Car color can say a lot about the driver of any given car—or not, depending on how much stock you put into the idea that there is some kind of psychology involved in color preferences. Some people, for example, believe that red car drivers are danger-prone, aggressive, risk-takers. Which, by the way, is a myth. Still, the choice of a dark blue car suggests a driver who respects the law and drives safely and authoritatively, while the purchase of a plain white car speaks of a driver who likes to keep things simple and clean. Then again, sometimes a consumer will simply discover a great deal on a used car because of its unusual color (beige car, anyone?).
Assuming car colors do say something about your personality, what does the color of your car say about you? Should car consumers look for cars in specific colors in hopes they will have a positive effect on their mood or driving ability? If so, what color should you choose when buying a new car?
Here’s a rundown of some popular car color choices so you can choose the one that most closely matches your personality:
Red: Bold, Extroverted, Exciting
Red as a car color (or as the color of anything else, actually), comes in two flavors. There’s the bright heat of fire engine red, and the greater depth and complexity of the more subtle maroon or wine. We tend to have a strong reaction to both. The person who drives a red car is making a statement. They want to stand out from the crowd. And they do.
Orange: Loud, Complicated, and One-of-a-Kind
Orange is loud, but also unique. Because most people who like to be loud and flashy choose the aforementioned red as the color of their car. Orange is something else, a different, out-of-the-box kind of color, the color of originality and creativity. People with orange cars tend to be complicated, but they are also connectors. They like people and it shows. Watch how others gravitate toward orange car owners at parties and events.
Yellow: Sunshine and Happiness, Fun
When you’re in a yellow car, it never rains. That’s how it feels, at any rate. It is, in fact impossible to feel anything less than sunshiny from behind the wheel of a yellow car. Consumers who choose a yellow car will see the humor in even the worst situation. They know how to make the best of things. When you leave a yellow car, you can’t help but feel at least a little happier than you were when you got in.
Dark Green: Traditional, Dependable, Balanced
Green has come to symbolize someone who is aware of the environment and the limits of our resources. As a color, green is all about nature and balance. Which means that the conscious choice of green when you go to buy a car says you are a person who weighs their actions and does what is best for all concerned.
Dark green is the color of money and consumer power, but it also a traditional color. As a car color, it suggests a driver you can trust in matters of business, someone who cares about others. Yet even in the days of Robin Hood, dark green was also a suave and sophisticated color, a rich color that smells of wealth and high fashion.
Light Green: Unfussy, Uncomplicated
Light green is simple and unassuming, a no-fuss, uncomplicated color. The person who chooses to buy a car this color is natural and genuine, without being over-the-top and preachy about it. Spending time with light green car owners can be reassuring, restorative, and refreshing, as this is the color of new life and growth.
Dark Blue: Authoritative, Confident
Dark blue is the color of authority and the law. Cops wear that blue. If you choose a darker blue for your car color, you are no doubt a smooth driver who inspires confidence in others—including other drivers on the road. Dark blue is the color of safety and security.
Light to Medium Blue: Loyal, Tranquil, Unshakeable
Blues across the light to mid-blue spectrum are cool colors. We associate them with icy cold winters and breezy skies. Car colors in this range are favored by drivers who keep their cool on the road—those who are grace under pressure, unflappable and always calm. Drivers of light to mid-blue cars also very accepting people and tend to make friends for life.
Brown: Rich, High-Style, Deep
Rich dark browns make us think of tobacco, chocolate, coffee, and leather. These are the colors traditionally thought of as masculine in an old money sort of way. An old-school man’s study is often this color, and will incorporate such materials as wood and leather. Dark brown, as a car color, oozes elegance, strength, intelligence, power, and depth of personality.
Beige: No-Nonsense, Natural, and Never Out of Place
Beige is a color that goes with everything. It’s an earthy, natural, no nonsense color. It blends in in a pleasant way and it’s like a walk in the shade. The driver with a beige car is never out of place, anywhere or at any time. They fit right in wherever they find themselves. Beige, however, is not a popular car color, perhaps because potential buyers find it boring. Which may be why beige cars are often a great deal.
Gold: Glamour, Comfort, Wealth
Gold as your choice of car color implies that you don’t stint where comfort is concerned, and that you demand only the finest. You appreciate the good things in life, including fellow drivers who drive carefully. You might nod to them in recognition.
Black: Power, Class, and Elegance
Black is the car color choice of VIPs, because it oozes elegance, power, class and control. If you think of a board member arriving for an important meeting or a Hollywood actress pulling up to the Academy Awards, the color of the car you imagine is no doubt black. Black, as a conscious color choice, also suggests a person who cannot easily be manipulated. We suggest you don’t try. If you want to project power, buy a black car.
Silver: Showy, Sharp, and Ultramodern
Silver has a way of standing out. First of all, it’s metallic. It makes us think of rare, high-value items, for example precious metals like silver and gold, and of course, money. Silver as a car color is also the color of the future, a step up from gray. The driver of a silver car appreciates the latest innovations in science and technology. Or maybe they just want to be seen and noticed. Because silver is most of all, showy.
Gray: Serious, No-Nonsense, and Blending In
If the drivers on either side of you are driving gray cars along a treacherous stretch of road, you’re as safe as safe can be. Gray car drivers are safe drivers. They are sober and practical. The consumer who purchases a gray car is generally law-abiding and living a normal, stable life. You can depend on the gray car driver. They won’t mince words, but they will say what needs to be said. And they’ve got more things to do than obsess over car colors. “Gray is fine,” they might growl to the auto broker.
White: Clean, Simple, Clear
White, as a car color, tells us the driver is a straight arrow. The consumer who chooses a white car may be thought of as “fussy” by their co-workers and acquaintances because they are so insistent on doing things the right way. They like things clean, simple, and direct—they don’t really think you can hide what you think, and believe you shouldn’t try. White car owners certainly don’t. The color of their car is a reflection of the way they live their lives.
What Does the Science Say?
Does the color of your car really say something about you? The consensus of the scientific community appears to be a resounding, “No.”
And still, common sense tells us that our color preferences do say something about us. At the very least, the colors we choose for our cars are based on the kind of person and driver we aspire to be and how we want to be seen by others.
