Paint Color Availability

[1camaro70]

From Corvetteblogger.com:

Well, it looks like you can write off Cyber Gray, Crystal Red and Jetstream Blue as colors available for the 2011 Corvette. Jetstream Blue was already being phased out of this year’s remaining 2011 production, but the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan has affected several other colors that have automakers scrambling. And now we are hearing that customers with existing Corvette orders in the system are being asked to choose new colors.

The decreased color choices for Corvette (as well as other makes/models) is the result of damage to a plant in the Japanese town of Onahama that makes a shiny pigment called Xirallic. The pigment is used in metallic paints due to its shimmering appearance. The coastal town took damage in the earthquake and tsunami and as its only 35 miles away from the stricken Fukashima nuclear power plant, high levels of radiation are all but insuring that the shortage could last for some time.

The Wall Street Journal noted the affects on the automobile industry and provided the following:

A car paint shortage in Japan is causing new problems for the auto industry. A type of shiny pigment widely used in car manufacturing is only produced at a single plant in Japan.

The pigment is called Xirallic and is only produced at an Onahama plant owned by Merck KGaA, a German chemical company. Onahama is a town on the Japanese coast where citizens are still struggling to recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan earlier this month. In the wake of the tsunami, the town has been exposed to the radiation leaking from the Fukashima nuclear reactor.

Many major auto makers, such as Ford Motor Co., Chrysler Group LLC, Volkswagen AG, BMW AG, Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Co., employ Xirallic to give their metallic paints a sparkling appearance. The troubles in Onahama have forced them into a desperate search to find some other type of paint they can use. Last week Chrysler told dealers that the company plants to limit orders for vehicles in 10 different colors that employ Xirallic pigment. Ford had already told dealers it could no longer take orders for F-150 trucks and other models using “tuxedo black” and three shades of red.

Several Corvette dealers have confirmed that some cars that were ordered in Cyber Gray and Crystal Red Metallic have been kicked back with the request to choose a different color. That’s bad news as both Cyber Gray and Crystal Red Metallic are two of the most requested

[cab2g]

dun dun dun! Why is it that so many manufacturers all buy metallic pigment from one plant? It must be patented.

[jgr]

All American?

[Kurushio]

I guess thats kinda good for me then lol. Ive been starting to see a few too many CGM's around all of a sudden.

[DevilKnightFalcon]

Originally Posted by jgr

All American?

In a global economy like we have today it is foolish to expect that 100% of the parts for something as large and complex as a car would come from the USA. Heck the cars are built in Canada afterall.

[GearHeadPeter]

Originally Posted by DevilKnightFalcon

In a global economy like we have today it is foolish to expect that 100% of the parts for something as large and complex as a car would come from the USA. Heck the cars are built in Canada afterall.

I agree. When I got my 2011 I found out that my engine was made in Mexico, the A6 in France, and when I took out the OEM side markers they were made in China.

To have a single source vendor for something that every auto manufacturer uses for paint is just bad business IMHO.