Why So Many White/Black/Gray/Silver Cars?

[scotpens]

It seems that for the last few years, just about every new car on the road is one of four colors: silver, gray, white or black. I mean, it's weird. Whenever I pull into a parking lot, I'm surrounded by a sea of monochrome cars.

Is this a uniquely American phenomenon? For that matter, is it happening mainly in Southern California, or all across the country? And, more to the point, WHY?

 

[Warp Coil]

I believe that silver is the #1 most popular paint color for cars. I'm not entirely sure what the reasoning is behind it. Is it because most shades of silver are metallic and shiny, and look good on a car? Is it because silver does a good job at hiding dirt?

I don't have a particular favorite color when it comes to cars. To me, it really depends on what colors are available on each specific model. Most models have only a handful of different paint colors available - a white, a black, a silver, a red, a blue, perhaps a gray, maybe a green, usually a beige. That's about it. Slim pickings. If you don't like a particular shade of red or blue that the manufacturer offers, it's probably easier to just pick something neutral but nice like a silver.

 

[Paulcpick]

I dont know, I hate grey/silver colored vehicles, white and black look good. But me, I prefer red.

I also miss the days here when you could get a vehicle with interiors that were more vibrant, like blues and darker reds, I really think the colors on cars today are watered down way to much

 

[Emher]

Don't ask me, I'd never get a white car. Black, maybe, but would have to be for a lack of other colors, gray, eh, silver, probably never. I like the colors that pop, like yellow and orange. I've been asked if I want a yellow Camaro with black stripes because of Transformers. No, I answer, I want it because the car pops like hell in that color scheme.

Then again, I'm never one to follow the mass.

 

[AstroSmurf]

I love silver on a car. I think it looks clean and crisp. I hate white and grey though but love black. I think red is a little to flashy for me. If I had to choose a color, I would go with a dark blue or metallic chocolate brown.

And I love the Camaro in that yellow but I prefer it in the orange. I just love that color on that car. Very yummy.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I've heard that metallic-painted cars have a better resale value than cars painted with brighter colours. Not sure if it's true.

 

[Emher]

^Well more often then not it's an extra option that costs a bit more...makes for a more expensive car?

I love silver on a car. I think it looks clean and crisp. I hate white and grey though but love black. I think red is a little to flashy for me. If I had to choose a color, I would go with a dark blue or metallic chocolate brown.

And I love the Camaro in that yellow but I prefer it in the orange. I just love that color on that car. Very yummy.

Black looks awesome when clean. My Saab is black and looks beautiful when newly washed, but inevitably it only stays like that for a few days and then it either rains or is covered in dust :/

Orange would work on the Camaro, but the current one is to red for me. If it was closer in the base color to how it looks when in full sunlight, I'd be interested.

 

[Kitty Worrier]

I've seen a lot of gold cars as well (look very similar to the silver ones).

Mine is dark blue.

 

[Finn]

I'd never go for a white car. IMO most vehicles look awful in that color. I told myself I wouldn't go for a gold car. But I fell in love with my current car. It actually looks good. Well, some people say it's tan, but according to the paperwork it's gold .

 

[CorporalClegg]

The one I don't get is yellow, especially with black trim. WTF you wanna look like a taxi?

 

[Zulu Romeo]

The one I don't get is yellow, especially with black trim. WTF you wanna look like a taxi?

To make money?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm pretty flexible about what color my car is. I really wanted a CR-V, there was only one left, and I was too impatient to wait months, so I took whatever color they had. I ended up with green. And it doesn't look too bad, really.

 

[kes7]

My last two cars have been silver and they hide dirt well and look nice. Whenever my kids are big enough that I don't need to drive a "mom car," though, I'm getting a little blue convertible, oh, yes I am.

 

[scotpens]

The one I don't get is yellow, especially with black trim. WTF you wanna look like a taxi?

Or a bumblebee?

 

[Warp Coil]

I've been asked if I want a yellow Camaro with black stripes because of Transformers. No, I answer, I want it because the car pops like hell in that color scheme.

I'm actually not a big fan of the production Camaro's yellow paint color. GM offers a "Transformers" edition model in that yellow with autobot badging that's supposed to mimic Bumblebee. However, Bumblebee was a completely different shade - more a golden yellow than a bright canary yellow. I wish they'd offer the actual paint color from the film. It'd look better.

I actually own a gray car right now. I chose the color because I absolutely love it. Not all grays are made equal, and in fact, there are many shades of gray that look awful IMO. However, the "graphite gray" on my Accord coupe is gorgeous. There was no question about it. It's a dark, metallic gray that almost has a drop of blue mixed in (but upon closer inspection, you can see that there are actually flakes of green and purple in the paint if you catch it in the sunlight).

My second choice, I'm embarrassed to admit, would have been silver. Honda's "alabaster silver" is a very bright, clean color and looks good on most of their cars. However, I loved the gray and I feel like silver is far too common and generic, so I didn't opt for silver. Black looks good but it's hard to keep clean. White is even worse. I wasn't interested in the particular shades of bright red or blue that were available.

 

[scottydog]

I love my nice bland silver-grey car. If I got a red one, it would be more likely to attract the attention of cops, making me more likely to get speeding tickets. I probably have a totally false sense of security!

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Whenever I pull into a parking lot, I'm surrounded by a sea of monochrome cars.

Is this a uniquely American phenomenon? For that matter, is it happening mainly in Southern California, or all across the country? And, more to the point, WHY?

It's happening on this coast, too. I've always had red cars before. Unfortunately, my current one came in a really ugly shade of red, so I bought sort of a pearly white. It's actually very pretty, but I hate blending into the (bland) crowd so much.

 

[Amaris]

I like silver because it reflects other colors. I also like it because it feels clean and organized, like all the atoms lined up in a straight line, and work together in an orderly fashion. Slick, clean lines and a reflective light. That's why I prefer silver (even though my car is green).

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Don't think I'd want a red car. At least not a pure red. One of the other CR-V colors was a darker maroon, and that would have been cool. But a more reddy red would just remind me of my Saturn, and I'd prefer to forget that...

 

[Danoz]

It seems that for the last few years, just about every new car on the road is one of four colors: silver, gray, white or black. I mean, it's weird. Whenever I pull into a parking lot, I'm surrounded by a sea of monochrome cars.

Is this a uniquely American phenomenon? For that matter, is it happening mainly in Southern California, or all across the country? And, more to the point, WHY?

I think it's because color factors heavily into the saleability of a vehicle and Americans are buying more and more used cars. My uncle worked in used cars for years and he said it was far easier to sell a silver car. Green cars (mint and forest) are apparently the hardest to sell.