ATLANTA – If you’re looking for the hottest thing on four wheels, there’s a good chance you’ll drive off of the car lot in something cool and white.
October and November are among the most popular months to buy cars, and white is traditionally the most popular color vehicle.
Why?
According to research by PPG Industries, 23% of the cars purchased in North America are white, followed by black, gray, and silver.
Part of the reason is temperature.
“Some of the reasons that I hear from customers has to do with the Georgia heat,” says Lee Newton, sales manager at Hennessy Ford. “White is much cooler.”
Car dealerships have limited space on their lots and tend to fill most of that space with basic colors like white, black, silver, and gray.
“If a customer wants another color offered on that car line, but it’s not at the dealership, they have to wait,” says Jane Harrington of PPG, a company that supplies pain to car manufacturers. “Many people do not want to wait for the unique color. They want that instant gratification.”
Harrington adds that the trend toward white began in 2010 when Apple showcased the white iPhone 4 as the future of technology.
“White symbolizes purity, clarity, and simplicity,” says Harrington.
Newton says truck drivers typically prefer white or black, but nothing in between.
