White remains new car buyers' top color

White remains the most popular color of choice for automotive consumers, a trend report has shown, with 22 per cent of all car buyers opting for the color.

Transportation coatings manufacturer PPG's annual automotive color popularity and trend data report has, however, forecasted that more vibrant colors are set to increase in popularity.

Silver came a close second with 20 per cent of new car buyers opting for it, followed by black (19 per cent), gray (12 per cent), red (9 per cent), natural (8 per cent), blue (7 per cent), green (2 per cent) and other colors (1 per cent).

Jane E. Harrington, PPG manager, said: "Color is one of the first characteristics noticed in product design, and it is increasingly being used in everyday items, from cell phones to large appliances, based largely on automotive trends."

"The palette being developed for the automotive segment continues to be influenced by culture, nature, fashion, interior design, color popularity and new pigment technology."

PPG presented its ideas for future colors at its annual automotive color trend show entitled 'Perspective' in September. The company used data collected from its businesses that color items such as homes, laptop computers, buildings, airplanes, ships and heavy equipment.

The company presented 64 new exterior shades to automotive designers - for consideration in the 2015-2016 model designs – such as: Al Fresco, a silver metallic with fresh green tint; Victoria Grey, a classic grey with an iridescent highlight of gold metal; Opulence, a refined red pearl with intense jewel tone; Glacier, an icy graphite grey with a slight violet blue tone; Sunshine, a bright high-sparkle intense yellow; and Elixir, a metallic mixture of silver and magenta.

"Our consumer research has clearly shown that color is critically important to car buyers," Harrington said. "For example, metallic flake effects have become increasingly popular. A classic color such as blue can be updated with a high-sparkle glass flake or a fine bright aluminum to create more of a liquid or silk appearance."

For more details on the report's findings visit the PPG website.

By Rufus Thompson