If you’re driving a car in North America in 2010, there’s a 31 percent chance that the car you’re driving is silver, according to a report released this week by PPG Industries. For the past few years, the popularity of the color silver for cars has been steadily rising, from 25 percent in 2009 and 20 percent in 2008. And, for the tenth year in a row, silver is the most popular car color in the world.
Grey and charcoal colored cars are counted in the “silver family” in this study.
The popular Honda Accord sedan in Alabaster Silver Metallic.
Other popular colors in North America are:
- Black, White (tied at 18 percent of cars).
- Red (11 percent).
- Blue (10 percent).
- “Naturals” including browns, tans, golds, oranges, and yellows (8 percent).
- Green (4 percent).
So what does the future hold for car colors? At the annual Automotive Color Trend Show, PPG, which is considered the world’s leading manufacturer of transportation coatings, introduced 66 new options, including:
- Denim: A classic true blue with a high effect sparkle.
- Cognac: A rich coppery warm brown with an iridescent highlight.
- Silky Silver: A liquid silver look with a slight bronze cast.
- Moonshine Blue: A pale silvery blue like the reflection of the moon on a lake.
- Wicked: A sinister green color inspired by couture fashion.
PPG also announced that they have developed proprietary interior coatings that provide the look and feel of anodized aluminum. Automakers will be able to add these coatings to their car interiors to enhance the luxury look and feel associated with that finish. They also have new exterior techniques to enhance the sparkle and brightness of a color, as well as offer more choices for red and orange hues.
While most exterior and interior colors are set for new 2011 cars, you'll likely see many of these new colors and finishes in 2012 and beyond.
Is your car silver, too, or did you choose another color?
Is there a car color that you love (or hate)?
What color might your next car be?
Leave us a comment.