Choosing the Right Color for Your Car

Some people could care less about the color of their car.  For others, color is the only thing that matters.  Maybe it seems silly to be concerned about color, but you have to admit – it’d be pretty disappointing if automakers took a page out of Henry Ford’s book and said, “Any customer can have a car painted any colour he wants so long as its black.”

How do you pick which color you want?  Consider these color facts:

• The most common colors are silver, red, and blue.
• Metallic colors have a higher resale value, and the color lasts longer.
• Some brands associate with specific colors.  For example, Ferraris are red.
• Darker colors can make the car hotter if it’s sitting in the sun.
• Some consider red to be too flashy and think it’s a “ticket-magnet”
• White cars show dirt more easily, so they need to be washed more

Many use their car color to express their personality.  Your car color can say a lot about you as a driver.  (Listed in order of popularity according to the 2010 Automotive Color Popularity survey).

1. White (21%) – classy, fastidious
2. Black (18%) – classy, empowered
3. Silver (17%) – sleek, slick, classy, elegant
4. Gray (15%) – sober, practical, pragmatic
5. Red (11%) – flashy, sexy, fast, high-energy
6. Blue (9%) – cool, calm
7. Brown/Beige (5%) – Timeless, basic
8. Green (2%) – Traditional, trustworthy
9. Yellow/Gold (1%) – Friendly, happy, sunny disposition, joyful

Some brands only produce a few different types of colors because it’s easy to manufacture.  If you want a certain color, but the manufacturer doesn’t make the car in that color, remember you can always get a paint job.  Plus, if you’re looking for a used car, your color options may also be limited, but again, you can always just get the car repainted to reflect your personal taste.