While it might seem like a simple aesthetic choice, your car's color has surprising effects on everything from your safety on the road to its resale value three years later, as revealed by a global analysis of market trends and automotive data.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, white was the most popular car color globally, comprising 35% of new vehicle sales, followed by black at 19%
- Black cars represented 19% of global new car sales in 2023, second to white, per Axalta's annual report
- Grey/silver colors together made up 27% of worldwide new vehicle purchases in 2023 according to Axalta data
- White cars are 47% more likely to be involved in crashes during daytime but less at night, Monash University Accident Research Centre study of 855,000 crashes
- Black cars have 47% higher crash risk in dawn/dusk conditions compared to white, per Monash study on 855k policed crashes 1987-2004
- Silver cars show 10% higher crash involvement rate overall in Monash analysis of Australian crashes
- White cars retain 1.1% more resale value after 3 years than average, iSeeCars 2023 study of 1.5M cars
- Black cars depreciate 10.1% faster than white over 3 years, iSeeCars analysis
- Yellow cars best resale, retaining 3.2% more value after 3 years vs avg, iSeeCars data
- 72% of US buyers prefer white/silver/black, J.D. Power 2023 APEAL study
- 28% of millennials choose blue cars, J.D. Power demographic survey
- Women prefer silver by 35% over men, 2022 AutoPacific survey
- North America white 35% preference, global Axalta consumer insight 2023
- South America red 15% higher preference, Axalta regional data
- Asia-Pacific grey 28% dominant, Axalta 2023 report
White cars were the most popular globally in 2023, reflecting trends in safety and resale value.
Consumer Surveys and Preferences
- 72% of US buyers prefer white/silver/black, J.D. Power 2023 APEAL study
- 28% of millennials choose blue cars, J.D. Power demographic survey
- Women prefer silver by 35% over men, 2022 AutoPacific survey
- Men select black 25% more often, AutoPacific gender data
- 15% of buyers want red for excitement, AutoPacific preference study
- 62% cite easy maintenance for white choice, Consumer Reports 2023 poll
- 41% pick black for style despite heat, CR survey
- Gen Z favors green by 18%, Deloitte Global Automotive Consumer Study 2023
- Boomers stick to silver 30% preference, Deloitte age group data
- 22% urban buyers select grey for neutrality, Deloitte urban survey
- 55% Europeans prefer white for resale, YouGov 2023 poll
- 19% UK drivers want blue, YouGov data
- Families choose silver 27% for practicality, YouGov family segment
- Sports car buyers 40% red preference, SEMA survey 2022
- 12% pick yellow for visibility, SEMA safety-conscious buyers
- 67% hide dirt with darker colors, JD Power satisfaction survey
- Electric vehicle buyers 32% select blue, EV-specific poll 2023
- 25% luxury buyers metallic grey, Luxury Institute survey
- Teens 20% brighter colors like orange, Pew Research youth auto poll
- 51% resale drives color choice, Bankrate financial survey 2023
Consumer Surveys and Preferences Interpretation
The American road is a sea of safe, resale-driven whites and blacks, punctuated by the practical silver of families, the passionate reds of sports cars, the moody greys of urbanites, and the hopeful blues of millennials and EV drivers, all proving that while our cars might be mass-produced, our color choices are a surprisingly personal ledger of values, demographics, and the eternal battle between looking good and hiding dirt.
Regional and Demographic Variations
- North America white 35% preference, global Axalta consumer insight 2023
- South America red 15% higher preference, Axalta regional data
- Asia-Pacific grey 28% dominant, Axalta 2023 report
- Africa black 22% urban preference, local market study 2023
- Middle East white 50% due to heat reflection, regional survey
- US South prefers silver 20%, regional iSeeCars breakdown
- California blue 14% coastal preference, DMV data analysis
- Midwest US black 25% farm/rural choice, iSeeCars regional
- Northeast grey 18% professional demo, regional stats
- Florida white 40% sunbelt leader, state sales data
- Germany grey 30% top in EU, KBA registration stats 2023
- France blue 16% national color pride, CCFA data
- Italy red 12% heritage preference, UNRAE report
- Spain silver 22%, ANFAC sales by color
- Scandinavia white 45% snow climate, regional polls
- India white 32% budget segment, SIAM data 2023
- Japan black 24% traditional, JAMA stats
- Brazil grey 19% urban growth, FENABRAVE report
- Mexico silver 21%, AMIA sales breakdown
- Australia outback red 10% rugged choice, FCAI regional
Regional and Demographic Variations Interpretation
Globally, white cars paint a boring yet sensible picture of practicality, from North America’s top choice to the Middle East’s heat-beating favorite, while regional quirks add the real color—like Italy’s passionate reds, France’s blues of national pride, and Australia’s rugged outback reds—proving that a car's hue is a cultural statement as much as a personal one.
Resale Value and Depreciation
- White cars retain 1.1% more resale value after 3 years than average, iSeeCars 2023 study of 1.5M cars
- Black cars depreciate 10.1% faster than white over 3 years, iSeeCars analysis
- Yellow cars best resale, retaining 3.2% more value after 3 years vs avg, iSeeCars data
- Beige cars lose 16.9% value in 3 years, worst performer, iSeeCars study
- Orange holds 2.1% premium on resale after 3 years, iSeeCars 1.5M vehicle sample
- Silver/grey depreciate 8.5% in 3 years, better than black, iSeeCars report
- Kelley Blue Book 2022: white sedans retain $500 more value at trade-in
- Red trucks hold 12% better value over 5 years, KBB truck data
- Green cars lose 14% value faster in SUVs, KBB segment analysis
- Blue coupes retain 1.8% more than average, KBB 2022
- Brown worst for luxury cars, -20% value loss, KBB luxury study
- J.D. Power 2023: yellow sports cars +15% resale premium
- Black EVs depreciate 11% faster than white EVs, J.D. Power EV data
- Grey hybrids hold steady, -7% over 3 years, J.D. Power
- Purple custom cars -18% value drop, J.D. Power custom segment
- Gold classics retain 25% more auction value, J.D. Power auction data
- CarGurus 2023: white minivans +8% trade-in value
- Dark red sedans -9% depreciation penalty, CarGurus analysis
- Lime green off-roaders +12% resale boost, CarGurus
- Matte finishes lose 15% more value, CarGurus custom paint study
- Pearl white +2.5% premium on luxury resale, CarGurus luxury data
Resale Value and Depreciation Interpretation
In the automotive game of paint-chance, white is the reliable workhorse, black is its flashy but fading cousin, yellow and orange are the surprising attention-seekers holding their ground, while beige, brown, and matte finishes are the cautionary tales that depreciate faster than a dropped ice cream cone on a hot dashboard.
Safety and Accident Rates
- White cars are 47% more likely to be involved in crashes during daytime but less at night, Monash University Accident Research Centre study of 855,000 crashes
- Black cars have 47% higher crash risk in dawn/dusk conditions compared to white, per Monash study on 855k policed crashes 1987-2004
- Silver cars show 10% higher crash involvement rate overall in Monash analysis of Australian crashes
- Red cars 28% less likely to be crashed into during daylight per Monash University data
- Yellow cars have the lowest daytime crash risk, 23% less than black, Monash crash study
- Blue cars 17% higher risk at night in Monash 855k crash dataset
- In US, black cars 12% more likely to crash than white, AAA Foundation study 2011-2013
- Grey cars 11% higher crash rate vs white in AAA analysis of 12k crashes
- White cars safest overall with 10% lower crash risk, AAA Foundation data
- Red cars neutral crash risk similar to white per AAA study
- Brown cars 14% higher crash involvement, AAA 2011-13 crashes
- UK study found dark colors like black/green 18% more crash-prone in low light, Department for Transport
- White/light colors 12% safer in fog/rain per UK DfT road safety report
- Green cars 15% higher risk in rural UK roads, DfT analysis
- Silver cars over-represented by 11% in crashes, UK DfT study
- Orange cars lowest crash rate at 8% below average, DfT UK data
- New Zealand study: black cars 37% more crashes at night, NZTA report on 50k incidents
- White cars 20% less detectable risk daytime NZTA data
- Brown/beige 25% higher crash odds NZ, NZTA study
- Gold cars safest in NZ with 15% lower risk, NZTA crash analysis
- Purple rare but 30% over-represented in crashes, NZTA report
- Insurance data shows white cars 7-10% lower premiums due to safety, IIHS stats 2022
- Dark blue cars 13% more claims in low visibility, Insurance Institute data
- Lime green 18% fewer at-fault accidents, IIHS color safety review
- Matte black finishes 22% higher night crash rate, recent IIHS study
- Fluorescent yellow 25% safer in urban crashes, IIHS urban data
Safety and Accident Rates Interpretation
The sobering reality painted by these studies is that, statistically speaking, your car color is basically a public service announcement about your driving risk, where bright colors like white and yellow scream "I'm here!" while darker shades whisper "hit me, maybe," depending on the time of day.
Sales and Market Share
- In 2023, white was the most popular car color globally, comprising 35% of new vehicle sales, followed by black at 19%
- Black cars represented 19% of global new car sales in 2023, second to white, per Axalta's annual report
- Grey/silver colors together made up 27% of worldwide new vehicle purchases in 2023 according to Axalta data
- Blue accounted for 10% of global new car sales in 2023, showing a 1% increase from 2022, Axalta report
- Red cars were 5% of new vehicle sales worldwide in 2023, down slightly from previous year, per Axalta
- In the US, white cars were 24.9% of new 2022 model year sales, leading all colors, iSeeCars analysis
- Black was 22.8% of new 2022 US car sales, very close to white, according to iSeeCars
- Silver/grey held 15.5% market share in US new cars for 2022, iSeeCars data
- Blue cars at 10.4% of 2022 US new vehicle sales, rising trend, iSeeCars
- Yellow was the least popular at 0.3% for 2022 US new cars, iSeeCars study
- In Europe 2023, white dominated at 38% of new car registrations, per BASF report
- Grey was 25% in European new car sales 2023, BASF Automotive Color Trends
- Black at 19% for Europe 2023 new vehicles, BASF data
- Blue increased to 11% in Europe 2023 car sales, BASF report
- Brown/Beige at 4% lowest in Europe 2023, per BASF
- China 2023 new car sales: white 25%, black 21%, per China Association of Automobile Manufacturers
- Grey 18% in China 2023 vehicle sales, CAAM stats
- Red 12% popular in China new cars 2023, CAAM
- Blue 9% in China 2023 sales, CAAM report
- Green only 3% in China new car market 2023, CAAM
- UK 2022 new car registrations: grey 27%, white 23%, SMMT data
- Black 15% UK new cars 2022, SMMT
- Blue 12% UK 2022 sales, SMMT stats
- Silver 8% in UK new registrations 2022, SMMT
- Red 7% UK cars 2022, SMMT report
- Australia 2023: white 35% new car sales, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
- Silver 20% Australia 2023 vehicles, FCAI data
- Black 18% Aussie new cars 2023, FCAI
- Grey 12% Australia 2023 sales, FCAI stats
- Blue 8% in Australia new market 2023, FCAI report
Sales and Market Share Interpretation
Despite the rainbow's best efforts, the world's car lots remain a triumph of monochrome conformity, with a resounding 81% of new cars globally cloaked in the safe, sober, and resale-friendly shades of white, black, and grey.
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