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White and Black Remain the Most Popular Non-Colors for Cars in 2019

For all the thought and consideration each potential car buyer puts into choosing the right color for their car, the result remains predictable enough. Sure, we still see cars in the most surprising, outstanding shades, but they are not the norm.
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For the year 2019, the norm remains white, Philadelphia-based Axalta Coating Systems, which provides paints for the auto industry, reveals in its 67th report on color preferences. The 2019 Global Automotive Color Popularity Report crowns white as the most popular car color in the world.

Sure, there are some regional variations depending on geography, weather and cultural influences, but overall, white reigns supreme with 38%. It’s the ninth consecutive year when white earns top prize, FYI. Its equally famous non-color sibling, black, comes in second with 19%, while their offspring, gray, ranks third with 13%.

White, black, gray (and silver) cars make up 80% of all the cars in the world. How’s that for lack of diversity?

If you believe researchers claiming that white and black vehicles are the most likely to be involved in an accident, now you also know why: because cars in this color are the most common, numbers of them being involved in accidents are also higher. It’s not so much that they’re more prone to accidents or that they’re accident-magnets. It’s a matter of percentages, actually.

Back to the most popular colors, Axalta says that the only remarkable difference this year is that silver has fallen out of owners’ preferences. Back in 2010, it topped the list, with 26% of the market share, but in 2019, it has reaches its lowest percentage in more than 10 years.

White, black, gray and silver automobiles make up a total of 80% of vehicles around the world, according to the survey, with white remaining on top at 38%, followed by black at 19% and gray with 13%. Silver topped the list in 2010, representing 26% of the market, but is now at its lowest percentage in more than 10 years.

“We are starting to see other colors make moves in popularity that might not have been thinkable in past years,” Axalta Global Product Manager Nancy Lockhart says in a statement. “For sure, the consumer is truly beginning to change the way they view their vehicle’s color, and Axalta is prepared to partner with our automotive customers to meet those needs.”

The colors that do seem to enjoy a boost in popularity are red, which is most popular in North America (with 9% of market share), blue, which is a hit in North America and Europe (10%), and brown / beige, which is a favorite in Russia (with 12%).
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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