Survey Says Silver Most Popular Car Color

Each year, chemical and paint giant DuPont releases its own data about various colors of automotive paint and their popularity.  This year, just like last, DuPont has declared silver the most popular color choice for new autos, followed closely by black.

In order, silver was most popular with 26 percent of the market, followed by black and black effect at 24 percent.  A combined white and white pearl barely edged gray, but both earned a rounded 16 percent of the total market.  Below ten percentage points on the list were previously popular colors including red, blue, brown or beige, green, and yellow, which pulled six, five, three, two, and one percent, respectively.  All other colors earned less than 1 percent.

The company suggests the popularity of silver and black cars goes to show the frustration and gloomy outlook for car buyers.  Historical tracking of the annual color popularity shows that the most confident shoppers look for brighter cars.  During recession, however, car shoppers instead opt for less flashy, less noticeable colors.

When shopping enthusiasm is higher, green and blue are quick to rise on the list.  Both colors topped silver and black at the turn of the new millennium and continued to be popular in the years that followed.  This year, however, green and blue make up less than 7 percent of all car colors.  White, now third, led the pack in 2008, while blue, now sixth, was listed third behind silver.

Some automakers are pushing forward with brighter, unique colors, hoping to break the trend towards conservative color offerings.  Ford’s new Fiesta, which hopes to attract younger, budget conscious car shoppers, comes in a collection of bright colors including exotics like “Bright Magenta” and “Lime Squeeze.”

Just because silver is on top of the list today doesn’t mean other colors are going extinct.  A new study found that Americans are stretching the length of their cars, choosing to repair, rather than replace, their beloved automobiles.  The average age of the American fleet is now just over ten years old, and has anywhere from 125,000 to 155,000 miles on the odometer.