Why does every car brand have their own weird shade of red?

I had a red sedan years ago - looked incredible when I bought it, but after three summers in the driveway, it faded unevenly. I tried all sorts of waxes and sealants, but nothing really brought back that original depth. My current car’s white, and honestly, it hides dust and sun damage way better. Still miss that red sometimes, though...

Still miss that red sometimes, though...

Totally get where you’re coming from. I had a dark blue coupe before my current car, and it looked amazing for about a year. After a couple summers parked outside, the paint started getting patchy - guess some colors just don’t hold up as well in direct sun. White does seem to hide a lot, but I agree, there’s something about those bold colors you can’t quite replace. Always feels like a bit of a tradeoff between style and practicality.

there’s something about those bold colors you can’t quite replace.

That’s the truth. I had a cherry red pickup years ago - looked sharp, but after a few hot summers on job sites, it faded way faster than I expected. Reds seem to be the worst for sun damage. I get why folks stick with white or silver, but man, nothing pops like a good red. Guess it’s just one of those things where you trade a bit of flash for less maintenance.

Red paint never lasts for me either. Had a Dodge Ram in “Flame Red” - looked killer for about two years, then the sun just ate it alive. I park my work truck outside all day, so maybe that’s part of it, but even the newer paints don’t seem much better. Anyone ever find a red that actually holds up in the sun? Or is it just something you gotta accept if you want that color?

Funny thing, my neighbor’s got a 2018 Mazda in that “Soul Red” and it still looks pretty sharp, even though he parks outside too. I always figured it was just the older paints that faded fast, but maybe some brands are finally cracking the code? Or maybe he’s just washing and waxing more than he lets on...