White might soon be green with envy over the growing popularity of green as a color choice for new cars.
According to DuPont's annual survey of vehicle color popularity, white remained the top choice for luxury cars, full/intermediate cars, sport/compact cars and light trucks and vans in 1992. White lost some ground in three other categories.Unlike the last time green was popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the greens of today are rich dark blue-greens vs. yellow greens last time around.
Green cars took their cue from trends in the fashion and home furnishings industries, said Robert S. Daily, finishes color marketing manager for DuPont Automotive.
Roseann Forde, fashion director of women's apparel for DuPont Fibers, attributed the growth in popularity of green to an increased interest in the environment and increased feelings of uncertainty.
"Green symbolizes harmony and counteracts emotional stress," she said.
There are some parallels between the last time green was popular and today, she said, noting that the Vietnam War was under way and the assassinations of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Robert Kennedy rocked the nation.
"While we don't have that same kind of social turbulence today, there is a great deal of economic turbulence," Forde said. "The past few years have been a time of corporate downsizing. People are worried about finding or keeping their jobs. And their financial security is uncertain."
Green gained ground at the expense of other colors.
Medium and dark shades of red and blue remained popular. Neutral colors, like silver and gray, dropped somewhat.
Here are the top five colors and percentage of the market by car size and type:
Luxury - 1. White, 21.57; 2. Silver, 10.25; 3. Medium red, 9.84; 4. Light brown, 9.75; 5. Green, 7.55.
Full/intermediate - 1. White, 22.50; 2. Medium red, 11.78; 3. Silver, 8.75; 4. Medium gray, 7.38; Green, 6.50.
Sport/Compact - 1. White, 19.29; 2. Bright red, 12.39; 3. Medium red, 10.60; 4. Turquoise/aqua, 7.96; 5. Light blue, 6.82.
Truck/Van - 1. White, 29.72; 2. Medium/dark red, 11.00; 3. Green, 9.24; 4. Red, 9.08; 5. Black, 9.01.