The choice of paint color when purchasing a car can be an important decision. Vehicle color often reflects a driver's habits and hobbies and can alter resale value. Black, white and silver are classic car colors, but new colors are gaining in popularity. The auto industry exhibits overall trends as to the most popular car paint colors, including the ten top favorites.
White is the most popular car color for two reasons. It subtly differentiates a vehicle from others and it does not show dust or light dirt easily. Buyers who choose this color are now selecting special effects such as pigments with an iridescent or pearl finish.
Black is a sophisticated and classy color. According to DuPont, black is typically in the top three favorite vehicle paint colors. One drawback to this color is that it shows dirt easily. The addition of metallic effects is not as prominent in the United States as it is in Europe.
Silver enjoys high popularity due to its ability to hide dirt and scratches. It also provides a high-tech look. Once considered a "technology" color, silver is now joined by many variations of grey and silvery greens and blues. Silver also has poor visibility in rainy weather.
The color red inspires a sense of power. Bright red is associated with sports cars, while burgundy and darker reds are more popular on luxury vehicles. Drivers of red cars may be cited for more traffic violations because bright red cars are easily visible.
Grey is similar to silver and hides dirt well. It is gaining in popularity in the United States in all car categories, including SUVs, trucks, sedans and sports cars. Metallic effects are also popular within the varying shades of grey.
Dark blue represents luxury while light blue is said to represent fun. In an article in the Los Angeles Times, Karen Surcina, the color marketing manager at DuPont, states that blue is on the rise in the United States due to interest in environmental themes and lifestyles.
Brown has grown in popularity on certain vehicles and is seen as a premium luxury color. Many vehicles, such as the Buick Enclave, are being developed that feature special beiges and browns.
While green has not gained in overall popularity, more variations of the color are now offered in dark and light hues. The new role of green is as an offshoot of silver. Green is considered eco-friendly.
While yellow was once the new red of sports vehicles, it now occupies a unique niche in the car color world. Yellows and golds are often associated with success and family.
This category includes all colors deemed to be exotic, such as purple and bright orange. The Kelley Blue Book Value Guide states that vehicles painted these colors can lose their value because of lack of desirability.
