The Search for the Perfect Yellow for NYC’s Taxi of Tomorrow

After Nissan won the bid to design New York City’s ‘Taxi of Tomorrow’ and replace the iconic yellow cabs, the company realized they had quite a project on their hands.  Nissan first asked city officials if it would be possible to design a cab in any color besides yellow, and officials declined this idea, staying true to the iconic yellow taxis. From this point, Nissan color designers viewed, tested and experimented with an unbelievable amount of yellow shades and swatches.  The project was not as simple as choosing a favorite shade among designers and city officials; much more planning and consideration was required.  The shade had to be easy and inexpensive for paint manufacturing plants and mechanics to obtain, as well as able to cover a cab’s scratches or imperfections easily.   After one year of experimenting with color design, a light and fresher yellow was decided upon and recognized as “icon-worthy” by designers.  It is the hope of Nissan to “brighten the entire New York City landscape, one yellow cab at a time.”