By Erica

Many of you know I am a long time lover of beautiful, sleek, fast cars. More recently, though, I have been in a state of hurt. Cars all look so much the same, with attempted breakouts like huge grids and bloated backs not coming close to tickling that desire to become even cooler just by assuming the position behind the wheel. But there’s another thing too that’s getting to me. No colors. Rows and rows of white and gray and black and maybe an occasional navy or generally murky red or tan. Makes me crazy. 

I am not talking about all those bright colors BMW has happily put on mini coopers or Fiat is putting on their 500 or VW used on their beetles. (Another tragedy—the end of the beetle.) Those are fine and fun for fun cars. But that’s not it. I am talking beautiful colors for serious cars.

What happened to MGB racing green? Fast! That midnight blue/black with a bit of sparkle? Gorgeous Big Apple Red? Silvery shimmery blues like my old Mercedes SL with the red and navy stripe down the side? The yummy metallic turquoise leather that dresses my husband’s ‘66 Corvette? What happened to those? 

Or what about some creative juices for the future. Remember Nora Ephron's story about the fashion designer Bill Blass who asked why convertibles didn't have white linen slipcovers in the summer? Or whether gray flannel might look better in cars than on men? Maybe we should revisit that. 

Anyway, at least until now, the only color I drool over is Bentley Blue. It’s beautiful. Powder puff. Elegant. And on the convertible, well, you could just swoon. Problem is I can’t afford that, and even if I could, I don’t think I could bear getting even the smallest nick in that gorgeous finish. That’s just not my life. Drat!

So imagine my glee when friends visited this summer and told me about the “wrap” on their Genesis. We all know about “wraps” of course. First saw them on London cabs, and now they are on buses and commercial vehicles everywhere.

But personal!  The wrap on their car is kind of metallic, kind of chameleon. Turns red or blue or green depending on the light. People wave with thumbs up on the road. Parking attendants feel protective, keeping it in their special place. The car train to Florida treats it better than any Rolls that might be nearby. Makes you feel happy. And special. Wow, that’s really cool. 

So, I am thinking. My personal color. Maybe I can even make up my own Bentley Blue.