[Trivia] Why is BMW’s gauge cluster lights red?

BMW’s gauge cluster lights have always been red since the 1970’s. This color of illumination also influenced rest of the interior instruments and over the years, this has become part of BMW’s identity. Why change it, it looks great! However, there is an underlying reason why BMW chose red.

BMW is a German automaker that is known for making every detail of their car excellent. The color use for gauge cluster light is one of those. In fact, the basis for choosing red is scientific. Science says that red is the easiest color for the human eye to absorb when it comes to light. Red-orange lighting has a wavelength of 605 nanometers so it is never tiring to the eye. It matches with how the human eye is designed. Even if you are driving on the dark road and suddenly look down on the cluster, your eyes can adjust easily and this makes night driving a lot safer and easier.

Recent BMW releases have started to use white lighting since it is very easy to see and distinguish in contrast to the dark background. This color is particularly easier to see in daylight. Those white gauges switch to red at night though for all the reasons stated above.