Black, White and Grey All Over...

It’s not just black and white in Sao Paulo... there is a bit of grey too. The people here are a range of any possible color from the varied European, Native Indian and African groups. The buildings range from red to yellow to blue. But, for some reason, the cars lack any sort of creative color... In Sao Paulo, there are three car color options: White. Black. Grey.

But why is that? In the U.S. we have red cars and green cars and brown cars and blue cars. Not to mention the crazy colors that come out such as unique oranges, yellows and purples that some people purchase. Well, I haven’t done any research, but this is something I’ve been thinking about for a while now. Why in the world does Brazil not have colored cars?



And there are two things I can think of. First, Brazil’s over-filled streets used to be fairly empty not long ago. Only recently have Sao Paulo and some of the other big cities in Brazil, such as Brasilandia and Rio de Janeiro, been able to afford cars. This idea of each family having access to a car is very modern as Brazil’s economic strength in the world is also a new concept.

As cars became more and more popular in Brazil, a few cheap models have flooded the streets. Everywhere you look, there are the same three or four car models. The car model companies sell cars cheap and in the same color, so there aren’t options for people to choose from.

However, I think this lack of car color goes beyond the fact that these three colors are affordable cars. I think colored cars come with a status. Someone with a car with color, therefore, is seen as someone who can go above and beyond the average car and therefore has an excess of money. And in Sao Paulo, no one wants to be seen in the street as having an excess...

My hypothesis is that this lack of color out and about on the streets has come about as the majority of people have purchased the same color and those who can afford to purchase something different don’t want to stick out. In the U.S., it is normal for people to have any color, so the car does not stick out as much. Here, no one wants to be the odd man out, the yellow car in the sea of greys or the orange car in the wave of blacks. Being the odd man out in Sao Paulo risks being the person whose car is vandalized, robbed or attacked. And, as far as the streets are concerned, “blending-in” means living with a sea of black, white and grey.