THERE are many different aspects to consider when buying a car, such as budget, comparing car brands, sizes, models, mileage, prices etc.
We also consider the car’s colour. The colour of the car you choose to drive can reveal a great deal about your personality and your outlook and attitude about yourself, your life and your lifestyle choices.
The colour of your car subconsciously tells a story about who you are, and could be sending out subliminal messages to others.
Colour reflects the times — When we look back to the Great Depression of the 1930s and the subsequent years including World War II, automotive colours often reflected the sombre mood of the times.
Similar to fashion trends, understated colours were more prevalent. Once peace and prosperity reigned strong again in the 1950s and beyond, bright candy-coloured colours became popular on cars. Maybe that explains why politicians love black. Besides black being a symbol of power politicians are naturally sombre people, especially the older generation.
Gender plays a role in colour preference — Several studies have concluded that gender does in fact play a role in exterior car colour preferences.
For example, men chose a yellow-coloured car 34% more frequently than women. Conversely, women preferred teal vehicles more often than men. Regardless of gender, grayscale colours (white, black, grey, and silver) account for 77,1% of all vehicles on the road today.
Grayscale colours (white, black, grey, and silver) represent a total of 77,1% of all vehicles on the road in the United States. White sits atop the list as the most popular choice. Some reasons for its popularity include the fact that white is associated with modern and progressive themes due to its connection to technology products such as the Apple iPhone.
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It is also one of the lowest maintenance car colours to keep looking clean due to its unique ability to hide dirt compared to many colours.
Finishing close behind in second place was the colour black, followed by grey and silver. Many consumers tend to prefer grayscale colours from a practical standpoint since they are less likely to tire of looking at them. The first non-grayscale colours to appear on the list are red (5th place) and blue (6th place).
Red is popular with sports cars, great for drivers looking to stand out from the crowd. Blue is a hit with drivers for similar reasons.
The remaining seven colours (brown, green, beige, orange, gold, yellow, and purple) account for only 3,5% of cars on the road today. Although grayscale colours tend to depreciate at an average rate, less popular colours tend to depreciate more slowly due to their scarcity on the market.
Many fascinating studies and surveys have been done about cars and their drivers’ personalities. You will be amazed how your personality is reflected by your car and thus what our cars say about you and me. The colour of your car is one such factor that broadcasts personality traits whether you are aware of this or not.
For example, here are a few personality comments on car colours:
Strangely enough, black is the really wild one of all the car colours. Those who drive black cars are known to be aggressive, and sometimes even dangerous.
They like to be seen as super competent drivers and see their car as an extension of their wilder side and assumed great driving abilities. Unfortunately, the driving skills of those operating black vehicles do not always measure up to their supposedly superior abilities. The black BMW or Mercedes is the most popular current range in their world.
I wonder why politicians want black limos. Does it portray a sense of power? Or is it the aggression or the dangerous aspect of whom and what they are.
Those who drive silver automobiles can come across as the cool, calm, James Bond types, but they may appear aloof as well. For reasons unknown, they too are seen as drivers who are dangerous, although not so much as the drivers of black cars. Driving a silver car makes me feel weird. To me, silver shouts so much. It is quietly loud.
For some reason yellow has been known in the past as a colour of cowardliness. In car drivers this would be a rare tendency. Most who purposely buy a yellow car are not the cowardly type, they are usually idealistic and may just like the novelty of such a bright sunshine colour; they are normally quite happy with themselves, and want to be seen.
How about blue? Blue car drivers will tend to exhibit traits of strength and be a person who is steadfast and loyal. Blue is known as a calming type of colour, and their drivers are the more cautious types who think issues over more before proceeding.
Green is a popular choice nowadays. There are many beautiful variations of this natural colour in Africa, from the metallic teals to the emeralds, and all the way to the virtually fluorescents.
Drivers of green automobiles may be thought of as individuals that are concerned about the environment but can this colour can also give the impression that a driver may be envious and jealous.
While it may be rare there are some that find the colour, green associated with hysterical types. The green-eyed monster works on people of fairer skin, not dark people of the south.
White and cream coloured cars show personalities who lean toward purity, cleanliness and innocence. There are drivers of white vehicles that are status seeking, extrovert drivers as well. These car drivers have traits of self-control and independence. They are normally safe drivers.
Red, especially the candy apple reds, really dress up a vehicle. Those colours exhibit energy, zest for life, activity and vitality
In the past red has been seen as a colour for romance, also for devilishness and danger.
The softer side of red is pink. Usually exhibits personality traits of affection, warmth and gentleness. Pink has a psychological tendency to make one less aggressive.
Grey cars indicate coolness, calm and conservative personality traits. They will only rarely bring out strong emotion. Drivers of grey cars like their work and are dedicated to it. Employers take note, its time you change your fleet to grey.
Not many males opt for pink vehicles though. Long ago if you were male and wore a pink shirt and you would be regarded with suspicion. People thought you were gay. But now fashionable males will always have a pink shirt in their wardrobe.
If you think cars are just transportation, you would be wrong! Whether you buy a big black pickup truck, a red convertible, a green mini-van or a pink beetle, your car and its colour say a lot about your personality.
The next time you make a purchase, do not just buy what is available, and contemplate on the colour before you make your decision.
