was from a guy who paints damaged cars

You are correct about the 'White' colour.

I have a good mate who is a spray Painter ... spent many hours in his workshop over the years.

Essentially there is only one shade of Black ... but a thousand shades of White.

As for the extra cost ... maybe the request for a White is unusual because there are not many in the model that you are looking at, thus it has to be a special order? Just a guess.

[Spoonman]

Silver's are the hardest to colour match.

Reason why white cars are more expensive is cause most are pearls.

[speedtripler]

ive heard white is the toughest colour to paint match many years ago

but that was from a guy who paints damaged cars

You are correct about the 'White' colour.

I have a good mate who is a spray Painter ... spent many hours in his workshop over the years.

Essentially there is only one shade of Black ... but a thousand shades of White.

As for the extra cost ... maybe the request for a White is unusual because there are not many in the model that you are looking at, thus it has to be a special order? Just a guess.

it was a friend who told me was actually owner of a auto repair paint shop as well

he hated doing white jobs because it was harder to get it perfect with the rest of the car

even using the manufactures origianal paint code often needed to be sprayed again etc because

paint changes a bit depending on age of vehicle and exposure to sunlight and rough weather

surely it doesnt matter now though ,hydraulic robot arms do the spraying ,hard to know why any colour

should cost more than another thesedays ...........

[slipperylobster]

I would say most Thai's prefer white, so it is a supply/demand thing.

I know in Japan, they believe white is good luck. It's mainly Shinto there but rubs off on buddhists too...

[Shot]

Titanium dioxide is a major component in white paint. There has, and is a worldwide shortage for about 5-7 years. I don’t recall the specifics but a few large plants in western Africa closed down or changed hands in that time and have not been up to previous supplies since.

[marko kok prong]

Also cooler,temprature wise.

[jkinbkk]

Coming previously from the Automotive Coating business myself and without getting into the technicalities (to much), I would say that white is the most common colour in Thailand due it its ability to defect heat. dark colours absorb heat.

Therefore to my mind, regardless of whether the coating is solid colour, mica or pearl in its appearances, the manufactures have cottoned on to the fact that White is the most popular choice and can make a few extra bucks by making it (seem) exclusive.

The coating system on an automotive vehicle in only 70-180 microns ( 1 micron = 1/1000th mm) thick. The colour provides the aesthetic component only, so very little 'colour' is used. The clear coat (final stage) is the most important as it provides protection against temperature variation, UV, weathering, scratches etc.

Because the clear coat needs to provide the optimum protection, this element is the most expensive in the coating system. This is regardless of the vehicle colour....Red. Black, Silver. Gold or White etc.

Think about it, how often would you choose an alternative colour and save the 7K if white was your primary choice anyway?

I would say almost 100% will pay the 7K extra (albeit begrudgingly) for the colour they most desire.

It's just a good marketing ploy, pure and simple

More info on Automotive Coatings here if your interested

[thai4me]

White is the black of the day. They know people will pay for them.

Before this it was black.

[Som wat]

Because:

White is Right! Fight fight fight!

I'll get me coat.

[Skint]

You gotta spend the extra 7k to ensure you save face on not being a cheap baztard

[bobo42]

When I bought my truck, white was the cheapest. I believe is was something like 5k less for white than another color. I guess its not the same now.

[SoiBiker]

Saves you money on car whitening cream.

[Bung]

I've seen loads of silver cars on the road with mismatched panel paint from repairs. Can't say I've noticed any white ones.....

[wanderluster]

Titanium dioxide is a major component in white paint. There has, and is a worldwide shortage for about 5-7 years. I dont recall the specifics but a few large plants in western Africa closed down or changed hands in that time and have not been up to previous supplies since.

as the op for this topic,,, i will look into your response,, as it seems to be the most probably,, other than the usual,, thai people are evil,,, (which could be true)

just wondering then,, white color should be more expensive in all countrys???? is this so????

as for repaints,,, should not matter,, we are talking about new cars... from factory,, robot painted

[wanderluster]

yes it looks like titanium dioxide is most likely the reason for the higher price for white paint...

after reading TV sherlocks, rhymes and reasons,,, there might be a smart one.... thank you

[Pralaad]

White are the cheapest in Oz.

I think it's because white is popular in Thailand

[cooked]

? When I bought the Nissan, all colours costed exactly the same.

[thaicookingchef]

It's stupid, white will turn yellow under Thai sun.

[Rooo]

Moved to motoring.

[IMHO]

When I bought my truck, white was the cheapest. I believe is was something like 5k less for white than another color. I guess its not the same now.

Yep - Toyota sell white cheaper than other colors - because their white is a standard paint, and all other colors they have are mica paints.

The 7K extra is getting you pearlescent white paint - not standard white.

[sustento]

Because people are willing to pay?

[stevenl]

Depends on the brand and type. When I bought my BT50 I ordered black. When I changed to white because a monk told my wife the day I bought was not good for black I got an adjusted invoice some k Baht cheaper.

[keemapoot]

Honda also charge 20,000 more for white (at least they used to the last new car we bought 2009), but the new Ford we just bought there was no charge extra for White. I suspect it is again, the pearl white which causes the extra cost. The "appliance white" color does not incur extra cost?

Also, just read an article that white is now the most popular color again of all colors in the US and Europe. It's getting more popular here too. Some cars look great in white. Some, like huge SUVs don't look good in white. Personally, I like my big German saloons to be in black, as I currently have, but like white for other cars a lot.

[rawhod]

When I bought my truck, white was the cheapest. I believe is was something like 5k less for white than another color. I guess its not the same now.

Yep - Toyota sell white cheaper than other colors - because their white is a standard paint, and all other colors they have are mica paints.

The 7K extra is getting you pearlescent white paint - not standard white.

Correct...

Our Vigo was 6k more because we wanted a colour rather than white.. We also had to wait two months for the colour rather than immediate delivery on white.

[Thailaw]

When I bought my truck, white was the cheapest. I believe is was something like 5k less for white than another color. I guess its not the same now.

Yep - Toyota sell white cheaper than other colors - because their white is a standard paint, and all other colors they have are mica paints.

The 7K extra is getting you pearlescent white paint - not standard white.

We just bought a "pearl" white Triton. Every dealer we checked added B7,000 to the list price for the pearl white (if standard white was an option, there was no additional charge for it), but every dealer also at least cut the B7,000 in half in the price negotiation, and the one we bought the truck from took it out completely. There may be a small additional cost to the manufacturer in spraying the car/truck with pearl white paint, and there may also be a very small additional charge to the dealer for a pearl white car/truck, but it is, I suspect, small enough that the dealer can absorb the cost to make a sale, and not affect his margin (except for the B7,000 that he loses).

[star kicker]

its not a thai thing. many countries have premium prices for certain colours. sometimes the colour is more expensive to produce and sometimes its demand and supply; when the new style beetle came out is australia you paid a premium price if you wanted one in yellow.

[asiamaster]

You are correct about the 'White' colour.

I have a good mate who is a spray Painter ... spent many hours in his workshop over the years.

Essentially there is only one shade of Black ... but a thousand shades of White.

As for the extra cost ... maybe the request for a White is unusual because there are not many in the model that you are looking at, thus it has to be a special order? Just a guess.

Can I order a "Whiter Shade of Pale" ?

[tonytigerbkk]

To the people above who say that the cost difference is for pearl paint, you are correct.

My company buys most of our paint from DuPont Thailand and they charge more fore pearl paint.

Also our painters inform me that it is much harder to paint with pearl colours.