White Remains Most Popular Car Color in 2014
There’s a saying in French: “Les goûts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas”. It basically means that it is pointless to argue about taste and colors. While I mostly disagree with this proverb, I can’t refute the facts from PPG Industries Annual Automotive Color Popularity Data. PPG is a leading manufacturer of transportation coatings, and the outcome of their annual study shows globally that white continues to be the most popular car color, followed by black (18%) and silver/gray (13%).
The trend is similar for North America where white remains most popular (23%), followed by black (18%), gray (16%) and silver (15%). In addition, PPG indicates for the North American market that:
- 10% of automobiles were coated in natural hues such as golds, beiges, yellows, oranges and browns. Browns in particular are growing in popularity in midsize and SUV models
- Sports models continue to be the most likely to feature red, blue or green shades. All three colors overtook gray and silver as more popular colors for sport models
- Luxury vehicles, 24% of which were white in 2014, are most likely to feature effect finishes such as metallic or pearl tri-coat
What’s left out of PPG’s press release is why white, black, gray and silver are the most popular colors for automobiles. From what I gather, the perennial popularity for these neutral colors is assured based simply on their inherent plainness. As such, neutral colors are popular on cars for a number of reasons:
- They are considered to be more tasteful, timeless, flattering, and fool-proof than bright colors
- They can be acceptably paired with any other conceivable color
- They do not run the risk of falling embarrassingly out of style far before the vehicle itself has become decrepit
- Some drivers also choose neutral colored cars because they fear that a non-neutral car could “clash” unpleasantly against their house, with other cars, or even with particular outfits while driving
The last reason seems far-fetched. Would someone seriously choose the color of their car as a function of the color of their house? Also the popularity of these colors probably boosts their continued ubiquity. Dominant car colors tend to remain dominant, as most new cars are bought straight from the lot, where dealers preferentially stock the colors that sell reliably. One last reason; white is a free option and washes off easily, which adds to its popularity.
Except on certain occasions, I’ve always been antagonistic on white for a car. The first car I remember my father having was a Rabbit Mark I. It was white because of his work as a mobile emergency doctor in Paris, and I always thought of buying a replica one day. I also believe some cars, such as Ms or 911s, should only be bought in their classic colors; that is Arctic Silver and Alpine White. And I would strongly consider joining the dark side (no pun intended) if I ever bought one of these.
But then again, some say it’s pointless to argue on taste and colors…
<p>Give me a fun, shouty color any day of the week; I don’t want to live in Pleasantville.</p>
<p>But with a white or black roof?</p>
<p>No roof, please. =)</p>
<p>Body color or convertible or bust.</p>
<p>I think MINI played a big part in bringing white cars back onto the roads, certainly in the UK… back in 2001, there were virtually no white cars to be seen. Pepper White was introduced to the colour palette for the ’03 model year (if I recall correctly), and after a slow start, became a consistently top choice for new factory builds. And for me as a sales manager at the time looking for used car stock, it was always a good safe buy. In the years that followed, Alpine White on BMWs becomes more and more popular, as did white for most other premium and volume manufacturers. But MINI led the charge…</p>
<p>White is easier to keep “Clean looking”, it does not get as hot to the touch on the exterior finish or get as much heat gain on the interior during the summer months, and conversely it is more easily heated during the winter months because white reflects heat back into the cabin. It is a color that blends into the herd and a bit less likely to get pulled over by Smokey Bear :-)</p>
<p>“it is more easily heated during the winter months because white reflects heat back into the cabin”. Really… how does the paint on the exterior reflect to the inside surfaces?</p>
<p>The paint is the same color on both side of the paint. It reflects on both sides.</p>
<p>So let me get this straight… You’re saying that during the winter months when it’s cold outside heat, say from sunlight, hits a white vehicles exterior and is reflected away. Ok I understand that idea as way back in high school I was taught that darker colors absorb heat and conversely lighter ones do not. The part I’m having trouble with is that heat being reflected by the side of the paint that’s attached to the sheet metal body of the vehicle. How does that sunlight get to that surface? It would need to come in through the vehicles windows travel through the interior trim panels and the sheet metal in order to strike the inner surface of the paint. Oh wait, it would also need to go through the primer. Tell you what, try this… If you’ve got a mirror in the house turn it around so the shiny side faces the wall. Now, how’s that reflection working for you?</p>
<p>Do not you heat your car in the winter? That heat goes somewhere either out through the glass OR out through sheet metal. Now if you have painted your windows or covered them with a coating that is reflective to heat then the concept might apply there as well, but the color of the car was the discussion, not window tints.</p>
<p>Baloney, the biggest part of the car that is artificially heated is the passenger compartment, which has a large glass section and the undercarriage that isn’t painted. Plus on the metal surface absorb more of the heat than any theoretical reflection from a painted surface on the opposite side of the painted metal panel.</p>
<p>If it ever gets down to having to choose my vehicles color based on reflected heat values we’re all in deep trouble. As for keeping warm within the confines of said vehicle I prefer to simply rotate the dial to a higher temperature and let the automatic temperature control do the work. Lots of times I’ve even got the sunroof fully open and the heater going as I like the effect.</p>
<p>I’ve lived in many places all over the country, what I’ve noticed is a reflection of this articles content. People buy “safe”. Are they afraid to stand out or be different, probably. Do they fear the neighbors will shun them, probably. Are they boring people, probably. Come on people get some color in your lives. I knew a librarian in Dallas who complained about my “technicolor postings on our car club forum… he couldn’t deal with color as his life within the library was all black and white. Sad that so many people are so boring.</p>
<p>“Boring”? How does a colorful car make a person more interesting? If you’re having a conversation with someone and they think you’re dull do you show them a picture of your car or something?</p>
<p>Some things just look better in certain colors, and it has nothing to do with whether someone’s boring. Tuxedos look best in black. Wedding dresses look best in white. Limousines look best in black. Men’s dress shoes and belts look best in black or brown. Can it feel commonplace? Sure. Does it change the fact that it looks sharp? Nope.</p>
<p>Cars look really great in black. I’ll be ordering my MINI in midnight black metallic because it looks very cool.</p>
<p>And if you want to wear a purple tux with a white belt and shoes while driving around in your volcanic orange MINI, more power to you.</p>
<p>The word I used was “probably”…</p>
<p>prob·a·bly</p>
<p>?präb?bl?,?präbl?/</p>
<p>adverb</p>
<p><pre><code> almost certainly; as far as one knows or can tell."she would probably never see him again"</code></pre></p>
<pre><code>synonyms:
in all likelihood, in all probability, as likely as not, (very/most) likely, ten to one, the chances are, doubtless, no doubt; archaiclike enough"I knew I would probably never see her again"
</code></pre>
<p></p>
<p>Yes I’ll admit black vehicles look nice, when they are clean. When their dirty thats another story, they also show damage much more readily. A small sporty car can wear a bright color and get away with it much more easily than a slab sided pick me up truck… look at Lotus or TVR. I just happen to be in the minority of vehicle owners preferring a vehicle of color as it stands out and obviously the safety reasons. White, silver or grey vehicles tend to vanish in winter or foggy weather. And black all but vanishes under cover of darkness.</p>
<p>Uhhhhh, yeah, the dictionary copy/paste just cements it more: “Probably”, “Almost certainly”, “No doubt” that they’re boring people? Again, how does a colorful car make you more interesting?</p>
<p>Especially since you purchased your “bright colored” car for “safety reasons”?</p>
<p>I’m forced to use the copy/paste dictionary definitions as obviously you do not understand what it is I’m saying. You are reading in your own meaning which is a shame.</p>
<p>I’ll try once more… look at any parking lot or freeway in the country and you’re faced with a virtual sea of black, white, silver and grey vehicles. That is simply BORING to look at. Everyone drives the same colored vehicle save for a few points of color to accentuate an otherwise BORING scene.</p>
<p>I knew a fellow years ago who painted his small aircraft bright yellow (most aircraft are white). He did this for a reason, when you’re flying through the sky and theres nothing to differentiate your plane from the sky and surrounding cloud cover it helps to have a “not of nature” colored plane, i.e.:Piper Cub.</p>
<p>You said of the drivers that “they” are probably boring because their cars aren’t brightly colored. I think it’s terribly presumptuous to say someone is boring based on the color of their car.</p>
<p>Here’s a counter to your flawed logic: I know you have a very brightly colored car, but I’m finding you to be quite boring.</p>
<p>Please go back and re-read the definition of PROBABLY, specifically the words “almost certainly; as far as one knows”… that’s the key.</p>
<p>As far as I can tell it appears to me that because such a large percentage of owners drive the same or similarly colored vehicles, i.e. black, white, silver or grey, the vast majority are PROBABLY, there’s that word again so try not to read your own meaning into it, boring. Perhaps they are not boring, I have no practical way of contacting/meeting every owner of the aforementioned colored vehicles which blanket parking lots, freeways and auto dealerships, nor would I want to.</p>
<p>Here’s something for you to mull over… it’s by no means the only study out there, but it is representative. According to this study persons who purchase black vehicles all but outright yell “I’m important and in control”. Here’s a link to the article, <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2014/01/15/what-your-car-color-says-about/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2014/01/15/what-your-car-color-says-about/</a> which is where I gained my opinion that people who buy these cars are PROBABLY boring.</p>
<p>Opinions are not right or wrong they just are. Everyone has one… Your opinion is based on a misinterpretation of the word PROBABLY… for this reason I’m not wasting any more time discussing this with you because you’re obviously lacking in learning skills.</p>
<p>BTW… does your log on moniker “one9deuce” indicate your date of birth, January 1992? If so your indicated preference for black vehicles and young age explains a lot to me regarding your wanting to be “right”.</p>
<p>You: “Perhaps they are not boring, I have no practical way of contacting/meeting every owner of the aforementioned colored vehicles”</p>
<p>And there you have it, I couldn’t have said it better myself.</p>
<p>Also, your assessment of my user name in relation to my age is about as accurate as your assessment of people with black, white, or silver cars. You’re off by 20 years. I don’t feel a need to be “right”, it’s just mildly annoying that you keep backing off of your original statement that people that don’t have colorful cars are “probably boring”. You said it, you should stand by it. Debating the word probably doesn’t change anything. Most anyone who speaks English as a first language would define “probably” as more than half at the very least, but it could be that only 1% of people with white cars are boring people. You have no way of knowing, as you said so yourself.</p>
<p>Hugh, to be fair, you weren’t run off the board by a colorblind librarian. You were sent packing due to your borderline nutter rants after you were asked multiple times not to spam the board with your huge colorful fonts that messed with the formatting of the site. When you were asked again, instead of complying, you doubled down on both your technicolor drivel, with that final rant about stupid Texans and how they like SUV’s and guns.</p>
<p>WOW… must be a skeleton in the closet, at least one who’s afraid to use their real name.</p>
<p>First I was NEVER asked not to use colorful fonts for any of your reasons, I was kidded about it multiple times. And secondly it was NEVER explained why to not use these colors or fonts. If these fonts and colors truly “messed with the formatting of the site” then why were they available? As I remember everything I posted seemed to post just fine. And BTW, they’re still available… sizes 1 through 7, 1 being the default (I usually chose size 3 or 4 as it was easier for me to read) and 40 different colors And yes I still feel the same way about Texans, or persons of any other state (but Texans take it to an all time high) and their love of huge SUV’s and guns, it makes absolutely no sense to drive around in a gargantuan vehicle while getting mediocre fuel economy toting a sidearm. BTW, this is known as freedom of speech.</p>
<p>Wonder if this accounts for fleet/work vehicles, which tend to be white. I pick color based on what looks good on a particular car, so I generally don’t have a bias toward colors on their own. MINI could stand offering more daring colors, though Volcanic is pretty bold. I just ordered a BRG/white/Truffle F55, though if if there were brighter interiors, I probably would’ve done different paint.</p>
<p>My assumptions is that it also accounts for fleet/work vehicles. PPG works directly with manufacturers regardless who those brands sell to; you, me, Hertz, etc.</p>
<p>Isn’t it also a bit of a chicken/egg sort of thing too. You can only buy the colors the manufacturers offer. I’ve been looking at a fair few car manufacturer websites lately. And the choices of color seem to be limited to white, black, grey, dark grey, light grey, silver, dark silver, maybe a dark red, and perhaps a shade or two of blue if you’re lucky.</p>
<p>Good point.</p>
<p>“white, black, grey, dark grey, light grey, silver, dark silver” are SAFE colors that the manufactures know they can sell to anyone. Whereas blue, red, yellow and yes even orange are questionable colors… Can we sell this before the new models come out?… Better play it SAFE and stick with the tried and true colors that inundate every parking lot and freeway in the nation.</p>
<p>In Canada, White and Orange are the only colors they don’t charge extra for. Since orange is not available every year, I would presume the default color for most who don’t want to pay anymore, would be white.</p>
<p>try vinyl wrap for a more interesting look … solid color or any graphic design imaginable.
I like white, but it absolutely can be boring. Black is morbid looking.</p>
<p>Thank you. White is boring as it’s everywhere in overabundance… And yes black is rather morbid, I’m not ready for the undertaker just yet</p>
<p>My last three cars were: White, Gray and Black but If I could afford a used BMW 1M it would be Valencia Orange.</p>
<p>My last 2 cars (both MINIS) were all Pepper White on my ’08 MCS & ’12 Spicy Orange (with black roof) on my current JCW Coupe. My next MINI a 2015 4 door F55S, currently crossing the Atlantic scheduled to arrive the Brunswick, Ga port this Sat is Thunder Gray with black roof. How’s that for a mix of colors??
I liked the white…especially here in Fl with the heat, the Spicy OJ because it just looks sharp on the Coupe, & the Thunder Gray just because I’ve never had a car that color & I think it’ll look great with all the blackout plans I have…waist line, headlight/taillight rings etc., just like I did on my Coupe!!!!</p>
<p>All I’m going to say is God please save us from the onslaught of Mini Coopers that are larger than need be, we already have the Countryman/Paceman, why another version… Mini’s take on the station wagons from years gone by or a shrunken SUV. Take your choice but neither option appeals to my senses</p>
<p>It’s not hard to believe. White is easy to keep clean, hides scratches and dings well, and is comforting. White being the most popular color is probably the same reason vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor.</p>
<p>Hummmm… easy to keep clean, yes it is if you never drive in the rain or a winter storm you’re set. it will hide a lot of abuse, thus the reasoning behind flats being painted white. Comforting… I don’t know about how comforting it feels to have the same color car as a quarter of all the other cars on the road. Like they’ve said for years “plain vanilla”</p>
<p>Surely – White, black and red are most likely to be the most popular because they are most likely to be the no cost option colours?</p>