Interview Mark Gutjahr, BASF
Which colours are popular? Grey was the most popular colour internationally in 2025, whereas black had previously been in the lead. However, colours are slowly making a comeback. Mark Gutjahr, Head of Automotive Colour Design at BASF, explains why colour and design are becoming increasingly important in the era of electric mobility.
Mr Gutjahr, could you tell us about your career path?
I did a broad-based degree in design at KISD in Cologne. The course covered a wide range of topics, including design history, gender design, graphic design, typography, and user interface design. During this time, I also designed furniture, created exhibitions and worked as a freelancer, nationally and internationally.
Even during my studies, I took on projects for BASF, first for the Ludwigshafen company and later for the Coatings division. As these projects became more frequent, I joined BASF full-time in 2011.
Which car colours have influenced you?
When I was a child, cars came in much more colourful designs. Silver became popular in the 1980s and, by the end of the 1990s, there had been a dramatic shift towards non-colours in the market. During the 2000s, almost every third car was silver. Today, black, white and grey dominate worldwide, with black currently experiencing the strongest growth.
At the same time, colour is making a comeback. Many manufacturers are once again embracing bright colours, partly because they realise that differentiation and emotional appeal are becoming more important in such a competitive environment.
Can you describe your role at BASF in more detail?
I am responsible for the global automotive design team, which is based in Europe, Asia and America. We collaborate closely with the design departments of all major car manufacturers. Our role involves developing colour concepts, identifying future trends, and ensuring they are technologically feasible.
That doesn’t sound easy…
We take on a mediating role. On the one hand, there are designers at car manufacturing companies who have very specific ideas about what colours should look like. On the other hand, our colour laboratories and technology departments have to assess whether these ideas can be implemented in series production. Our job is to translate between these worlds and ensure that an idea is turned into a feasible colour shade.
Marketing, production and quality management are also often involved in these processes. Every decision impacts costs, processes and scalability. Our task is to bring these perspectives together at an early stage and resolve any conflicts before they arise in the production process.
How does the development of a specific colour work?
It always starts with a briefing. Sometimes the impetus comes from the customer, and sometimes from us. It could be a trend colour from our annual trend collection or a request for an entirely new colour for a model series or vehicle launch.
Together, we clarify the intended use of the colour shade: will it be used for a single model or across brands? Is it intended for a high-volume model or a limited series? Will it be produced worldwide or only in certain plants? The shape of the vehicle also plays a role, as colour has a different effect on angular bodies than on flowing ones.
Continue reading on Gateway to Automotive.
