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Car Colours Myths Debunked

When Ford came up with its famous Model T, Henry Ford certainly made things real easy when by saying that the customers could have any colour they wanted, as long as it was black. But things have changed quite a bit over time. These days, we have so many car colour options that sometimes it gets quite overwhelming. The $330,000 Bentley Mulsanne luxury sedan is available in more 100 exterior shades, along with customisation options.

In this article, we would attempt to debunk some of the very common myths about car colours.

Do Insurance Companies Charge Higher Rates for Bright Colours?

It sounds totally absurd, but it is a widely popular myth that car insurance companies charge more for a car with bright paintjob. It is not true, and industry experts say that this rule has never been in effect. People believe that insurance companies ask more premium for cars that are shocking red, shining black and dark blue, as these cars are more prone to accidents during night.

However, Sunil Gupta, COO, Pasco Automobiles says, "As of now insurance companies are not changing any premium based on car colour." Puneet Khanna, owner of an automobile showroom, confirms this, "A few days back we had got to hear of this, but we are yet to receive instructions from insurance companies. The proposal is said to be pending with IRDA. If it gets approved then it would be applicable by the end of this year."

What are the Most Popular Car Colours?

The most popular colour in India seems to be white, black, grey and red. Even though globally, silver continues to be the most preferred car colour, black is catching up fast. Also, more shocking colours like purple and orange are climbing up the popularity chart. In the past five years or so, orange has also been a colour space that has really taken notice

But very soon, it will be emerging markets like China and India that will influence car colour palettes. Michelle Killen, Exterior Colour Designer for General Motors, predicts a distinctly rose-tinted future. "A trend that is starting to make its way here from China is the use of "pink" or "fuchsia," says Killen. "You are going to start seeing this used more in North American and European markets."

Killen says she relies on "everything" when studying the next must-have colours. "I use fashion for the "what's hot right now" and for longer term or further into the future I like to use trend sites." Furniture, product design and architecture all influence the colours General Motors offers, says Killen. "We are still seeing orange as a "hot" colour space. Orange has really become a staple in exterior paint design."

Can Colour Add or Detract from a Car's Value?

Everyone asks if a popular colour can add or detract from a car's value. The answer is yes, especially if you want to retain the car long enough for it to attain classic status. While red remains perennially popular with buyers, it is very difficult to sell a green colour car.

Experts advise car owners, specifically those in the classic car world, to be very careful while choosing a car colour. It is best to choose a colour that people would consider for that model. A colour should also match the kind of car you buy; usually darker colours work better with formal luxury vehicles like a vintage Rolls-Royce.

The value of some cars gets enormously enhanced because of a particular colour. Especially if we are talking about 1960s-era muscle cars, a car is valued according to what colour it was when it left the factory. For some of the classic muscle cars, a whacky colour like "Plum Crazy" purple would fetch you more money. But God alone can help you if the car was a hideous green. Your green car, in that case, would be more valuable in an unattractive but entirely original colour scheme.

Do Certain Colours Attract Police?

In today's era of technological advancement, there are much easier ways, such as laser detectors and speed cameras, of detecting speed demons than the colour of their car. Most police officers will pull you over if you were found speeding no matter what's the colour of your car.

But the fact that law enforcement authorities could be subconsciously prejudiced to brighter colours, and red in particular, does hold some relevance.