Color Me Bored: Silver is Still the Most Popular Color

[Byteme]

I found this interesting (or boring  ).  People pick such bland colors for their vehicles.

Color Me Bored: Silver is Still the Most Popular Color
Published: Tuesday, 7 Dec 2010 | 11:58 AM ET By: Phil LeBeau
CNBC Correspondent

If our cars are an extension of the image we want to portray, we are boring. Not just a little boring, I mean we are lacking a pulse boring. Why do I say that? Just look at the latest survey from DuPont about the most popular colors for cars and trucks around the world. Warning: don't expect to find this list intriguing.

1. Silver ? 26 %
2. Black/Black Effect ? 24 %
3. White/White Pearl and Gray ? 16% each (tie)
5. Red ? 6 %
6. Blue ? 5 %
7. Brown/Beige ? 3 %
8. Green ? 2 %
9. Yellow/Gold ? 1 %
10. Others ? under 1 %

So according to this latest survey, more than two thirds of the cars and trucks out on the road are silver, black, white, or gray.

I'm not surprised.

People go with neutral colors because it will easier to sell the car down the road, because it's in stock when they are at a dealership buying a particular model, and yes, because some colors don't show the need to be washed (I always hear this from friends who pick black over white).

Listen, these are all perfectly logical reasons, but it still doesn't change the fact we are a society of boring conformity when it comes to our cars.

Last night CNBC's Jane Wells said, "Know the Audi ad where everyone has a silver Lexus and the kid is confused? That's me. Just tried to get in someone else's Lexus. Again." Jane, you are not the only person to have that experience.

All of this makes me long for the days in the early and mid 70's when you'd see a wider variety of colors out on the road. Sure, the lime green AMC Pacers were hideous, but at least they made you laugh. A friend of mine had a gold Plymouth Duster with three on the tree. Ahhh, those were the days.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go out and get in my silver SUV.

[Raza]

Personally, I've never owned a silver car.  Three black and one gray, but no silver. 

[FoMoJo]

Two Escapes.  I bright red, the other bright yellow.  My daughter says the garage looks like a crayon box.

[Vinsanity]

People go with neutral colors because it will easier to sell the car down the road, because it's in stock when they are at a dealership buying a particular model, and yes, because some colors don't show the need to be washed (I always hear this from friends who pick black over white).

Listen, these are all perfectly logical reasons, but it still doesn't change the fact we are a society of boring conformity when it comes to our cars.

That's my excuse. But I also kind of feel that I'm somehow meant to drive a bronze car. The only other car that 've owned for more than 3 years was bronze. Oh well. At least it doesn't show when it gets dirty

[SVT666]

silver Focus and a red Explorer

[Onslaught]

Black- Never again
Purple- Never again.
Red- Could do again
Blue- I like. And I notice more and more cars are dark blue like mine now.

[MrH]

I have a green convertible.  That's a manual.  I'm some sort of an anomaly!

[Cookie Monster]

I have a green convertible.  That's a manual.  I'm some sort of an anomaly!

I have the exact same thing!

[MrH]

I have the exact same thing!

CURSE YOU!  I was first.

[SVT_Power]

the 'tour is silver, the blue explorer has been replaced with a silver sorento. So yeah we have two silver cars 

[hotrodalex]

Two white, one gray, one red, and one soon to be dark red (black primer as of right now).

Used to be almost all white when my dad had a white Integra instead of the red BMW.

[CALL_911]

We have dark blue, white, gray and maroon.

That's surprisingly atypical.

[MaxPower]

I've got a silver truck because I bought it used and didn't care about the color. But when we bought the Legacy new we were bummed by the lack of good color choices and settled for a gray metallic color. I wish they offered World Rally Blue on the Legacy...that would be awesome!

[The Pirate]

The Mazda is silver.  I'm not crazy about the color, but one can't be fussy when one buys used.

I really liked the color on my Honda.  Iced Teal Pearl.

[Xer0]

Lets see...

My Civic is red (as was my old one and I'm sure my new car will also be red; I just love the color)
My Dad's Accord is silver (blah)
My Mom's GLK is Black (blah, and its kind of awkward looking too)
My Grandpa's Prisim is gray (blah, and its a shit box that is built to terribly low standards that has not aged well at all in the 5 or so years that he has had it)
My sister's Mazda3 is some strange light blueish tint that I rather like.

[ifcar]

Beige, blue and green have really slid. They used to be The Thing, and now they're below red in squarely niche territory.

[TBR]

Previous one was red, current one is white, and future one will probably be silver but would be white pearl if it wasn't extra $$$.

Family: Tan F-250, White F-150, Dark Blue Outback, and Weird Blue/Green Corolla.

Previous cars were dark green, gold, gray, dark blue, brown, and tan.

[Byteme]

Current cars, the Red Fleet.
Red 07 Mazda6
Red 06 Mazda3
Red 69 Etype
Merlot Mica (in the red spectrum) 95 Miata

Considering a light blue 93 Ford F-150

Son still has the green Buick Century

[J86]

you might have to re-spray that f150 if you get it...

[CJ]

We have black, black, gray, gray.  And the MPV was silver.  The 940 was white.  The 1997 Integra was green (!) and the 1994 Integra was black.  The last cars my parents have bought have either been black, silver, or gray.

[J86]

We have black, black, gray, gray.  And the MPV was silver.  The 940 was white.  The 1997 Integra was green (!) and the 1994 Integra was black.  The last cars my parents have bought have either been black, silver, or gray.

Other than a metallic green Saab, my parents' most recent car purchases (from the most recent) have been silver, silver, black, white.  booooooriiiiinnnnnggggg

I've had dark green (hand-me down from the old man... good car), then a dark gray I bought, then a silver, then some shitty metallic beige-green thing, now I THINK (from what I saw off pics) a metallic light green.  Hm, I'm not much more exciting

When buying very cheap used cars, color is prety far down the list of important features.

[sportyaccordy]

Strangely enough, many of the cars I own are either unavailable or hard to find in silver. Seems like silver took a hold in the late 90s. I'd love a 95ish Prelude in silver.

[MX793]

All of my vehicles are blue.

[hotrodalex]

Sporty, my mom had a silver Accord that was the same gen as the one in your sig. The paint peeled pretty badly, though. I think I remember that being a big problem with silver paint (but I could just be imagining that...)

[Cookie Monster]

CURSE YOU!  I was first.

The Accord was the same green as well. My dad's MDX is a bluish gray (I like that one) and my mom's 7 is gunmetal gray (also really like).

[sportyaccordy]

Sporty, my mom had a silver Accord that was the same gen as the one in your sig. The paint peeled pretty badly, though. I think I remember that being a big problem with silver paint (but I could just be imagining that...)

It was either beige, or the SE version. Do you remember if it had a black leather interior?

I suppose it would be boring if it were a more popular color

[Colonel Cadillac]

My family has dark blue, dark blue, dark blue, and light blue

[CALL_911]

My family has dark blue, dark blue, dark blue, and light blue

So now that you have an A4, does the TSX just sit around?

[giant_mtb]

Blacks and deeper grays are my favorites. 

[93JC]

It's ALUMINUM METALLIC MICA, motherfucker!

(I wanted Celestial Blue or Velocity Red, but they didn't have any in stock and silver wasn't a dealbreaker.)