The color of a vehicle is one of the first things we notice about it. It defines the shape and styling of a car and brings it to life. So, what color is the most popular in North America?
At 24 percent, silver was the leading choice for North American vehicles produced in the 2006 model year, especially within the luxury segment, according to the 2006 color popularity survey released by PPG Industries.
White was the second at 16 percent, followed by black and red (tied at 13 percent), and blue (12 percent). Natural colors, which include light metallic beige, copper, orange and brown, came in at 12 percent. Green captured 7 percent, while niche and specialty colors accounted for 3 percent.
"Silver is a preferred hue because it defines character lines and features on the exterior of a vehicle better than a darker color," said Jane E. Harrington, manager, color styling, automotive coatings for PPG. "But blue is going to start grabbing some of silver's market share. Both pure tones and light values of blue are going to be strong, emerging color trends within the next few years."
Meanwhile, blues, browns and greens are becoming more and more infused with silver to create a new look. As Harrington explains, "we're going to see more graphite hues and silver will shift to become a more complex color with subtle undertone tints of brown, blue, green and gold."
According to PPG, brighter colors are also expected to regain their popularity.
At 24 percent, silver was the leading choice for North American vehicles produced in the 2006 model year, especially within the luxury segment, according to the 2006 color popularity survey released by PPG Industries.
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| The fabulous Nissan 350Z looks terrific in silver. (Photo: Nissan) |
"Silver is a preferred hue because it defines character lines and features on the exterior of a vehicle better than a darker color," said Jane E. Harrington, manager, color styling, automotive coatings for PPG. "But blue is going to start grabbing some of silver's market share. Both pure tones and light values of blue are going to be strong, emerging color trends within the next few years."
Meanwhile, blues, browns and greens are becoming more and more infused with silver to create a new look. As Harrington explains, "we're going to see more graphite hues and silver will shift to become a more complex color with subtle undertone tints of brown, blue, green and gold."
According to PPG, brighter colors are also expected to regain their popularity.