Top Car Colours For 2012 Revealed

In the report, 22% of cars and trucks built during 2012 have white paint, making it the most popular colour globally. Silver is a close second (20%), followed by black at 19%. Grey and red are the fourth and fifth most popular paint choices.

Popular in white

White paint now ranks as the most popular colour for the second year in a row after overtaking silver in 2011.

The rankings are skewed somewhat by the large number of pickup trucks on the US market. Trucks accounted for 55% of North American production in the first eight months of 2012, according to Ward's, which compiles automotive data.

One in four pickups produced is white because business owners often use them as work trucks and paint logos on them. By comparison, 19% of cars made in the USA are white.

White, which was also popular in the 1980s, is making a comeback thanks in part to Apple's all-white stores and glossy white gadgets, said Jane Harrington, PPG's manager of colour styling for automakers.

Manufacturers are also making more varieties of white, from the flat, bright white on many vans to the cream colour of luxury SUVs.

Silver also rose in popularity in the 2000s and remains popular because it highlights every angle of a car. Harrington said, "Silver looks great on any design."

White and other "safe" colors (silver, grey and black) increased in popularity during the economic downturn, as buyers stopped leasing and bought vehicles they expected to hold on to for much longer, said Michelle Killen, GM's lead colour designer.

Killen said: "Buyers want to purchase a colour they won't grow tired of over an extended period of time."

Color preferences vary by geography. You'll find more red vehicles in the US whereas black and grey are the most popular colour in Europe.

Future car colour trends

Drivers in Asia choose tan and gold over green and only 7% of vehicles in the region are blue.

PPG, bases its automotive paints on trends it sees in fashion, interior design and other areas.

Harrington noticed a lot of purple being used at a home colour show in Paris, which prompted the creation of a new purple/grey paint for vehicles.

PPG starts showing paints to carmakers three or four years ahead of a model's release. Automakers decide on colours two or three years before a model goes on sale.

Harrington predicts customers will see more browns and oranges over the next two years, especially on luxury cars.

As for the future, PPG is showing 64 future colour options to automakers in October 2012.