HBO's 'The Penguin' drives surge in demand for the purple Maserati
- There’s been a massive uptick in searches for ‘purple Maserati’
- It’s all down to the release of HBO’s ‘The Penguin’
- Per the comic-book villain: “Technically, it’s plum”
Published on Nov 14, 2024 at 9:20 AM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Nov 14, 2024 at 4:04 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Forget the Batmobile and James Bond’s fleet of gadget-filled rides; the purple ‘Penguin Maserati’ is now all the rage thanks to HBO’s The Penguin.
There has been a 45 percent increase in searches for ‘purple Maserati’ since its release.
Not only that, searches for ‘purple car’ have gone up by over 243k in the last month.
Although, per the comic-book villain: “Technically, it’s plum.”
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
The purple ‘Penguin’ Maserati
Searches for the purple ‘Penguin Maserati’ have risen by 70 per cent over the last month, per Auto Trader.
There has, of course, been a particular interest in purple-hued Maseratis since the series’ release, too, with a 45 percent increase in searches reported.
The critically acclaimed HBO series has been hotly anticipated by DC fans.
Following the events of The Batman, the series explores the rise to power of Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, in Gotham City.
Oz, played by Hollywood favorite, Colin Farrell, can be seen driving a purple (plum) Maserati Quattroporte throughout the series.
It’s thought that the regal hue is supposed to represent his deep desire to be seen as ‘royalty’ and project status and success within Gotham.
If a car costing north of six figures is out of the budget for most, searches for ‘purple car’ have upped by over 243k in the last month too.
“Batman and his villains are some of the most iconic characters in comic book history,” editorial director Erin Baker said.
“The Penguin has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike.
“It’s not surprising the demand for purple cars and Maseratis has piqued the interest of comic book fans and viewers.”
Other movie automobiles
Cultural zeitgeist goes hand in hand with consumer car behaviour – like Batman’s fully functional Tumbler and this James Bond-inspired Jaguar C-X75 supercar that has been turned into a street-legal one-off.
Brightly coloured cars gained popularity following ‘Barbiecore’ – like the bright pink mystery McLaren 570s that hasn’t moved from a London hotel in four years.
“It’s exciting to see colourful cars begin to regain popularity as our roads have been devoid of colour in recent years,” Baker added.
In fact, Mansory just last month unveiled a new Mercedes G-Wagen you need sunglasses to look at.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
