In the car collector community, when a car is repainted red, rather than its original color, it’s known as “resale red.” Sellers believe red cars bring more sales.
But according to paint supplier Axalta’s 2021 Global Automotive Color Popularity Report, they should have painted it white. It’s the most popular color worldwide in 2021, the choice of 35% of car buyers.
That’s followed by black (19%), gray (19%), silver (9%), blue (8%), red (5%), brown/beige (3%), green (1%), yellow/gold (1%) and orange (less than 1%).
The white stuff
Of course, white is the absence of color, so calling it one is a bit of misnomer. Still, it’s been the most popular car color worldwide since 2011, with Asians buying more white vehicles than any other region. But its popularity peaked in 2017 at 39%, and has been declining ever since. This year, it declined three percentage points, with most of that loss coming from China, where it saw a seven-percentage point drop.
The exception to this white desire is Europe, where 27% of buyers choose gray more often than any other color, with white coming in second at 23%.
But when it comes to colors, car buyers prefer not having any. White, gray and black are the preferred pigments of buyers in North America, Europe, Russia, Africa, Asia and China. Substitute silver for black and you have the top-three color choices in India, South Korea, and South America.
Color my world
In North America, white is the favored color of 28% of car buyers – 11% solid white, 17% pearl white. Gray is second at 21%, followed by black at 20% – 8% solid black, 12% special effects black. Blue comes in fourth at 10%, with silver tied at 10%, followed by red (8%), brown/beige (2%), green (1%), yellow/gold and orange, both at less than 1%.
The report notes that the popularity of gray increased 2%, moving it to second place. Blue held steady, while red rose 1%. In contrast, silver and white both declined in popularity.
Not surprisingly, different regions favor different colors.
Blue is most popular in Europe, whereas red is most popular in North America. Brown/beige is a hot color in Russia, while yellow/gold remains most popular in Asia.
In living color
Yet the lack of popularity in the colors at the bottom of the charts suggests they’re ripe for a comeback. You might have noticed your neighbor’s Thermal Orange Acura RDX or Dragon Orange Metallic Audi Q8. A Sao Paulo Yellow BMW M4 might have passed you of the freeway last week. Or maybe you spotted that Cyber Orange Ford Bronco, or Lime Orange Aston Martin Vantage. Then there’s that Ascot Green Kia Stinger that would look at home on a Jaguar, or the Hellraisin Dodge Challenger that looks as if it stepped out of 1970.
Amplify Orange Tintcoat. Orange is the least-popular car color in 2021, suggesting it might be time for its comeback.
Of course, we all known what people prefer, we can the results on the street. But what will consumers be choosing tomorrow? The coatings division of BASF released a report in late October on this year’s color trends, describing this year’s palette in obtuse pseudo logic.
“Things aren’t just black or white, heads or tails, one or zero,” the company said of its color forecast. “The world has an uncountable number of variations in-between. This collection immerses itself in those variations.”
Yeah, whatever.
The color that BASF predicts will be popular stateside is called “Lambent Earth” — aka burnt sienna. Deftly trashing its poetic license, BASF describes the color as “the essence of the bountiful energy and fragility in the world, combining a fiery glow with a natural brown. The result is a balance that strikes a chord with human steadfastness. This color space anchors itself in optimism and resilience and shows the potential.”
Yeah? But why will it be popular? What’s driving the trend? BASF dropped nary a clue.
So while you might not opt for these colors, you might want to consider something more vibrant for you next ride. After all, life is too short to live in black and white.
