From traditional to trendy, green-hued cars took the internet by storm in 2020 and beyond. I even dedicated an Instagram page to Green Over Tan in 2019, and it wasn't long before other once-overlooked shades of purple and brown joined in the hype. Some shades stick around, others dwindle, but there's been one colour that's remained incredibly popular, and is now set to make a comeback once more. Is white the new grey? Don't just take our word for it, because we spoke to a man whose entire career has been built on an undying love of colour, materials and refinement. Neil Clifford, CEO of 62-year-old footwear and accessory label Kurt Geiger, firmly believes shades of white are making a deserving comeback: “White is coming back fast after all the hype of green, purple and brown. It’s time to revert to pure design again – nothing shows a car in its cleanest form than white.” With this in mind, we tasked Neil with sifting through the Classic Driver Market to find his ideal white-hued candidates, and his choices certainly make for a strong case!
Bianco! Bianco!
Sure, Italian cars look good in just about any colour, and while the majority of owners opt to paint their prized possessions from Maranello and Turin in Rosso, Neil’s choice for Italian motoring bliss is Bianco. Opting for a Bianco Ferrari 512 BB, Neil has fond memories of what is one of our favourite models to roll out of Maranello towards the end of the 1970s. “I have a friend who has just restored a white 512. This was the car I would draw in the back of my maths book when I should have been paying attention, but was instead daydreaming of the future. Fast forward to now, and I am fortunate to own a yellow example.”
Elsewhere from the Italian peninsula, Neil picked arguably the best two car solution - a Bianco Perlato Lamborghini LM002 and an Alfa Romeo Giulia from 1967; “5-speed, disc brakes and a glorious engine note, what’s not to love about a white step nose for a trip to Goodwood Revival in style?”
Old English White
Between 2013 and 2016, White was officially the most popular colour for new cars in the United Kingdom, only to be outdone by the many, many shades of grey and silver which have remained the Britain's favourite hues ever since. Neil mentioned earlier his love for white as it showcases the design of the car in its purest form, and this couldn’t be truer with British car design. His first choice is a prime example: a wedged wonder from Aston Martin in the form of a 1982 Lagonda. Powered by a mighty 5.3-litre V8, this example spent its early life in the International Car Centre of Doha, Qatar as a show car, finished in Dover White with Magnolia Piped Burgundy Leather trim.
Two other British beauties follow the Lagonda, and couldn’t be more different if they tried. The first, a cheeky Austin-Healey Mk1 ‘Frog Eye’ Sprite, a car which Neil describes the perfect use case for: “Think English summer evenings, blue skies, crisp warm breeze and this plucky little joy-giver singing in your ears. Pure countryside bliss!” Neil’s second choice is something entirely different, a car that stopped him in his tracks, “The Noble M600 – wow! A thinking man’s British F40 for a fraction of the price, and have you ever seen another one in white?!”
Weiß und Wunderbar
Of course, we couldn’t bring a collection of Neil’s favourite cars without mentioning some German-crafted delights. In a recent episode of BMW Classic’s Classic Heart podcast with our very own J.P Rathgen, when asked to name three of his favourite cars from his collection, Neil mentioned his longest-owned car, a 964-generation 911 Carrera RS, as well as a 2.7 RS, with a Ferrari 458 Aperta claiming the final spot. German cars make up most of Neil’s collection, and so choosing white-shaded machines was tricky. His first choice, a Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC finished in Glacier White, showcases German overengineering at its very best.
Neil’s next choice is another 1990s dream-machine, and one close to his heart: a 964-generation 911 Carrera RS. Not Rubystone Red like his own example, but finished in the iconic Grand Prix White. “You can’t write a list of dream cars without including a Porsche, it would be illegal! To me, the RS is the king of the no frills Porsche world, nothing will ever come close!”
The Wild Card
White is the shade that dominates the Japanese flag, and it's also their traditional grand prix racing colour. White offers the purest way to showcase simplicity in design, while also allowing pops of colour to shine brighter than ever, something Nissan has been doing for decades with the Skyline GT-R. That flash of red within the ‘R’ let’s others know you mean business, and Neil’s choice when talking Japanese machines is this outrageous Nissan Skyline R33 GTR 400R by NISMO. One of a believed 40 ever produced, the shade of white brings a subtly to its wide-bodied presence and allows those iconic silver side graphics to sing.
So that’s Neil Clifford’s pearly white selection of some of the finest machines he found on the Classic Driver Market. While Verde Pino, Blu Pozzi or Imola Yellow may still be your dream shade, you can’t deny that Neil’s choices have made an excellent case for White’s triumphant comeback!
