DETROIT FREE PRESS

By Zlati Meyer
Oct. 6, 2011

When it comes to car color, white is white-hot, according to PPG Industries, a leading international coatings company, which released its annual color trend popularity survey Wednesday.

Twenty-one percent of 2011 model-year vehicles around the world are white, bumping silver, which fell to second place, where it's tied with black. Both silver -- the most-popular vehicle for 10 years straight -- and black claimed 20% of the market, with gray coming in next at 13%.

In North America, white was No. 1 with 20%, followed by silver with 19%, black with 18% and gray with 15%.

These four colors are popular because they not only are available in every vehicle segment, but look good on any type of car, according to Jane Harrington, PPG's manager of color styling and automotive coatings. Plus, a car is a big purchase -- and an item that will be owned for a while -- so many buyers don't want to get locked into a too-trendy shade.

She theorized why white has become so beloved: It connotes cutting-edge.

"Silver, at one time, was considered high-tech, innovative," Harrington said. "Think about white. What has Apple (introduced) their product in? White."

PPG, whose automotive group is based in Troy, also unveiled 70 shades of automotive exterior colors for the 2014-15 year, including hazy sunshine, a soft yellow; peacock blue, a rich teal with a sparkle, and ovaltine, a pearlesque soft brown.

A recent PPG survey found that 77% of car buyers said that exterior color was a factor in their purchase, and 31% said they'd be willing to pay extra for a color that expresses their personality.

Harrington's personal favorites include delicate sky, a soft green-cast blue with a little yellow, and chandelier, a matte-finish gold.

But what would the father of the modern automobile -- who famously said customers can have a car any color they wanted as long as it was black -- say to all these choices?

"Henry Ford would be confused, because I'd say, 'What black do you mean? Green cast? Black cast? A little sparkle? A lot of sparkle?' " Harrington said.

Another trend the 28-year veteran of the business noticed is the move away from a single-color car-scape.

"I used to call it the dipped look," she explained, referring to the days when everything from the exterior paint job to the carpeting to the leather was the same hue. "Now, we're seeing more color combinations and attention to details. Color is very noticeable in the marketplace ... When a person says, 'I got a new car,' someone asks you, 'What color?' "

Ashley Lindon of Canton bought her first car in March -- a white 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

"I think white cars look so classy," said the 25-year-old compliance officer. "I've had so many people tell they love my car in that color ... It's becoming more popular for younger people to buy white cars. It used to be more older people. My best friend just bought a white Ford Mustang."

 

like i keep saying...i love white. and had white been offered in the beginning of production for the 2010's, i would have gotten it. but black was the second choice.

 

My old '00 Z was white. I loved it, but it showed every single bug I hit.

 

have you ever had a black car? shows every spec of dust.

 

I love the look a black car, but I would never own a black car.

 

My 94 Z28 was white...

I would have hard a very hard picking colors if they had white for the 2010...

 

Both white and black show dirt, but look awesome when shiny. Silver and lighter metallics tend to hide dirt fairly well. I'm still leaning toward victory red (because its my wife's favorite color) however I may consider other colors... just not yellow.

 

Not a fan of white cars (even though my daily driver is white, bought used, mileage and condition trumped color). I love the silver on my SS. Takes a lot to look dirty, but not nearly as boring as white.

 

My Colorado and Challenger are white.
Not because I love white, but for other reasons.

Still, a white top-of-the-line vehicle looks pretty good. Put it on a base model and it looks like an appliance.

 

the dark gray f150 looks great..oh snap this is chevy products...white is easily seen..60 years ago if you had to drive at night on the one paved lane (the other side was dirt) and wanted to get home alive you bought a white car...on a sports car id get something flashy..but a grocery getter id stick with those choices above..sans silver i could live with any of those colors

ps: my beater is IH omaha orange with a dark ivy-green interior..you can just imagine the acid trip on those colors..i love that rig though

ps: the vert looks great!

 

funny white and black are not colors, they are shades. thought this thread was about colours!

p.s. where is the good blue??!?!

 

the driver makes the car...not the color. ive seen alot of bad *** white cars.

 

thought colors was spelled C O L O R S....

 

I was never a big fan of white until recently. Audi has a real nice shade of white. You realize how white it is when another white car is parked along side of it. I would like to see a nicer shade of Blue for the camaro. So far, neither choice is great. How about a mixing it up a little with a choice of Gold, Purple or Brown.

 

im canadian EH.