<p>Mainly, because they're too noticeable. </p>

<p>You don't really see houses in electric green, pink, or yellow. No one wants to stand out in a crowd or be the sore thumb.</p>

<p>Here: <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/10/12/survey-americans-pretty-much-the-whole-world-prefers-boring-colored-cars" rel="nofollow">http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/10/12/survey-americans-pretty-much-the-whole-world-prefers-boring-colored-cars</a></p>

<p>I'll post more sources when I can.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-13T16:05:42.157Z
I've read that Braun industrial and consumer designs had a big impact on ordinary things like coffee makers being boring colors with a colorful "Start" button: https://redyawning.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/ddb192e40d74ccc9c1a9b471476109a2.jpg
Alex Stone
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-10T14:42:04.677Z
"*You don't really see houses in electric green, pink, or yellow. No one wants to stand out in a crowd or be the sore thumb.*"  Take a look at [The colourful city of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada](https://www.reddit.com/r/CityPorn/comments/9vzq5l/the_colourful_city_of_st_johns_newfoundland_and/) and think again.
Ray Butterworth
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-10T22:20:58.157Z
Colourful houses are everywhere. Here's Copenhagen: https://www.fotocommunity.de/photo/bunte-haeuser-am-alten-hafen-von-kop-dirk-christian/31897570 or Dinkelsbühl https://www.fotocommunity.de/photo/bunte-haeuser-in-dinkelsbuehl-helene-steffi/31978308 or Wuppertal https://www.malte-reiter.de/blog/bunte-hauser-in-wuppertal-elsternstrasse/, and I can't even find pictures online of all the ones in my neighborhood.
uUnwY
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-12T07:42:37.700Z
@RayButterworth point still stands; if everyone's colorful, no one stands out.
CSSTUDENT
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-12-30T05:20:24.647Z
2012-12-30T05:20:24.647Z
Genevieve
<p>I've been interested in this question for a few years, sorry if this is not the right place to ask it.</p>

<p>As I've been driving around the US for the last few years, I noticed that some community parking lots "lack color" - the vehicles can be defined as colorless - they are white, black, various shades of gray or beige. Yet I've seen several new car catalogs and see that most cars come in several colors.</p>

<p>I was surprised to see this "lack of color" again and again, so I googled it, and found that the trend is not just in America, but worldwide: </p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/gNVvb.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/01/americans-like-white-the-world-likes-silver-in-new-color-popula/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2009 Top 10 world car colors</a></p>

<p>This is interesting, because <strong>I've never ever heard of white, silver or black being called people's favorite color</strong>. Most search results point to "blue" being the favorite color (at least in the United States) for English search results.</p>

<p>This begs the question: <strong>Why do people go for boring/conservate exterior car colors, like white or silver when buying a new car, instead of choosing their favorite color?</strong></p>

<p>Here are my wild guesses, and it would be great to debunk them:</p>

<ul>
<li>Is this due to conformity, resale value, or an attempt to stand out
less on a highway?</li>
<li>Is this because a car is big enough to be seen with rods in the eye?</li>
<li>Or do people see their cars as just another "appliance", like a
toaster, microwave or a fridge, and pick a color similar to what they
see in their kitchen?</li>
</ul>

<p>I appreciate your input!</p>

<p>PS. This article is especially interesting, because it predicts <strong>orange/brown becoming the "new color" of expensive cars</strong>, while most color psychology results I've seen list people naming <strong>orange as "cheap"</strong> color, and advise to avoid it. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/business/americas-favorite-car-colors-2012-are-boring-1C6415814" rel="nofollow noreferrer">America's favorite car colors for 2012 are ... boring</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T00:11:56.143Z
Because Henry Ford said so! Kidding aside, this is an interesting question, though I'm not convinced the answer is a 'cognitive' one. Also, do you have a citation for orange being regarded as "cheap"?
Jeff
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T00:12:51.917Z
Also, this article seems very relevant: [Why Are Our Cars Painted Such Boring Colors](http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/design/2011/10/car_paint_colors_why_are_so_many_cars_painted_white_silver_and_b.html)
Jeff
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T04:37:33.653Z
I will look for the orange being cheap
Alex Stone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T04:55:39.327Z
I saw that orange is cheap while doing research on user interface colors. I don't remember the exact site, but both of these mention orange as "inexpensive"  http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-orange.html and http://changingminds.org/disciplines/communication/color_effect.htm
Alex Stone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-25T05:00:34.563Z
From the article Jeff linked, it seems that dull colors are mostly due to new paint standards and longer expected car lifespan
Alex Stone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-26T05:29:21.893Z
You might want to look into whether people typically buy _anything_ in their favorite color (or anything other than clothes). This may not be a car-specific phenomenon.
octern
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-28T17:14:44.427Z
Look at underwear, it's mostly white, black or grey. Probably because it's match with most colours of our cloths. People also consider it as sexy. Black, white and grey are also considered as elegant colour. We usually can buy only one car. So we subconsciously want it to be: versatile (to our current look), elegant and sexy.
Adam Szałucha
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-13T16:01:43.687Z
@nocomprende Good points about the heat. I'm sure you can pull off bright pink as a part of an english flag theme or like: http://www.mini2.com/images/competition/flag.jpg
Alex Stone
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-10T22:29:18.920Z
@Jeff interesting article, but I don't buy the "paint quality" explanation. Surely today there are lots of highly pigmented paid that are very tough and resistant, my garden shed is the proof. Of course it's not the same paint that would be used for cars, but I really can't see why a tough UV resistant finish is incompatible with bright pigments. There article just seems to drop that chemistry argument half way and then talks about people wanting metallic effect, which is kind of a circular argument.
uUnwY
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-10T22:53:22.570Z
Any explanation would also have to explain why bright colours were popular for a time (around 1960s to 1980s). What exactly changed? Also there might be similar trends in other areas, fashion perhaps (people also wore bright red or yellow trousers which, in the UK art least, you rarely see nowadays although they are still not unusual in other European countries).
uUnwY
<cognitive-psychology><perception><color>
Why people choose "boring" colors for new cars?
Alex Stone
# Why people choose "boring" colors for new cars?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-11-24)

I've been interested in this question for a few years, sorry if this is not the right place to ask it.

As I've been driving around the US for the last few years, I noticed that some community parking lots "lack color" - the vehicles can be defined as colorless - they are white, black, various shades of gray or beige. Yet I've seen several new car catalogs and see that most cars come in several colors.

I was surprised to see this "lack of color" again and again, so I googled it, and found that the trend is not just in America, but worldwide:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/gNVvb.jpg)

[2009 Top 10 world car colors](http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/01/americans-like-white-the-world-likes-silver-in-new-color-popula/)

This is interesting, because **I've never ever heard of white, silver or black being called people's favorite color**. Most search results point to "blue" being the favorite color (at least in the United States) for English search results.

This begs the question: **Why do people go for boring/conservate exterior car colors, like white or silver when buying a new car, instead of choosing their favorite color?**

Here are my wild guesses, and it would be great to debunk them:

* Is this due to conformity, resale value, or an attempt to stand out
  less on a highway?
* Is this because a car is big enough to be seen with rods in the eye?
* Or do people see their cars as just another "appliance", like a
  toaster, microwave or a fridge, and pick a color similar to what they
  see in their kitchen?

I appreciate your input!

PS. This article is especially interesting, because it predicts **orange/brown becoming the "new color" of expensive cars**, while most color psychology results I've seen list people naming **orange as "cheap"** color, and advise to avoid it.

[America's favorite car colors for 2012 are ... boring](http://www.nbcnews.com/business/americas-favorite-car-colors-2012-are-boring-1C6415814)

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, perception, color

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Because Henry Ford said so! Kidding aside, this is an interesting question, though I'm not convinced the answer is a 'cognitive' one. Also, do you have a citation for orange being regarded as "cheap"?  
> **username_1**: Also, this article seems very relevant: [Why Are Our Cars Painted Such Boring Colors](http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/design/2011/10/car_paint_colors_why_are_so_many_cars_painted_white_silver_and_b.html)  
> **username_0**: I will look for the orange being cheap  
> **username_0**: I saw that orange is cheap while doing research on user interface colors. I don't remember the exact site, but both of these mention orange as "inexpensive"  http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-orange.html and http://changingminds.org/disciplines/communication/color_effect.htm  
> **username_0**: From the article username_1 linked, it seems that dull colors are mostly due to new paint standards and longer expected car lifespan  
> **username_2**: You might want to look into whether people typically buy _anything_ in their favorite color (or anything other than clothes). This may not be a car-specific phenomenon.  
> **username_3**: Look at underwear, it's mostly white, black or grey. Probably because it's match with most colours of our cloths. People also consider it as sexy. Black, white and grey are also considered as elegant colour. We usually can buy only one car. So we subconsciously want it to be: versatile (to our current look), elegant and sexy.  
> **username_0**: @nocomprende Good points about the heat. I'm sure you can pull off bright pink as a part of an english flag theme or like: http://www.mini2.com/images/competition/flag.jpg  
> **username_4**: @username_1 interesting article, but I don't buy the "paint quality" explanation. Surely today there are lots of highly pigmented paid that are very tough and resistant, my garden shed is the proof. Of course it's not the same paint that would be used for cars, but I really can't see why a tough UV resistant finish is incompatible with bright pigments. There article just seems to drop that chemistry argument half way and then talks about people wanting metallic effect, which is kind of a circular argument.  
> **username_4**: Any explanation would also have to explain why bright colours were popular for a time (around 1960s to 1980s). What exactly changed? Also there might be similar trends in other areas, fashion perhaps (people also wore bright red or yellow trousers which, in the UK art least, you rarely see nowadays although they are still not unusual in other European countries).  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2012-12-30. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Mainly, because they're too noticeable.

You don't really see houses in electric green, pink, or yellow. No one wants to stand out in a crowd or be the sore thumb.

Here: <http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/10/12/survey-americans-pretty-much-the-whole-world-prefers-boring-colored-cars>

I'll post more sources when I can.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I've read that Braun industrial and consumer designs had a big impact on ordinary things like coffee makers being boring colors with a colorful "Start" button: https://redyawning.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/ddb192e40d74ccc9c1a9b471476109a2.jpg  
> **username_6**: "*You don't really see houses in electric green, pink, or yellow. No one wants to stand out in a crowd or be the sore thumb.*"  Take a look at [The colourful city of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada](https://www.reddit.com/r/CityPorn/comments/9vzq5l/the_colourful_city_of_st_johns_newfoundland_and/) and think again.  
> **username_4**: Colourful houses are everywhere. Here's Copenhagen: https://www.fotocommunity.de/photo/bunte-haeuser-am-alten-hafen-von-kop-dirk-christian/31897570 or Dinkelsbühl https://www.fotocommunity.de/photo/bunte-haeuser-in-dinkelsbuehl-helene-steffi/31978308 or Wuppertal https://www.malte-reiter.de/blog/bunte-hauser-in-wuppertal-elsternstrasse/, and I can't even find pictures online of all the ones in my neighborhood.  
> **username_7**: @RayButterworth point still stands; if everyone's colorful, no one stands out.  

---

