The world likes its cars white

White car in Berlin, taken by Koen Jacobs. Creative Commons, Flickr.

Even though the number of grey and blue cars on the road is increasing slightly, white is still the most popular color for cars, according to a report by paint manufacturer Axalta.

Just over a third of the global car fleet is white (35 percent). Followed by black (19 percent) and grey (also 19 percent) as the most common color for cars. Grey is gaining in popularity, with the number of grey cars increasing by 4 percent worldwide in 2021. Paint manufacturer Axalta bases their ranking on production data from the major car manufacturing countries.

The popularity of white is partly due to its popularity in Asian countries, where white has been dominant for more than 10 years. White peaked in 2017 with a 39 percent share, but since then the decline has started and grey and blue are on the rise. The number of blue cars increased by one percentage point in 2021.

Europe likes gray

For the third year in a row, Europe is the only major region where grey is the most popular color at 27 percent. Silver is most popular in South America, where it ranks second at 23 percent. Black is the most common in Europe at 22 percent and continues to lead the luxury segment. North America has the most red new cars on the road at 8 percent.

The year 2021 was not easy for the automotive sector because of the impact the semiconductor chip shortage had on car production. “We expect consumer demand to drive trends in the popularity of car colors,” said an Axalta spokesperson. The company began collecting information on colors in the paint industry in 1953 and regularly reports on color trends and preferences.

Even though many older people miss the days that roads were packed with cars colored like English licorice, there are still a few manufacturers who dare to stand out. Head to this website to see some funky examples.

(Cover photo: Koen Jacobs)

Also read: 

Author: Rene Passet

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.

The world likes its cars white | CarwashPro

The world likes its cars white

White car in Berlin, taken by Koen Jacobs. Creative Commons, Flickr.

Even though the number of grey and blue cars on the road is increasing slightly, white is still the most popular color for cars, according to a report by paint manufacturer Axalta.

Just over a third of the global car fleet is white (35 percent). Followed by black (19 percent) and grey (also 19 percent) as the most common color for cars. Grey is gaining in popularity, with the number of grey cars increasing by 4 percent worldwide in 2021. Paint manufacturer Axalta bases their ranking on production data from the major car manufacturing countries.

The popularity of white is partly due to its popularity in Asian countries, where white has been dominant for more than 10 years. White peaked in 2017 with a 39 percent share, but since then the decline has started and grey and blue are on the rise. The number of blue cars increased by one percentage point in 2021.

Europe likes gray

For the third year in a row, Europe is the only major region where grey is the most popular color at 27 percent. Silver is most popular in South America, where it ranks second at 23 percent. Black is the most common in Europe at 22 percent and continues to lead the luxury segment. North America has the most red new cars on the road at 8 percent.

The year 2021 was not easy for the automotive sector because of the impact the semiconductor chip shortage had on car production. “We expect consumer demand to drive trends in the popularity of car colors,” said an Axalta spokesperson. The company began collecting information on colors in the paint industry in 1953 and regularly reports on color trends and preferences.

Even though many older people miss the days that roads were packed with cars colored like English licorice, there are still a few manufacturers who dare to stand out. Head to this website to see some funky examples.

(Cover photo: Koen Jacobs)

Also read: 

Author: Rene Passet

Add your comment

characters remaining.

Log in through one of the following social media partners to comment.