Silver, like the shade shown on this 2010 Toyota Camry, remains the most popular car color for the ninth year running.
Forget ticket-me-red, mysterious black or any of the other hot new shades, silver is the color chosen by more motorists than any other shade, according to the paint supplier PPG Industries, for the ninth year in a row.
But other studies show that there’s growing interest in alternative colors, such as “molten orange” and grabber blue,” grabbing for consumer attention.
“Silver tones work well with today’s tinted metallic textural looks,” explains Jane Harrington, PPG’s manager of automotive color styling, adding that, “The density of silver, from subtle hue shifts to dimensional metallic flake appearances, works with a variety of vehicle styles.”
Research by PPG found that in the U.S. silver was chosen by 25% of all new vehicle buyers during the 2009 model-year, up from 20% in 2008. And it was even more popular abroad, accounting for 35% in Europe and 34% in the various markets collectively known as the Asia/Pacific region.
By comparison, the second most popular choice, white, scored a distant 18%. Black was third, at 16% and red was picked by only 12% of car, truck and crossover buyers.
American color preferences have changed dramatically, over the years. Back in 1994, for example, PPG data showed that green was the best-selling color, with silver chosen by just 8% of buyers, and mostly then on luxury models.
Color choices can vary dramatically by region, as well. Japanese motorists, for example, have traditionally preferred white over all other colors. Europeans have generally gone for neutrals, including not only silver but black and gray. The data also suggest that color preferences reflect economic conditions, with darker and less flamboyant colors gaining ground during hard times, like now.
Paint technology has evolved dramatically, over the years, and Harrington noted that silver and gray have gained popularity because event the most subtle versions can now shine.
Color preference, however, is particularly driven by the type of automobile a buyer is choosing. Bright colors, like red, are especially popular on sports cars, but rare on luxury sedans, for example.
Ford reports that 39% of the buyers of its F-150 SVT Raptor pickup are opting for bright “molten orange,” while about 10% of Mustang customers – well in excess of the company’s forecast – are choosing “grabber blue.”
Small cars have traditionally been purchased in a wider palette of colors than other models, and that’s true around the world. Ford data find a sizable number of customers for the compact Fiesta picking shades like lime green “squeeze,” and “passion orange.”
In fact, customer surveys found that having the right color available was one of the most significant reasons why Fiesta buyers say they chose the Ford subcompact.