Lexus NX

Metallic paint uses aluminum flake, pearl uses ceramic crystals that refract light into different colors, and matte scatters light so you see form instead of reflections. Each one changes how a car's shape reads, and matte costs 40 to 50 percent more to repair because the clear coat cannot be polished.

Car color is not just a design decision. It is a cultural document. The colors that dominated each decade tell you more about what was happening in the world than almost anything else on four wheels. Paint responds to war, prosperity, economic anxiety, pop culture, and technology in ways that body styles and engines do not. Here is the full story, decade by decade, with a verdict on which era actually got it right...