The Surprising No. 1 Car Color Is ...

... white. And that's big news. Silver has been the undisputed color champion of the automotive world for seven years--but not anymore.

That's the word from the DuPont 2007 Global Automotive Color Popularity Report, which determined that white was the top color choice for vehicles.

Fun facts to know and tell:

-- 19 percent of all cars manufactured in 2007 were white, followed by silver with 16 percent.

-- Among luxury cars, black and white were tied at 22 percent, while 20 percent were silver.

-- In the intermediate car market, blue was the No. 1 color with 15 percent. This was the only category in which blue was in the double digits.

-- Beige and brown accounted for only 5 percent of overall car sales.

-- Red was the preferred color by sports car drivers.

-- In the United States and Canada, the choice is black and white, so to speak. White/white pearl, silver and black/black effect were in a virtual tie for first, with white/white pearl narrowly taking the top spot.

-- White beat silver in Japan, and was the decisive leader in Mexico.

DuPont has tracked color statistics for more than 55 years and reports converging trends in color preference. This year, DuPont sees white/white pearl as a trend-shifting color and anticipates the new black metallic and other color effects will show an increase in popularity over time. Red also continues to gain ground and is ensuring a more vividly colored outlook in nearly all segments.

"Our customers are looking at niche colors and effects, including matte finishes and warm neutrals with effect," said Karen Surcina, color marketing and technology manager, DuPont Automotive Systems. "The rise in popularity of white/white pearl and the long reign of silver suggest that we can expect a more dramatic shift in the top color choice."

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