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The most popular car colours as of 2012 [update] were greyscale colours, with over 70% of cars produced globally being white, black, grey or silver. Red, blue and brown/beige cars ranged between 6% and 10% each, while all other colours amounted to less than 5%. [1] [2]
The results of colour popularity surveys conducted by American paint manufacturers PPG Industries (PPG) [1] and DuPont (DP) [2] (both for the year 2012) are shown in the table and chart below. Note that the results for silver and grey may be affected by discrepancies in how the companies classify these colours.
| Colour distribution (%) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colour | North America | Europe | Asia-Pacific | World | ||||
| PPG | DP | PPG | DP | PPG | DP | PPG | DP | |
White | 21 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 |
Silver | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 23 | 14 | 20 | 18 |
Black | 19 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 21 |
Grey | 16 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 8 | 20 | 12 | 14 |
Blue | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
Red | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
Brown | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
Green | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Others | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Colour popularity | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Silver is a popular colour for rental vehicles. [3] Cars that are silver retain their value better than any other colour, reselling for around 10% more than white cars; this superior resale value has caused many UK police agencies to replace their standard white patrol cars with silver models. [3]
A common misconception is that red cars cost more to insure; in fact, insurers do not take colour into account. [4] [5]
Studies show that white cars are safer, getting in 12% fewer collisions than black cars, although some studies show yellow cars as being slightly safer than white. This is a major reason why school buses are yellow in much of the world. The safety difference is because lighter coloured cars are easier for other drivers to see, especially at night. However, other factors, such as driver behavior and weather, are significantly more important to vehicle safety. [6]
Colour choice is subject to fluctuation and fashion, and historical trends shifted from dark neutral colours of early cars, through more vivid colours of 1950s and 1960s, back towards today's greyscale colours. [7] [8]
A 2013 survey in the United States found that men were 12% more likely to prefer a red car, while women were 9% more likely to prefer silver. [9] The research suggested this may indicate that women are more likely to prefer practical cars, while men may be more likely to prefer less practical but more fast and fun cars. [9]
A set of primary colors or primary colours consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a broad range of colors in, e.g., electronic displays, color printing, and paintings. Perceptions associated with a given combination of primary colors can be predicted by an appropriate mixing model that reflects the physics of how light interacts with physical media, and ultimately the retina. The most common color mixing models are the additive primary colors and the subtractive primary colors.
Silver Arrows is a nickname typically given to silver racing cars with a significant connection to a German car manufacturer. Although the term was coined in 1932, it came into popular usage regarding Germany's dominant Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Grand Prix motor racing cars between 1934 and 1939. The name was later applied to the Mercedes-Benz Formula One and sports cars in 1954 and 1955, then to the Sauber Group C prototype racing sports cars that raced at Le Mans in the late 1980s as well as the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One cars of the late 1990s and 2000s, and is currently applied to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 cars from 2010 to present.
Grey or gray is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed of black and white. It is the color of a cloud-covered sky, of ash, and of lead.
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In the psychology of color, color preferences are the tendency for an individual or a group to prefer some colors over others, such as having a favorite color or a traditional color.
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