Paint by the numbers: 10 most sought-after colors on KSL Cars

Did you know it’s been 30 years since Skittles candy first introduced its Taste the Rainbow slogan? That memorable phrase from 1994 has since become one of the longest running marketing campaigns in history, and for good reason. It evokes a bright, cheery feeling, as well as an invitation to sample every sweet and colorful flavor.

Automakers are just as interested in selling you a feeling, and they’ve come up with some clever names over the years to do it. You may have heard of bright red being referred to as Arrest Me Red, since they are sometimes perceived as attention magnets for law enforcement (they aren’t). Honda has had some great blue hues that convey movement and speed such as Kinetic Blue, Super Sonic Blue, Apex Blue and Boost Blue.

Find blue vehicles on KSL Cars

Jeep's Gladiator pickup in Punk'n Orange. Photo by Stellantis

Chevrolet marked the year 2000 with the introduction of Millennium Yellow on the fifth generation Corvette. Stellantis offered Plum Crazy on its Challenger and Charger. And Jeep has Punk’n Orange on its latest Gladiator pickup truck.

Survey says

Sometimes, it’s the color itself that’s interesting. The “Barbie” movie, for instance, generated a sudden uptick of searches for pink cars among KSL listings. That got us wondering, what flavors of cars are people looking for?

See pink cars on KSL Cars

Probably to no one’s surprise, neutral-colored cars top the list locally, but this phenomenon spans far beyond the Rocky Mountain region. According to the most recent Automotive Color Popularity Report by PPG Industries, silver and gray paint hues account for about one out of every three modern cars nationwide. 

White comes next on the list at about 24%, followed by black at 18%. Overall, about three out of every four cars are some form of grayscale. It is no wonder our roads look so bland sometimes.

White leads the search listings on KSL Cars.

On KSL Cars, it’s not much different. White is the most common color, garnering nearly one-third of the searches. It’s followed closely by gray at 28%, then black with 18% of the search traffic.

Search neutral-colored vehicles on KSL Classifieds

Decision factors

What might be some of the factors playing into the data? A conservative car color will typically hold its value more than something that is rare and attention grabbing. The reason behind that is simply because an understated color does not generally offend or polarize people. The exception to this might be a one-off first edition or limited production car that is only offered in a special color for a small batch of units.

Purple cars stand out on a highway of gray and white vehicles. Photo by Dodge

External impressions

A color can make a statement. A black car might come across looking more “executive” or “formal” compared to other colors. On the flipside, a bright color — such as yellow — provides augmented visibility and may, in turn, be safer than a neutral color. There is a reason why school buses are painted yellow, after all.

Find yellow vehicles on KSL Cars

Maintenance and climate

If you are parking a car outside in the elements, a darker car is usually more challenging to keep clean when compared to a lighter one. A beige or brown car is far less likely to look dirty compared to a black one. And a white car will likely stay a little cooler on a summer day than a dark colored one.

Shop brown vehicles on KSL Cars

Can't decide on a color? Pick two. Photo by Tyson Hugie

Personal preference

The truth is, there is no right or wrong answer to the color question. You might simply love the way a certain color shows off the lines of a vehicle. You might have a favorite color to promote. A vehicle is an expression of someone’s identity, just like the clothes they wear. 

Thinking outside the palette

Most of us grew up with the notion that there were just seven colors in the rainbow — one for each letter in the name Roy G. Biv. But the hues are limitless. When it comes to the automotive industry, many vehicles are painted with two- or three-tone schemes. 

I recently acquired a Ford F-250 pickup that is painted both Royal Blue and Medium Blue. Two-tone paint schemes were popular in the 1990s, and some industry outlets say the trend is coming back.

You can't deny, the '90s were colorful. Case in point, the Volkwagen Golf Harlequin. Photo by Volkswagen

And who could forget the 1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin? It was a hatchback that was produced in limited volume with mismatched panels in multiple colors. In terms of wild color combinations, it was perhaps the most out-there car in history.

Shop all Volkswagen Golf colors

Customization potential

Depending on your imagination (and budget), you might be surprised to know that it is possible to order a new car in a color that doesn’t show up as a standard offering in the brochure or marketing materials. BMW Individual is a program that enables what it calls limitless expression. The website says its special-order paint “offers you immense worlds of color and unique paint finishes, so you can create your dream design.”

Porsche is also big on individualization. The company’s Paint to Sample program expanded in 2021 to allow customers to choose from over 160 colors — each one at an additional charge, of course.

Pick your paint

What car color best defines you? No matter what flavor of vehicle you are looking for, KSL Cars offers a kaleidoscope of vehicle colors awaiting your perusal. Head over and browse the listings today!

Heading photo by Tyson Hugie.