Color Story – Audi Nardo Grey Made It Cool To Be Dull

It’s often said color trends in the automotive market serve as a mirror to society. They reflect the collective moods, cultural shifts, and technological aspirations of the generation in which they’re popular. Look no further than the wild Mopar colors of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, an era forever associated with new social norms. Colors like “Sassy Grass” could have only gotten corporate approval in the time of sex, drugs, and rock & roll.

Fast-forward to the Twenty-teens and the world was a totally different place. The years of economic rebuilding that followed the 2008-09 global financial crisis were marked by a mood of austerity. Suddenly, it wasn’t so cool to flaunt your money, assuming you still had any. Stealth wealth and quiet luxury became popular concepts, and automotive paint colors soon got on board. One notable standout was Audi’s Nardo Grey paint, which debuted on the high-performance RS 7 sports sedan in 2013.

Also called Nardo Grau (paint code LY7C) was named for the historic Nardò racing circuit in Italy. Presumably meant to evoke the look of the track’s wet pavement, it’s effectively primer gray with a gloss clearcoat. It’s neither as predictable as the bright reds or brilliant blues found on many sports cars, nor as somber as the silver, white, or black that make up the default German palette. No metallics, no pearls, no micas. Just medium gray paint with a deep shine.

Judging a Book by Its Cover

Primer-like finishes have a long history as street camouflage for vehicles packing unexpected performance. It was no surprise that VW and Audi enthusiasts soon adopted the color for sleeper projects. The wilder the performance spec, the more appropriate the demure color seemed to make sense. The color may not get the unwanted attention of “Arrest Me Red,” but it packs an even better advantage. Rather than be distracted by vibrant hues, Nardo forces you to pay attention to the finer details of a build.

Initially Audi reserved its special color as an option only for RS performance models, but now offers it more broadly. The same color code is available in other Volkswagen Group products (of which Audi is one). Porsche, for instance, offers it across the range, and VW has a similar color called Pure Grey (LH7J). It didn’t take long to catch on with other carmakers, either, as we’ve covered previously. Toyota now offers “Cement,” Dodge has “Destroyer Gray,” and Ford features “Lead Foot Gray” to achieve the same effect. And our recent visit to the SEMA Show revealed plenty of Nardo-like finishes on a range of cars and trucks.

Trends come and go, but for now Nardo Grey is as popular as ever. The good news is you don’t have to pay a fortune to put the very same color on your own custom project. One affordable option is Eastwood’s OEM Select paint system, which offers more than 75,000 factory finishes, including Nardo Grey. Available in ready-to-spray gallons, quarts, and pints (as well as aerosol spray cans), it’s never been easier to make your project unique with on-trend colors.