Oranged up for Halloween!

As the nights grow longer and winter beckons, nature puts on a spectacular display as the leaves become a riot of rust and orange. But Autumn is also synonymous with orange for another reason - Hallowe'en – along with the iconic seasonal vegetable, the pumpkin!

As well as bringing joy to people in nature, orange is an evocative tone for use on vehicles. According to Pantone Institute of Colour, people chose their car colour as a way to express their personality. Owners of orange cars tend to be friendly, fun-loving and are inclined to stand out from the crowd (Source). 

Nissan has repeatedly drawn on this for its lineup over the years. From the 1970 Datsun 240Z (initially offered in orange 918 before being renamed Sunbird orange) to the new electric Ariya (cloaked in Akatsuki copper), Nissan has developed a long-standing connection with orange, giving customers the opportunity to express their personality to the fullest.

Lesley Busby, Colour and Trim Design Manager at Nissan Design Europe explains: "The exterior paint is key to a vehicle. That is the first thing consumers see. We love working with orange, it's a vibrant colour, often associated with dynamic and athletic car. That is why we use it often when launching a new vehicle, it stands out."

Indeed, a lot of models, production vehicles or concept cars have been dressed in orange for their public premiere: EXTREM Concept in Solar Cortex in Brazil (2013), the first Murano in Sunlit Copper (2013) and the Sport Sedan Concept in Strad Amber (2014) in North America, the Note e-Power in Orange Pearl Metallic in Japan (2018), the Monarch Orange Sylphy in China (2019) to name a few!

As a matter of fact, the line-up offered by Nissan in the United States alone has nine vehicles available in orange, which is more than any other automotive brand in the country. Nicole Fonseca, Senior Design Manager and expert in automotive colour trends at Nissan Design America, explains the appeal on Nissan's line-up comes from the way the paint is applied - using a multi-dimensional process that results in increased vibrancy.

Nissan's current European line-up offers Micra (Orange Racing), X-Trail (Orange Colorado), Navara and GT-R (Katsura Orange).To celebrate the vivid beauty of orange and the Hallowe'en season Nissan created some mock up vehicles that will surely stand out, no matter how dark and spooky the night can be!