Black and White with Shades of Gray?

If you’re in the market for a new car, you have about four color options to choose from: white, black, gray, and silver. Exciting, right? I mean, who needs the entire rainbow when you can have a monochromatic masterpiece rolling down the road? The title describes the vast majority of new car paint colors available in the United States today. A recent study on popular car colors found that 25.8% of the 6.1 million vehicles analyzed were white and 22.3% were black. That means that just under half of new cars sold are at either end of the color spectrum. What’s more is the next two most popular paint colors, at 18.4% and 12.1%, were gray and silver.  That means that 78.6% of cars sold this year will be from a pretty staid color palate. This isn’t an anomaly: These have been the most common car colors for over a decade.  

But what happened to vibrant car colors like the wild 1970’s MOPAR “Plum Crazy”, “Sassy Grass” or “Go Man-Go”? From the 1950s through the 1970s, U.S. roadways were filled with automobiles of all shades of the color spectrum. So why the change?  The rise of more conservative car colors like black, white, and silver became the norm, and the vibrant hues of yesteryear faded into the background. Maybe it was a sign of the times, a shift towards more practical and less flashy automobiles. Or perhaps it was just a collective decision by the automotive industry to play it safe.  

I believe the core issue is that when Americans buy a new car, they don’t special order their new car and wait weeks for it to arrive as used to be common in the 1950’s-1970’s. Back in the “good ol’ days”, folks were willing to wait for their dream car to be custom-made, like a fine tailored suit. But now, we want instant gratification. We stroll onto the lot, see a shiny car, and it’s game over. Who has time to wait for a custom order, right?  Most of us go to the lot and choose from dealer stock, and since dealers are all about that quick turnaround, they’re sticking to the basics when it comes to stocking their lots. You won’t find any wild, neon green cars sitting around collecting dust here. Nope, they’re going with the tried-and-true colors that appeal to the masses.  

Dealers are saving money by choosing a smaller color palate of vehicles that will appeal to a broader buyer base. So, if you’re looking for a flashy color, you might have to wait a little longer or pay a premium for it; it’s all about supply and demand, folks!  

Car manufacturers are constantly trying to predict the next big color trend, but it’s a tricky business. Remember when Chrysler and Ford both rolled the dice on metallic purple in the 90s? They quickly eliminated that particular hue based on poor sales. This means that launching new colors can be an expensive gamble, and we may be stuck with these limited color choices if buyers continue to choose from the four most popular shades.  

So, if you’re tired of seeing the same old silver, black, white, and gray cars on the road, it might be time to shake things up with a bold color choice for your next ride. Who knows, maybe you’ll start a trend of your own!