Why did vibrant designs disappear?
Actually, I was just looking for a photo. But no matter what keywords I entered in Lightroom, the picture I had in mind just wouldn't show up. So, I decided to scroll through the database manually since I had a rough idea of when I had saved the photo. That’s when I stumbled upon some (incredibly) red seats. They belonged to a Porsche 911 Targa I photographed last summer at a classic car show in Dortmund.
I paused—this photo really got me thinking!
You hardly see interiors like that today. Cars have become so much more understated. Take a look around next time you're in traffic, and you'll notice a sea of gray, black, and white vehicles. Splashes of color? Rare—both inside and out. If you stop by a grocery store parking lot, you’ll mostly see dark vehicles. At best, a few silver cars break up the monochrome crowd.
It wasn't always this way!
While browsing the Kiel city archive, I found a 1979 photo of the Europaplatz square in front of the Ostseehalle arena. The scene was bursting with color! Bright blues, yellows, reds—cars back then were vibrant. Compared to that, today's automotive landscape seems downright dull.
Kiel, Germany, 1979 (Picture Stadtarchiv Kiel)
Of course, fashion changes. Otherwise, we'd still dress like our ancestors or style our hair the same way they did. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus famously said over 2,500 years ago: "The only constant in life is change."
So why should car design be any different?
In that sense, those red seats I photographed last summer are a perfect reminder of how bold we once were with our cars. There was a time when vehicles weren’t just practical machines—they were statements of personality and individuality. Wouldn't it be nice to bring some of that creative flair back to our roads?
But why do most customers today choose "boring" cars?
A major factor is the rise of leasing. With so many vehicles leased rather than purchased outright, resale value has become a priority. The whole point is to keep monthly payments low, and a high residual value at the end of the lease helps make that possible. Unconventional colors or flashy interiors don't exactly boost resale value, making "safe" choices—like black, gray, and silver—more appealing to both leasing companies and customers.
And that's a shame!
Cars like the Porsche 911 with those bold red seats—or the rainbow of vehicles in that 1975 photo—were fun, eye-catching highlights in an otherwise functional world. Seeing them feels like a postcard from another era.
So, what’s stopping us from choosing a more vibrant car today? Maybe it’s time to bring some color back to our roads. After all, fashion isn’t the only thing that can evolve.
What do you think?
Picture credits: Tom Schwede (1x), Stadtarchiv Kiel (1x)