Silver is “the new black” for car colours

Silver and grey are the most popular colours for Canadian car buyers, according to a new study commissioned by Ford, which found that traditional colours still garner loyalty.

At 22.3 per cent, silver/grey was by far the most popular, followed by black at 14.1 per cent, blue at 13.6 per cent, and red well behind at 11.6 per cent. White, often a popular choice in warmer climates, was a distant fifth choice at 6.9 per cent. The study concluded with green at 6.0 per cent, gold at 3.8 per cent and orange at 0.4 per cent, with 11 per cent of Canadians surveyed choosing a colour other than those listed.

“People form an emotional connection with colour and there is something very personal to buyers about the hue of their cars,” said Susan Swek, chief designer of Ford’s colour and materials. “Our internal research shows up to 40 per cent of car buyers say they would walk out of a dealership if they couldn’t buy a car in the colour they wanted.”

Buyer age was also a factor, and the study found that while many people think of the younger generation as risk-takers, the propensity to choose an unconventional colour actually increases with age. The likelihood of choosing red steadily increases with buyer age while the likelihood of choosing black steadily decreases. Men are much more likely to choose a black car, while women are much more likely to choose red. Also more likely to buy a black car are Canadians making more than $80,000 per year, and those who are single.

Across the country, Atlantic Canadians have a surprisingly high number of gold-coloured cars and also the country’s highest instances of red cars. Albertans have the highest preference for blue cars, followed by Quebecers, who are also most likely to choose an unconventional colour not listed in the top eight shades. Ontario residents have the greatest percentage of black cars and are less likely to want a blue one. Green cars are most popular with those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, followed by British Columbia. Those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan also have the highest preference for white vehicles.

Worldwide, silver is the most popular colour. Among individual nations, nearly half of all vehicles sold in Turkey are white; French and Italian drivers prefer cream-coloured vehicles, and black is the most popular colour in Norway, Portugal, Germany and Russia. The Czech Republic, which prefers blue, is the only country in Europe with a top colour other than white, black or silver.