Car Buyers Go for Any Color--as Long as It’s White

One of every five people who bought a car last year picked the color white, but new tones are catching car buyers’ eyes, according to a survey by a leading supplier of automotive topcoat finishes.

In 1990, 21.6% of all vehicles sold were white, followed by black, red, light blue and silver, Robert Daily, color marketing manager for Du Pont Automotive Products, said.

“This unprecedented popularity demonstrates consumers’ preference for bright, clean-looking cars,” Daily said of white’s popularity. But he said turquoise and aqua were on the list, part of an overall trend toward lighter and brighter colors.

“We expect this color will continue to grow in popularity for smaller, sportier models,” he said.

White was the color of choice for luxury cars, full-intermediate sized cars and for trucks and vans. Among sports and compact car buyers, red was the most-often picked color, accounting for 22.03%.