2009 Most Popular Car Colors
April 23rd, 2009
Judging a book by its cover and judging a car by its colour are no different. Different colours say different things about the drivers who pick them and can sometimes make or break the appeal and longevity of a car.
Could you imagine a Ferarri that isn’t red? We see yellow and black ones occasionally, but they get snubbed by hardcore Ferarri fanatics.
Do you remember the hideous vomit-coloured BMW M3? BMW’s colour choice was the laughing stock of the entire automotive community when it was released. Silver is a classic Porsche colour and British cars almost always have to be dark green. Also, if you drive a white or blue Impala or Town Car, people will think you’re a police officer.
According to DuPont Automotive’s Colour Popularity Report, white is still the top choice, holding 20% of the North American market, while silver and black are tied at 17%. Blue is making a strong comeback, according to the report, coming in at 13%. Grey stands at 12% while red is at 11%, beiges and brown at 5%, green at 3%, yellow and gold at 2% and other colours filling in less than 1%.
Cars with metallic paint are worth more than cars with flat colours and usually demand a premium in dealer showrooms. Metallic cars are said to sell faster as used cars, and could be worth more than a flat-coloured counterpart.
Loud colours such as reds, yellows and oranges are generally more popular on sports cars and compacts, while larger vehicles such as SUVs and trucks, tend to me more neutral.
1. White is probably so popular because it doesn’t show dirt and seems more unique than silver. It’s also said to be unpretentious, with more buyers of luxury cars opting for unassuming pearly finishes instead of loud colours. Also, light colours act as reflectors, so white cars won’t be as hot after sitting in a sunny parking lot all day.
2. Silver also doesn’t show dirt and shares many benefits with white-coloured cars. In pouring rain and bad weather conditions, some complain that silver camouflages too easily and is difficult to see.
3. Black has a stealthy look to it, but shows scratches, dirt and dust like a lighthouse on a foggy night. Black is seen as a sophisticated colour, as a black car generally requires more maintenance to keep it looking fresh. Black also shows off a car’s lines more than a silver car.
4. Blue is going to go through a revival this year, according to DuPont. Dark blues are luxurious while lighter blue hues can be fun and playful in compact cars.
5. Grey is often chosen by people who want to get away from the commonality of silver, but crave all the benefits it offers. Grey could be called anything from “gun metal” to “seal grey” with those looking for something more badass opting for the harsher sounding gun metal.
By Jodi Lai, National Post
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Gun Metal? Now that IS lame. I personally prefer “Pearl Titanium” for my metallic Grey murano. I can agree that there are a lot more white cars on the road.. and the colour that I probably see the least of.. is brown or yellow. I wouldnt mind a yellow car if it fit well..
Pearl Titanium? Really? That doesn’t sound as cool or “bad-ass” comapred to Gun Metal!
Some better names than Pearl Titanium: “Unloved Grey” “Coming Out Greay” “Openly Grey” “Dorian Gray”, and of course my personal favorite “All-Spark Titanium Gun Metal Graphite”.
Dark Blue FTW!!!
I’m surprised beige and brown do not make up more of the market given the baby boomer population all nearing retirement these days. Those are nice “safe” colors for seniors.
I can’t wait to near 50 and consider beige a color option for everything, lawl.
And speaking of hideous vomit-coloured Bimmers, please bring back the lovely green from the late 90’s Dodge Neons & Eagle Talons, lol.
Gun Metal sounds awesome if your Modded.
I have always loved “gun metal” its not as harsh as black and not as dull as silver, can’t say that I would choose the orange green or yellow.
There are few cars as pretty as a silver porsche. The better the car, the more plain colors really look good.
You want to see an ugly color, my sister had a 2004 VW Passat and its color is called Samoa Red, but its brown.. It is one horrid looking color especially when it gets dirty it makes the entire car look cheap.
Need some help picking the right car and the right color, I am trying to find something that is both beautiful and graceful withouth being too pretentiious, A4 is coming to my mind a lot, and I am not sure if that is better than BMW, or should I go for a Lexus HS250H or somehing else? I want to know what color would be a good car color for 2010, most cars are either black, white or silver, would a red A4 be screaming too much or would it be beautiful and graceful? Should I buy white? I am not sure if it is easy to keep clean, any opinions for a nice lady-like car that’s hip would be appreciated…I personally also like the look of Mazda6 but haven’t heard good things about it…also the Nissan Altima, but then again for a ten K diff. why not get the A4? I guess I am confused and in seious need for help…lol
I love the colorful car photo! They are Porsche, right? o_0…
The blue one is so nice!!! The red one is adorable too!
and I think you are right about different colors say different things about the drivers who pick them. It definitely shows the driver’s personality and his/her own taste and preference.