Top 10 car colors (and why we choose them)
By Larry Getlen • Bankrate.com

Austin-based filmmaker Christine Irons bought her green Suzuki Sidekick because, due to its color and shape, it reminded her of a frog. She would not have purchased that car in any other color, and she affectionately refers to the car as "Frog."

Los Angeles stand-up comedian Mishna Wolff bought a white 1984 Pontiac Fiero with a two-tone brown bottom just last week, after rejecting red and blue options outright, because she considers it "the grooviest thing I'd ever seen."

Speaking to car buyers, regardless of age, occupation or geography, indicates that the color of their cars is more than just a matter of basic aesthetics: It's a deeply personal and emotional decision that can reveal as much about the person as about the car. In fact, Yankelovich and Partners, a marketing consultancy specializing in lifestyle trends and customer targeting solutions, has reported that as many as 40 percent of customers would switch car brands if unable to get the car color they desire.

At times, though, consumers are uncomfortable admitting the obvious. New York comedian Moody McCarthy bought a used, silver Honda Civic last year, and notes that, "it's a funny point of the phone chat with the seller, after we've both spent five minutes pretending to know the importance of timing belts, to ask, 'Oh, and what color is it?'"

Silver takes the crown
Trends in car colors have changed over the years, but one undeniable trend of the past few years has been the power of silver, the most popular car color in the world. According to J.D. Power and Associates, over 22 percent of cars purchased in the United States were silver, a figure slightly higher than previous years, and the sleek shade also led the pack in Asia and Europe.

The power of color
While no one is certain why silver has achieved such mysterious and sudden dominance, some hypothesize that silver, much like black, conveys power and authority, and now that baby boomers are the generation of power, silver illustrates how far they have come.

"Silver seems to be the new white," says Karl Brauer, Editor-In-Chief of Edmunds.com. "White has been extremely popular for many years, in sharp contrast to the long-standing popularity of black that dates back to the beginning of automotive history."

Ever since the days when black, the only color offered on the Model-T, was dominant, car color has been a strong signifier of personal standing and self-assessment. But, of course, the significance of color extends way beyond the invention of the automobile.

According to professional color therapist Valerie Logan-Clarke, the pigments used to dye fabrics violet or purple in Roman times were very expensive, and were therefore only available to the wealthy. So Romans in high office would wear purple robes, indicating power, nobility and authority.

Logan-Clarke also notes how every color has positive and negative attributes. Silver can relate to "feelings of superiority" and "great mental powers."

Green, meanwhile, is seen as relating to the heart, and could signify excessive generosity and sympathy, or, on the other hand, possessiveness and, in accordance with the oft-heard phrase "green-eyed monster," jealousy. So, if one were to meet a potential suitor with a green car, one might be headed for a relationship full of unbridled love and understanding, or one may sink into a tunnel of neediness and despair.

Color also can signify our relationship to the world, both as individuals and as a society. Renee Brodie is the author of two books on color therapy, "The Healing Tones of Crystal Bowls: Heal Yourself with Colour and Sound" and "Let Light into your Heart with Colour and Sound."

According to Brodie, exotic colors were favored by wealthy carriage owners in the pre-automobile days. But when the auto emerged, colors were drab, as manufacturers offered few choices. It was only when the automobile became more commonplace and people became more comfortable with the idea of them that individuality emerged and a car's color became a reflection of its owner.

"As cars became commonplace and affordable by all," says Brodie, "the individuality and ego emerged, and cars became a status symbol to reflect the personality and lifestyle of the owner. Those who wanted to be seen were drawn to brighter colors without actual knowledge of the meaning of color, but it made them feel good."

Orange you glad you can choose banana?
Car color can signify more than status or personal quirks, however. Brodie notes that the ever-popular black reflects a desire to remain hidden from the world.

The exact opposite of this, however, is noted in the growing reemergence on production lines of colors such as orange and yellow, colors which have not yet cracked the top 10, but which some automakers note are growing in customer desirability. DaimlerChrysler, Ford and GM are all increasing their offerings of orange for 2003 models.

Also, while traditional power colors like silver and black dominate, even those colors are being given new twists, with DaimerChrysler offering increased variations on silver in 2003, including tinting it with green or blue.

While the shift away from reds and blues would seem to signal a move away from flamboyance, such visual extravagance is merely changing in nature, with wider variations of traditional colors being requested by consumers.

"Today's colors have much more special effects than 10 to 30 years ago," says Jason Hiselman, Research and Development Manager for mobile airbrush touch-up company Carnica Inc. "Our technicians used to be able to match all factory finishes with just a few different tints. But now, there are so many new pearl flakes, antique finishes and mica colors that many new tints are needed for a correct match."

So, with such variation on the uptick, what is one to infer about the popularity of car colors? Is the dominance of silver and black a sign that people simply want prestige and respect? Or does the re-emergence of yellow and orange, and the abundance of choices in the variety of tints and shades, signal that people are more complex than that?

The only sure answer is that the color of the car you drive may tell people more about you than you ever intended.

Larry Getlen is a freelance journalist and comedian in New York.
Enjoy his frivolity at http://www.zhet.blogspot.com.

-- Posted: Oct. 1, 2002

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