BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
BIMMERPOST Universal Forums General Automotive (non-BMW) Talk + Photos/Videos America's Most Popular Car Colors

Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      12-22-2008, 05:05 PM   #1
kinan_sleiman2006
Lieutenant
kinan_sleiman2006's Avatar
Syria
84
Rep
569
Posts

Drives: BMW X3
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Syria-Tartous-Banias-po box299

iTrader: (0)

Exclamation America's Most Popular Car Colors

Car dealers desperate to shed inventory might want to buy some white paint.



That's because 20% of North America's car buyers drove off in white vehicles this year. Black and silver were also popular--17% of buyers preferred these shades. Blue ranked fourth (13%) and gray rounded out the top five (12%).



What's so great about white? Special pigments called "white effects" can subtly alter a variety of shades, allowing drivers to express their personal styles. Car colors with altered white tones include "Performance White" on the Ford Mustang, Lexus IS 250's "Starfire Pearl" and "Calla White" on the Audi Q7. This is the second year white has topped the list.



"These nuances are more obvious in white," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and color consultant, of white's popularity. "It catches the light easily. If you have a pigmented finish, it is going to be more obvious on a white car."



The findings are part of the 2008 DuPont Automotive Color Popularity Report, released this month. DuPont provides coatings for automakers' production lines, and for the collision repair industry.



The report, which measures car colors' percentages of North American market share, found that while black, white and silver remain the most well-liked, other trends are emerging.



Buyers looking for ways to differentiate their cars from others on the road are trying out tri-coat systems, which comprise a base coat, a mid layer containing the color and a special "effect" pigment, and a clear coat.


What's more, "earth-friendly" tones like blue are gaining popularity, says Karen Surcina, color marketing manager with DuPont Performance Coatings. Last year, 12% of buyers preferred blue; this year, the figure is up slightly to 13%. Blue is especially popular among buyers looking to live a greener lifestyle, since it is widely perceived to be representative of nature. Interestingly, green was chosen by just 3% of North American buyers.



But don't expect blue to surpass the top three any time soon. They're universally popular: In Europe, black (solid and with effect), silver and gray reign, accounting for 26%, 20% and 18% of the market. Russians overwhelmingly choose silver cars (30%) while India's market shows a preference for white and white pearl (17% and 11%, respectively) and silver (27%.)



Among the least loved? Yellow/gold and beige/brown--just 2% and 5% of drivers, respectively, prefer these colors.



Color is on the minds not only of consumers, but of automakers as well. A 2007 Ford Motor study found that 39% of consumers will leave a dealership if it doesn't have a vehicle they want in their color of choice.



And to accommodate buyers' appetites for innovative color schemes, by next year, almost half of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles will feature new paint colors. These will include silver and bronze metallics, shades named after foods--including "White Chocolate" and "Candy Apple Red"--and pale blue and green tones.
Appreciate 0
      12-22-2008, 05:51 PM   #2
NYSPEM3
Second Lieutenant
NYSPEM3's Avatar
10
Rep
221
Posts

Drives: E90 M3 DCT
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NYC

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by kinan_sleiman2006 View Post
What's more, "earth-friendly" tones like blue are gaining popularity, says Karen Surcina, color marketing manager with DuPont Performance Coatings. Last year, 12% of buyers preferred blue; this year, the figure is up slightly to 13%. Blue is especially popular among buyers looking to live a greener lifestyle, since it is widely perceived to be representative of nature. Interestingly, green was chosen by just 3% of North American buyers.
My M3 guzzles so much gas, I need the Interlagos Blue paint to make me feel more environmentally conscious.
__________________
--------------------------------------------------
E90 M3 DCT Interlagos Blue/Silver Interior, Tech Pkg, Prem Pkg, Folddown Seats, 19"... that's it

Certified V1 Zombie
Appreciate 0
      12-22-2008, 06:30 PM   #3
TK-421
Registered Sex Offender
United_States
572
Rep
4,759
Posts

Drives: E46 M3 | 1JZ S13
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Tampa, FL

iTrader: (0)

I heard green is a bad luck color so that leads to few people buying it. I personally don't believe in luck.
__________________
Stop putting stuff like painted reflectors and premium package in your signature. You're embarrassing.
Appreciate 0
      12-23-2008, 04:29 AM   #4
Deda
Major General
Deda's Avatar
Croatia
561
Rep
7,034
Posts

Drives: BMW M5 comp
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Croatia

iTrader: (0)

i heard that very smart people choose green color! i guess i am not so smart!
Appreciate 0
      12-23-2008, 04:35 AM   #5
marcus1701
up all night
marcus1701's Avatar
United_States
1
Rep
113
Posts

Drives: 3.0si, alpine white, auto, nav
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Orinda, CA

iTrader: (0)

white is my favorite color at the moment. Silver was cool 10 years ago, and black only works for certain cars like an Escalade. I do agree blue is up and coming. Saw this already on yahoo.
__________________
02 Silver Audi TT 225 Roadster, APR Stage 2+ ,ECS underdrive Pulleys, S-Line Bumpers, APR Exhaust, APR Silicone Hoses, APR FMIC, Suntek 50% tint,
08 White Subaru Forester
03 Mineral Grey Ford ZX2 DIU Car- American Pride
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:00 AM.




bmw
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST