The Message Conveyed By Your Car's Color

By: Scott Conklin
Submitted: 2008-05-16 22:49:22
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Most people purchase cars based on the vehicle’s proposed functionality. For example, drivers of minivans may have children to transport; drivers of compact cars may have longer commutes; and those outdoor-types may opt to drive a Jeep which is known to welcome rugged terrains. It may be understood why the make and model of a particular vehicle is chosen, but what about the color that a buyer chooses? What message does the color of vehicle possibly say about its driver?

The "Color Answer Book" author and color expert Leatrice Eiseman believes she knows the answer. In the book, Eiseman says that a vehicle's color reveals quite a bit about the personality of its purchaser. A few colors that have been researched and linked to specific personality types are:

Black cars. Black cars are said to be driven by the empowered and leader-type drivers who are typically not easily manipulated. These drivers tend to appreciate elegance and things that are regarded as traditional and classic.

Silver cars. At the time of the writing, silver cars were thought to not only be driven by those with elegant tastes, but also those who are cool and who love a futuristic look. In 2000, silver cars became the most popular color choice by American drivers.

White cars. Drivers of white cars are known for their cleanliness and their attention to detail (perhaps this explain why there are rarely white cars that look like mine with the words “wash me” traced in the sides). 

Red cars. Red cars drivers have always been regarded as sexy, speedy, and highly energized. However, it was also discovered through research that those that are less obvious about these traits tend to drive cars that are a deeper shade of red, and those who display more obvious traits drive cars that are a more vibrant red.

Green cars. Dark green cars are driven by those regarded as trustworthy and well balanced, while bright green car drivers tend to be trendy and lively.

Yellow cars. Yellow car drivers are a very loving bunch. Those in bright yellow appear to be trendy and whimsical; yellow-gold drivers are warm, indulging and intelligent; and those bright, sunshine yellow drivers have a very sunny disposition and are joyful and young at heart.

Other colors. Taupe and light brown car drivers are noted for their simpler tastes, while drivers of dark brown car tend to be very down to earth; neutral gray car drivers are more practical; purple car drivers are known for their creative, individualistic ways; and orange seems to be the color of fun loving and trendy drivers.

Car experts may not agree that there is a correlation between a car’s color and its owner, but they can offer suggestions for choosing a car color that will put more money into the buyer’s pocket in the long run. Sound advice is that edgy colors may be great for the moment, but in the long term they can lower your trade-in value, as these colors are more difficult to resell. Traditional colors such as grey, blue, black, and red are seemingly always in-demand from those looking for used vehicles. In the end, the car-color winners will always be those people comfortable enough to take a great car ‘deal’ regardless of the car’s color.

References

Eiseman, Leatrice. Color Answer Book: From the World’s Leading Color Expert. Capital Books, Incorporated. October 2005.

Article source: Expert Articles