2007 Citroen Background Info
The 2007 Citroen Vibe
Welcome to 2007-the year Rihanna told us we could stand under her umbrella while we drove cars that looked like they were designed by a high-end appliance manufacturer. Whether you were piloting a C1 through a tight city gap or wafting along in a C6 that looked like a futuristic spaceship, there was one shade that defined the era. We've focused on the ultimate survivor of the 2007 palette: Gris Aluminum Metallic. It was the "Silver Sneeze" of the mid-2000s; if it wasn't silver, did it even exist? It's the color of a decade that was obsessed with looking "techy," and on a Citroen, it actually pulled it off.
Paint Health Check
The 2007 Citroen sits squarely in the Thin Paint Era. Back at the factory, the French started handing the spray guns over to robots that were a little too good at their jobs. These machines were programmed for "Robot Efficiency," meaning they applied the paint with the thickness of a soap bubble. It looked spectacular in the showroom, but fast-forward a few years, and you'll notice the problem: Stone chips. Because the factory coats are so lean, a single pebble on the motorway doesn't just leave a mark-it creates a crater. If you look at your hood and see more "pepper" than paint, blame the robots who were trying to save the company a nickel on every door handle.
Restoration Tip
When you're touching up a car from the Thin Paint Era, you can't just go in heavy-handed. If you drop a massive blob into a chip on a 2007 Citroen, it's going to look like a mountain on a flat plain because the surrounding factory paint is so shallow. The secret is to build your layers slowly. Apply a tiny, paper-thin amount, let it flash off, and repeat. You want to "sneak up" on the surface level rather than burying it in one go. And for the love of all that is holy, don't try to buff it out with a high-speed wool pad unless you want to see bare metal in ten seconds flat. Keep it light, keep it patient, and you'll keep that Gris Aluminum looking sharp.